Hard boiled eggs outside the fridge

I saw the question How long can boiled eggs be stored in the fridge? and it reminded me that as easter approaches here in Austria, my girlfriend's family will decorate a lot of hard boiled eggs. They store these eggs on the counter and eat them well over 2 weeks later. I was wondering what exactly is the risks involved here. Shouldn't they go bad before that, or am I too instanced in the american everything should be refrigerated culture? Are they just accepting a higher risk here?

hard-boiled-eggs

Best Answer

This is kind of a holy war question, oddly. The official party line is "Two hours, just like any other food" but there has been an informal and impromptu Easter-driven experiment in progress for the last two-thousand years or so which most people have participated in and which argues strongly against the hard two hour rule. This doesn't mean the two hour rule is wrong: it's just really conservative.

In a nutshell, cooked solid protein tends to be quite resistant to bacterial contamination. Historically, cooked meat was stored for days with a low (but non-zero) chance of significant contamination. Even today, raw meat is "aged" for several weeks in some circumstances without ill effects.

So yea, it's probably not going to kill you, but if you want to be 100% safe, you should stick to two hours. If you're willing to take some risk, use your senses. Eggs stink when they start to go off, and the human nose is very sensitive to spoilage.

Pictures about "Hard boiled eggs outside the fridge"

Hard boiled eggs outside the fridge - Part of steel barbell without weight discs for training on stand against fence in sunlight

Hard boiled eggs outside the fridge - Low Angle Shot of Lumbers

Hard boiled eggs outside the fridge - White Eggs Beside Polaroid Film

Quick Answer about "Hard boiled eggs outside the fridge"

If hard-boiled eggs have been left out of the fridge for longer than 2 hours (or 1 hour above 90° F), harmful bacteria can multiply to the point where the hard-boiled eggs are no longer safe to eat and should be discarded.

Are hard-boiled eggs OK to eat if not refrigerated?

If you're wondering if it's safe to eat those eggs that's been left out at room temperature, you should know that hard-boiled eggs outside of the refrigerator won't last for more than two hours, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

How long can hard-boiled eggs sit out unrefrigerated?

As with all cooked foods left out at room temperature (aka the Danger Zone), hard-boiled eggs are no longer deemed safe after two hours. Instead, drop the eggs post-boil in a bowl of ice water, and transfer the cooled eggs to the fridge for longer shelf-life.

How to Store Hard Boiled Eggs

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Anete Lusina, Anete Lusina, Todd Trapani, Athena