Shelf life of eggs in the refrigerator: store raw and boiled eggs

The question of how long chicken eggs can be stored arises for the housewife when there are a lot of them in the house: before Easter and after the holiday, after a successful visit to the fair, etc. It is not difficult to answer. Boiled eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, raw eggs for up to 28 days, subject to certain conditions.

Why is it important to know the shelf life of eggs in the refrigerator? Because this product is a permanent resident of every refrigerator in the world. They are actively used in cooking as an independent dish: boiled, fried, stuffed, and they are also included in the ingredients for many recipes, from baking to sauces for ready-made dishes. Moreover, a boiled colored egg is one of the central dishes on the menu for Great Easter. That’s when there really is an abundance of them in the house!

As a rule, this product is purchased per family in quantities of 1-2 dozen. In this case, the housewife just needs to pay attention to the date of their packaging and there is no need to particularly monitor how long they will be stored, since they are usually used within a week. But if eggs are bought in large quantities or the basket with them is a gift from grandma, then you will have to keep an eye on the deadlines. Let's take a closer look at how to do this.

How long to store?

Eggs are usually stored in the refrigerator, but if this is not possible (if there is no refrigerator, if it suddenly breaks down, etc.), they can also be kept at room temperature.Let's consider how long they are stored depending on their state.

So, the shelf life when using a refrigerator:

• Raw ones can be stored for up to 28 days.
• The shelf life of boiled eggs depends on how many and how they were prepared. Hard-boiled ones are stored for 5-7 days, boiled “in a bag” - up to 2 days, soft-boiled - up to 2 days. If the shell cracks during hard-boiling, the egg can be used for food within 2-3 days.
• Easter coloring does not affect the storage of eggs if we are talking about natural dyes (onion peels, turmeric, beet juice, etc.). They are stored, like regular boiled eggs, for no longer than a week. If their decor was made using thermal film, the shelf life is reduced by 1-2 days, since it does not allow the product to breathe. In addition, often when decorating with thermal film is carried out incorrectly, a little water remains under it, which over time acquires an unpleasant musty odor.
• Raw, shelled eggs can remain fresh in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
• Boiled, shelled eggs can be kept in a container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Chicken eggs

At room temperature, storage should be organized as follows:

• raw - 7-10 days.
• boiled - up to 2 days.

The above deadlines describing how long a given product can remain fresh will be valid if certain requirements are met. When storing at home, you must choose a dark, cool place where the humidity should not exceed 85%. If the conditions are not met, the deadlines are reduced.

For example, in the warm season, eggs boiled for the road will be fresh and suitable for eating for no more than 12 hours, since the hot temperature outside contributes to a faster process of spoilage. We’ll talk about what conditions to create for proper maintenance of this product in the refrigerator below.

Goose eggs

Advice - how long can raw eggs be stored in the refrigerator:

• Goose and duck are stored for up to 2 weeks;
• turkey eggs - up to 4 weeks;
• quail - up to 3 months.

Turkey eggs

How to store?

As mentioned above, the deadlines are valid if the eggs are stored correctly. So how to properly store eggs? Let's look at some principles.

1. In most refrigerators, the storage compartments for this product are located on the door. However, not everyone knows how many degrees there are. Compared to the average temperature in the refrigerator (+4°C), it is much warmer on the door (+8-10°C). Eggs should be stored at a temperature of 2-4°C. Therefore, the ideal place for them is the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
2. The eggs are placed in the container with the pointed end down.
3. The best option is a cardboard container. It protects the product from foreign odors and maintains moisture.
4. The shells should not be washed before storing in the refrigerator, even if they are dirty. This reduces shelf life. On the contrary, it is necessary to clean the shell of dirt before starting cooking or before breaking it into a dish.
5. When buying eggs in a store, you can rely on the packaging date indicated on the container. However, before counting the period of possible use from it, it is worth making a discount of 3-5 days for the difference in the packaging and “production” dates.
6. For eggs from your own farm, you can safely calculate the expiration date.

How to check freshness?

You can rely on the timing, but it is worth considering the following feature: if the storage time has come to an end, this does not mean that the product has spoiled at that very moment. And vice versa, if there are 2-3 days left until the end of the expiration date, then the eggs will definitely still be fresh. Therefore, when they have been in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, it is worth checking their freshness before eating. This can be done at home like this.

1. Shake the egg near your ear. If there are no sounds, then it is fresh. If you hear “squelching”, then it is better not to risk it and not eat it.
2. Look “through” the shell in bright sunlight. If no dark spots are visible, then the product is fresh.
3. Do not crack the egg directly into the dish. If it is spoiled, then all products mixed with it will become unfit for food. It should be divided into a separate bowl and assessed for freshness by smell and other signs, and then added to the dish.
4. In a stale egg, the white becomes cloudy and takes on a rainbow hue.
5. If you place raw eggs in a jar of salted water, fresh ones will lie on their sides at the bottom or rise slightly. And those that float or hang are undesirable to eat.

The last test option can show not only the freshness of the product, but also how long it has been stored. This is useful to know when using eggs for cooking. For example, poached meat can only be obtained from a fresh dietary product that has been stored for no more than a week, just like successful baked goods. With this approach to product selection, the result will be excellent. Freshness is also important to separate the white from the yolk. This process is easy for a product that can be stored for up to 5-7 days. The position of the egg at the bottom of the jar will indicate this shelf life.

Eggs are a storehouse of benefits and a product for all times.It’s not for nothing that in most countries, dishes from them are traditionally served for breakfast - the most important meal of the day. Store them properly and enjoy!