Be it cold or warm, a boiled egg is considered the best on-the-go source of protein. You can make yourself a quick snack to eat while in a hurry or during a quick break at work. And among the many types of a boiled egg is the hard-boiled egg, which often requires a bit of expertise to master. Getting the time just right is crucial – it’s often hard to tell when you’ve boiled an egg to perfection.
However, with a bit of practice and attention in the kitchen, you can figure out how to hard boil an egg just right – it doesn’t take a lot of time, and they last quite well! And they are such a versatile delicacy that you can enjoy them with almost anything you have on your plate.
But if you’ve boiled a rather big batch of eggs and are struggling to figure out what to do with them, you might be wondering – can you freeze hard-boiled eggs?
The answer here is yes, but there’s a catch. While you can freeze hard-boiled eggs, you should only consider freezing the yolks. Frozen egg whites tend to become rubbery and almost inedible once they are frozen, so it’ll just be a waste. So, the best way to freeze hard-boiled eggs is to separate the yolks from the egg whites, place them in an airtight container, and pop them in the freezer. This way, you can preserve your hard-boiled yolks for at least three months without compromising their quality and before they start to get spoiled.
Having answered the question broadly, let’s now look in detail at what makes a boiled egg so special and what’s the best way to preserve them.
What is a Hard-Boiled Egg?
For those of you who are absolute amateurs when it comes to cooking, a boiled egg is an egg that has been cooked whole in boiling water. During this process, the shell remains unbroken and stays intact.
Unlike soft-boiled eggs, where the yolk remains a little runny, a hard-boiled egg is where both the yolk and egg white are firm after the boiling process is complete.
Hard-boiled eggs are not as delicate as fresh or raw eggs – hard-boiled eggs can be kept at room temperature for at least 24 hours.
How to Store Hard Boiled Eggs
If you want to store your hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator, you can either place them peeled or unpeeled. It’s simply a matter of preference; it doesn’t impact their quality or shelf-life.
Thankfully, hard-boiled eggs can be stored in the fridge rather easily. Place the eggs in an egg carton, container, or even an open bowl, and they’ll remain edible for up to 2 weeks.
However, do keep checking for any off smells, or if you’ve peeled them, for any changes in color or texture. These will indicate if it’s time to throw them out.
How to Freeze Hard Boiled Eggs
And now the main issue at hand; you’ve prepared a rather large batch of hard-boiled eggs that you cannot consume within two weeks and need to store them. Here’s what you should do:
- As mentioned earlier, we suggest you freeze only the yolk, for the egg white turns rubbery and watery once frozen. But if you’re not a picky eater, you can choose to freeze the whole egg as well.
- If you want to freeze only the yolk, scoop it all out of the eggs.
- Place the whole hard-boiled eggs – or yolks – into a freezer bag or airtight freezer container.
- Pop them in the freezer and use them safely for about six months.
We recommend freezing the yolks individually or in portions. This makes thawing and eating them much easier, instead of defrosting an entire container of yolks or eggs.
Tips for Freezing Hard-Boiled Eggs
Here are a few things to consider when freezing your hard-boiled eggs or egg yolks.
- Label the Freezer Bag/Container: If you’re freezing whole eggs, label the bag or container with the number of eggs, and always remember to mention the date so that you can keep track of how long you can use your frozen delicacies.
- Predetermine Your Portions: For larger families, freezing the hard-boiled eggs or yolks by the dozen is recommended to make meal planning a lot easier. For instance, freeze portions you would normally need for breakfast. Pop-out a portion the night before and keep it in the fridge to defrost overnight; the eggs/yolks will be ready to cook the following morning.
How to Defrost Hard Boiled Eggs?
When it comes to defrosting, yolks generally take longer as compared to egg whites. So, after removing the bag from the freezer, squish the yolks with your fingers while they’re still in the bag. This will help loosen them up a little and distribute the warmth within the bag to speed up the process of thawing.
Beware: the microwave is NOT recommended to defrost frozen hard-boiled eggs or yolks. This is because the egg whites will start to cook while the yolks will still be thawing.
How to Tell if a Defrosted Hard-Boiled Egg Has Gone Bad?
There are many ways to tell if your defrosted hard-boiled eggs are no longer edible, the most obvious being bad smell. An off smell most clearly means the eggs are now rotten and should be thrown out.
Other telltale signs include weird coloring or strange texture.
Conclusion
Even though freezing hard-boiled eggs are not greatly recommended, it is a potentially good option when you need to preserve them for later use. They won’t taste or feel that great and might release excess water after being defrosted, so we suggest you eat the whites while they’re still fresh and freeze only the yolks for later use.