LEFTOVERS FROM EASTER / How long can boiled eggs be kept and how do you recognize that they are spoiled? If they look like this, throw them away!
In order to waste less food after Easter and other holidays, it is good to use part of it in the following days.
Although hard-boiled eggs are healthy, for most people this food becomes redundant after the holidays.
Boiled eggs have a shorter shelf life than fresh eggs
The protective layer that makes up the shell is removed from the eggs during cooking, so the eggs become more sensitive to air and harmful microorganisms.
This is why refrigeration of boiled eggs is of great importance when it comes to preventing them from spoiling.
Storage in the refrigerator
Refrigerating eggs slows the growth of bacteria because potentially dangerous bacteria grow more slowly at temperatures below 4°C. It would be best if you avoid keeping boiled eggs at room temperature for a long time. After cooking, put them in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
It is also desirable to keep them in a cardboard box or in a hermetically sealed container. You should store them on the inside shelf, not on the door, as frequent opening and closing of the refrigerator can cause the temperature to fluctuate.
At first, an unusual smell may appear in the refrigerator where hard-boiled eggs are stored. This happens as a result of the hydrogen sulfide produced during cooking, but there is no reason to worry because it is normal and harmless, and the smell usually evaporates from them in a few hours.
Freezing hard-boiled eggs is not recommended as the white and yolk can become stringy and watery, making them unpleasant to eat.
Hard-boiled peeled eggs
It is best to delay peeling hard-boiled eggs until you want to eat them. It is recommended to store the peeled eggs in an airtight container with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out.
They should also not be left at room temperature and should be refrigerated as soon as possible.
How long can hard-boiled eggs last?
Hard-boiled eggs, whether shelled or unshelled, can be refrigerated for about a week if stored properly, the USDA recommends. If you’re not sure how long your hard-boiled eggs have been refrigerated, check to see if a slimy or chalky substance has formed on the shell, if so, discard the egg.
You should not eat rotten eggs as this can put you at risk of foodborne illness with symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. A rotten hard-boiled egg can have an unpleasant smell, and if the egg still has its shell, there is a possibility that you can break it to smell it.
Color of eggs
If you notice that the yolk of a hard-boiled egg has turned a greenish-gray color, it does not mean that the egg has spoiled. The color of the yolk may vary depending on cooking time and temperature. As eggs are boiled for longer, the yolk becomes paler and eventually turns a greenish-gray color, Healthline reports.
