How Long Can Eggs Be Last Outside of the Fridge? (2024)

FAQs

How Long Can Eggs Be Last Outside of the Fridge? ›

According to the American Egg Board, you can leave eggs on the counter about 2 hours at room temperature (or 1 hour if the temperature is 90°F or hotter). After 2 hours, you'd be safer to throw those eggs out and get a fresh dozen rather than chance it.

Safe Egg Refrigeration

Eggs can sit out on your counter for up to two hours and only one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees. After that, they must be stored in the fridge.

Give it a smell

Crack it onto a plate or bowl, and give it a whiff. Fresh eggs should either smell fresh or like nothing at all, so if instead, your egg smells putrid, funky, sulfuric, or just plain off, the egg is rotten. Make sure to thoroughly clean and sanitize the plate or bowl to remove any dangerous bacteria.

As mentioned earlier, eggs are shipped after being refrigerated. Therefore to prevent the development of any potential bacteria, they must continue to be kept refrigerated. Keeping them on the counter at room temperature makes them more vulnerable to bacterial contamination.

Once you purchase your eggs, do not let them sit in a hot car for too long. At room temperature, do not leave them out over two hours and if the temperature is sweltering hot (90 degrees F or higher) then no more than one hour.

Never leave cooked eggs or egg dishes out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours or for more than 1 hour when temperatures are above 90° F. Bacteria that can cause illness grow quickly at warm temperatures (between 40° F and 140° F).

But in general, if you take them out of the fridge and place them on a towel or in a container on the counter, your eggs will reach room temperature in 30 minutes or so.

How to store fresh eggs. Once they're out of the coop and free of any of the feathers and poop that came with them, eggs should be refrigerated. Although unwashed eggs with cuticles intact can safely be stored at room temperature, refrigerating your eggs will help them last longer; about 5-6 weeks.

A general rule, unwashed eggs will last around two weeks unrefrigerated and about three months or more in your refrigerator. If you're experiencing an egg boom, it's smart to refrigerate any unwashed fresh eggs you aren't planning to eat immediately. This will help them last longer.

If you forgot your eggs in the car or the garage overnight, it's best to toss them; you never know how much the temperature fluctuated during that time period.

Why do American eggs have to be refrigerated? ›

Commercially sold eggs in America go through a washing and sanitizing process that clears contaminants, but also removes the natural protections that eggs have against bacteria. Because of this, eggs are refrigerated during processing and must remain chilled in order to reduce the risk of salmonella contamination.

You can leave eggs on the counter about two hours at room temperature or one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees F or hotter before you start to worry, per the Egg Safety Center. After two hours, you'd be safer to throw those eggs out and get a fresh dozen rather than chance it.

According to the USDA, refrigerated eggs should not be left out for more than two hours. “Eggs are stored cold right after the hen lays the eggs. Once a cold egg is left out at room temperature it can sweat, which facilitates the movement of bacteria into the egg and can increase the growth of bacteria,” Amidor says.

To conduct a float test, fill a bowl or cup with water (it should be big enough to fully submerge your egg). Gently place your egg inside and see if it sinks or floats. If it floats, it's old and you may want to toss it.

So you will hopefully now know that you should not leave eggs out overnight, as they can only stay fresh for 2 hours unrefrigerated. If you have left eggs in your car for an extended period of time, they must be thrown out as it is not worth the risk of food poisoning.

According to Flaherty, even fully cooked eggs cannot be left at room temperature for more than two hours before spoiling. She says to place hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator within at least two hours after cooking to avoid spoilage and the spread of potentially harmful bacteria.

You should never eat cooked eggs that have been left outside of a refrigerator for more than two hours, or one hour if the temperature is 90˚F or higher. As the old saying goes: When in doubt, toss it out.

Eggs may be refrigerated three to five weeks from the day they are placed in the refrigerator. The "Sell-By" date will usually expire during that length of time, but the eggs will be perfectly safe to use. Always purchase eggs before the "Sell-By" or EXP (expiration) date on the carton.

According to Flaherty, even fully cooked eggs cannot be left at room temperature for more than two hours before spoiling. She says to place hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator within at least two hours after cooking to avoid spoilage and the spread of potentially harmful bacteria.

Commercially sold eggs in America go through a washing and sanitizing process that clears contaminants, but also removes the natural protections that eggs have against bacteria. Because of this, eggs are refrigerated during processing and must remain chilled in order to reduce the risk of salmonella contamination.