How Long Can Hard Boiled Eggs Safely Sit On Your Counter?

A hard-boiled egg is an easy-to-grab, high-protein snack that's perfect for breakfast on-the-go or for throwing in your lunch. But beware how long you leave your hard-boiled eggs sitting out unrefrigerated, as they may go bad in less time than you think. Hard-boiled eggs shouldn't sit out at room temperature for more than two hours. That standard applies no matter if you've just boiled the egg or if it was previously cooked and had already been in the refrigerator. It also doesn't really matter if your eggs are boiled, scrambled, or fried. In all those cases, the FDA recommends that no type of egg dish should sit at room temperature for longer than two hours. And if the temperature is hot, like above 85 degrees, you really shouldn't leave eggs or egg dishes out longer than a half hour to an hour. 

You may also be surprised to learn that hard-boiled eggs actually spoil faster than fresh eggs. The reason is that when you boil an egg in its shell, a layer of water forms on the cooked egg's surface. This creates an environment where bacteria can grow more easily. So, when are those hard-boiled eggs too old to eat? The USDA advises that they can last in your refrigerator up to seven days, no matter whether they're still in their shells or peeled. 

If you want to avoid contamination, it's important to follow FDA safety guidelines when storing eggs at home. Eggs can contain Salmonella, a bacteria that can lead to a very unpleasant bout of food poisoning. To lower this risk, always keep both fresh and cooked eggs in the fridge as well as cook eggs and egg dishes thoroughly to kill off any bacteria. A good rule of thumb is to cook the eggs to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. 

A carton of eggs can last about three to five weeks in the refrigerator, per the USDA. Despite most people's tendencies to put eggs in the fridge door, this is a storage mistake that could ruin your food. It's safer to keep them in the coldest part of your fridge, which is often the bottom shelf. But what about those farm-fresh eggs that have been sitting out at the farmers market unrefrigerated — are those all spoiled? If they haven't been washed, they are safe thanks to a natural protective layer called a bloom, or cuticle. An unwashed farm-fresh egg can sit out up to two weeks, and in the fridge as long as three months. But once those eggs are washed, the rules change, and the time until spoilage shortens. 

Ultimately, the FDA has created regulations for egg shipping, selling, and storage, but it's up to you to implement them. Always look at expiration dates before you throw your eggs in the shopping cart. If the sell-by date on the carton in your fridge has recently passed, check if your eggs are spoiled by dropping one into a glass of water to see if it floats. If you heed all this advice, you can be confident in every egg that you crack open.