If the eggs are not refrigerated immediately, they can become dangerous to eat. Warmer temperatures make the egg more vulnerable to bacteria such as salmonella. Discard any eggs that have sat out for two or more hours. Keep the eggs refrigerated until you are ready to serve them. If the eggs remain out of the refrigerator for over 2 hours, you should discard them.
Don’t store hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator door. The repeated opening and closing of the door can cause temperature changes, causing the eggs to rot more quickly. Keep hard-boiled eggs away from foods with strong odors. Eggs will absorb the flavors and aromas of nearby items. Keep foods such as garlic or cheese away from the hard-boiled eggs to prevent a change in flavor. [4] X Research source
Change the water daily. Replacing the water every day will keep the eggs fresh as well as help to keep contaminants out of the water and the eggs. Alternately, place peeled eggs in a sealed container. Do not add water to this container, but place damp paper towels over the eggs. This will help them to stay fresh and not dry out. Change the damp paper towels daily.
Boiled eggs go bad much quicker than raw eggs; the most obvious sign that a hard-boiled egg has gone bad is a sulfurous, rotten odor. If it is still in its shell, you may have to crack it open in order to detect any bad smell. [7] X Research source A gray or green yolk does not necessarily indicate that the egg has rotted. The color of the yolk is usually the result of how long the egg was boiled. If eggs are boiled too long, the yolk may turn green or gray.
Write the date on the container or freezer bag; this will make it easy to track how long the egg yolks have been in the freezer, ensuring that you use the eggs within the 3-month time frame.
The yolks should be frozen immediately after the eggs have been boiled. This will help lower the risk of the yolks becoming contaminated.
If boiling the yolks only, place the yolks in a saucepan, then cover with enough water to cover the yolks. Quickly bring the water to boiling. Remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and let it stand for 11-12 minutes. Remove the yolks with a slotted spoon and drain them well before placing them in the freezer bag or container. [10] X Research source
Wash the jar in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Then place the jars on a cookie sheet in the oven at 140 °C (284 °F) for 20-40 minutes. The eggs and pickling brine should be added as soon as the jars are removed from the oven.
When they are done simmering, rinse the eggs with water to cool them down. Then remove the shells to prepare the eggs to be pickled.
A basic pickling recipe uses 1. 5 cups (350 mL) water, 1. 5 cups (350 mL) distilled white vinegar, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) pickling spice, and 1 bay leaf. [15] X Research source To prepare the brine, mix the water, vinegar, and pickling spice in a medium saucepan and bring them to a boil. Mix in the bay leaf and the garlic. Turn down the heat and let the brine simmer for 10 minutes.
A 1 US quart (950 ml) jar will hold about 12 medium-sized hard-boiled eggs. [17] X Trustworthy Source National Center for Home Food Preservation Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food Go to source
