Hard boiled eggs are a quick and easy way to add some extra protein into your diet. The question today is can you freeze a bulk load of hard boiled eggs?
The answer varies for the yolk and egg white. Freezing hard boiled eggs can be done but not with the whole egg.
You can freeze the egg yolk for up to one month in the freezer. However, you cannot freeze the egg whites. If you freeze the egg whites, then they become inedible.
The consistency of the egg whites turns to rubber. This isn’t the most appetizing addition to your meal, so definitely take a miss at freezing egg whites.
Before freezing your hard boiled eggs, you will need to separate the yolk from the egg white. If this sounds difficult, keep reading to find out the best way to do this.
How to Make the Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs?
A hard boiled egg is an egg that has been placed into water with the shell still on. You can boil eggs either soft boiled or hard boiled.
Soft boiled eggs are when the eggs are boiled for slightly less time and the yolk is runny. Hard boiled eggs are when the eggs are boiled for a little bit longer and the yolk is as the name would suggest, hard.
A good thing about hard boiled eggs is that they have a longer shelf life. Once you have boiled the eggs, you can leave them at room temperature and consume them within the next 24 hours.
The best way to boil your eggs is through instant pots and crockpots. If you intend to bulk make your eggs to freeze them, go for hard boiled. Here is our method on how to make the perfect hard boiled eggs!
What you will need:
Eggs
Large saucepan
Cover lid
Timer
Method
Add your eggs into a large saucepan. Cover the eggs with water. Ensure that the water covers up to an inch over the top of the eggs.
Place the saucepan lid on top of the pan and boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a medium temperature and set a timer for 9-10 minutes.
Once this time has passed, remove the pan from the heat and take the lid off.
Allow the eggs to fully cool either in the same water or place them into cold water to stop them from cooking further.
Now, your hard boiled eggs are ready to be served. Remove the shell and tuck in!
When it comes to storing your hard boiled eggs, the best way to do this is in bulk. That way, you have a great supply of eggs ready to eat as and when you need them.
Before placing your eggs into the freezer, consider whether you would like to peel them first. Peeling the shell from your egg will make it a lot easier for you to defrost when you need them.
However, if you know you will have the time to peel them once defrosted, you can go ahead and leave the shell on.
One thing to note is that hard boiled eggs have a long refrigeration life. Once you have boiled your eggs, you can store them in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. As long as they are kept in a covered bowl or container, there will be no problems!
If you plan to eat them after the two weeks are up, you need to know that freezing both the yolk and egg whites do not work out well. As we have already mentioned, egg whites turn rubbery once they have been frozen.
The best thing that you can do is to remove the yolk from the egg white. Then you can place the egg yolk in the freezer for up to six months. It is important to store them in a freezer bag or airtight container with the date you froze them on clearly in sight.
Separating and Freezing Egg Yolks
If you need to separate your yolks from your egg whites after they have been cooked, it is quite simple to do. Grab a teaspoon and gently scoop out the yolk.
Once you have separated all of the desired yolks, you can freeze them. Place into a sealed container or bag and label with the date.
This makes it easy to tell when the eggs are good to eat by and when they would have spoiled.
How to Defrost Hard Boiled Eggs?
When it comes to the time you need to thaw your frozen egg yolks, here is the best way to do so! Remove the egg yolks from the freezer and place them into your refrigerator.
Never thaw your hard boiled eggs at room temperature. Ensure that you have placed your egg yolks into a covered bowl to defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
The next day, you should fully cook your egg yolks at 160°F to reduce the risk of any nasty bacteria. Cook and eat the eggs within one day of defrosting.
Are Hard Boiled Eggs Healthy?
You will be happy to know that hard boiled eggs are one of the healthiest ways to enjoy eggs. As well as being the easiest way of preparing eggs, you can eat these to get a low-calorie, protein-filled snack.
The USDA has provided the nutritional information on one large, hard boiled egg, below:
If you’re still not convinced, let us take a deep dive into the best benefits eating a hard boiled egg can give!
Protein Power
Protein is a staple in all diets as it keeps you feeling fuller for longer. A single hard boiled egg has six grams of protein. It is ideal for snacking throughout the day or even to enjoy after a workout.
Some people may think that they need to avoid fat in foods. However, fat is a very important part of living a balanced lifestyle. Fat helps to absorb vitamins in your body which helps with a variety of other things.
One hard boiled egg has five grams of fat, and just less than two grams being saturated. This makes it a delicious and beneficial snack to carry around with you.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is one reason why many people have avoided eggs in the past. One hard boiled egg has roughly 186mg of cholesterol. This works out to be over half of the recommended daily amount of 300mg.
However, you may want to give eggs another chance as there has been research to suggest that they’re not as bad as you may have originally thought.
It has been found that dietary cholesterol may not actually impact the blood cholesterol levels in the body. So, don’t think twice about eating an egg. Just enjoy a hard boiled egg as part of a balanced diet.
B Vitamins
Vitamin B is ace at keeping your metabolism maintained. Hard boiled eggs have plenty of B-12 which is an essential nutrient to keep your body functioning.
B-12 helps to form red blood cells and helps the central nervous system perform. Vitamin B-12 is found in meat products so if a person is vegan or vegetarian, they would need to take supplements to support these functions.
One hard boiled egg also contains 100mg of Choline. This is another essential nutrient that helps the body regulate brain and cell function.
Vitamin D
The last nutritious benefit of a hard boiled egg is vitamin D. One egg contains over 10% of your recommended daily vitamin D intake.
This vitamin is necessary for helping the body absorb calcium. Vitamin D helps to keep our teeth and bones healthy at all times. It also helps to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer.
Vitamin D is usually absorbed in the body on a sunny day. This makes hard boiled eggs a lovely snack for the wintertime where you may need another dose of vitamin D.
Best Ways to Use Hard Boiled Eggs
Now that you know how to freeze, make, store, and nutritious information on hard boiled eggs, it’s time for us to give you a little inspiration on how to use them!
Some of our absolute favorite recipes include hard boiled eggs. Here is a small selection of those recipes!
Deviled eggs
This is probably one of the most delicious recipes to follow with hard boiled eggs.
A deviled egg is basically hard boiled eggs that have been cut in half and filled with a paste. This paste is made from egg yolk and is usually mixed with either mustard or mayonnaise.
Salad Topping
If you want some additional protein in your salad, add hard boiled eggs.
Slice them up into bite-sized pieces and mix them through your go-to salad recipe. They go with most salad combinations but we love them mixed with some avocado thrown in.
Pickled eggs
Are you a lover of anything pickled? If you haven’t tried pickled eggs then you need to get on board. Next time that you batch make some hard boiled eggs, keep some aside to pickle.
You can add whatever spices you like and really make a unique taste. If you want to color them pink, just add some beetroot to your pickling jar.
Sliced for a burger or sandwich
If you love eggs, then you have probably already tried this. However, it is super simple to do and it is so delicious. Slice your eggs thinly and add them to your burger buns or sandwiches.
They add a little something extra for your tastebuds to enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to tell if a hard boiled egg is bad?
If you are unsure whether your hard boiled egg has gone bad, then there is one thing to check. If the egg has any bad smelling odor, then it should not be eaten. This bad odor can sometimes smell rotten or quite sulfurous.
If your hard boiled egg has been stored with the shell on, crack the shell to check for any bad smells before consumption.
Can you freeze raw eggs for later use?
Yes, raw eggs can be frozen for later use. It is recommended to mix the yolk and egg white together and place them into an airtight container before placing them into the freezer.
Raw eggs can be kept frozen for up to one year. So, make sure to clearly label the eggs with the date you originally froze them.
Is it better to store hard boiled eggs peeled or unpeeled?
When you are storing hard boiled eggs, it is best to keep them unpeeled until you’re ready to tuck in. Hard boiled eggs can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks if packaged in a covered bowl or container.
However, if you do peel your hard boiled eggs before storing them away, that is fine. You may have a shorter shelf life, but you would have saved yourself some preparation time.
Can you freeze hard-boiled eggs in the shell?
No, you cannot freeze hard-boiled eggs in their shell. So, before you freeze your hard-boiled eggs you should always remove the shell. But this isn’t the only thing that you should remove. While eggs can be frozen, egg whites do not freeze well. Once they have been in the freezer, egg whites develop a horrible texture like hard rubber which is very unpleasant to eat.
So, once you have removed the shell from your hard-boiled egg ready for freezing, you should also remove the egg white. This might seem like a difficult task, but all you need to do is scoop the egg yolk out using a slotted spoon and put it to one side. The egg yolk will be perfectly fine to freeze, but not the egg white. So when you are packing up your eggs for the freezer, make sure that none of the egg whites sneak into the bag.
How do you store eggs in the freezer?
The way that you should store your eggs will depend on whether they have been cooked, or not. As we have said, cooked egg whites do not freeze well. So if you are trying to freeze hard-boiled eggs then you should always remove the egg white and shell before freezing in a freezer bag or container. But what about raw eggs?
If you want to freeze raw eggs then this is possible, but they cannot be frozen in their shell. Due to this, most people opt for freezing their eggs in an ice cube container before transferring to an airtight container once the eggs have frozen. You also have the option of freezing the eggs altogether or separating the yolks from the white before you put them in the freezer. But generally speaking, an ice cube tray is the best way to freeze eggs before storing them in a regular airtight container in the freezer.
Is it safe to eat frozen boiled eggs?
Yes, it is totally safe to eat boiled eggs that have been frozen, however they will likely not taste that great. While it is possible to separate the yolks and whites of a hard-boiled egg, this is not possible with a regular boiled egg. As we have said, egg whites become incredibly unappetizing once they have been frozen as they transform into a rubbery consistency.
So, while it is possible to eat frozen boiled eggs you might want to avoid doing this. You could attempt to remove the cooked egg yolk from the boiled egg, but this is likely to be a messy and unpleasant job. This is why it is probably best to stick to freezing the yolks of hard-boiled eggs rather than soft-boiled eggs.
How long can you keep hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator?
Of all the types of cooked eggs, hard-boiled are definitely the most hardy. Most eggs will go off pretty soon after they have been cooked, but hard-boiled eggs can actually be safe to eat for up to 1 week if they are stored in the refrigerator. This is why hard-boiled eggs are such a popular choice when it comes to meal preparation.
However, for your hard-boiled eggs to be safe to eat for this length of time you will have to take careful precautions in the preparation process. To do this, you should cook your eggs and cool them before placing them in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking. You should also keep the shells on the eggs and store them within an airtight container or in an egg carton. Only then will they be safe to eat for up to 1 week.
Summary
We hope that you have enjoyed learning about whether you can freeze hard boiled eggs or not. Remember that hard boiled eggs have a long shelf life by just being kept in the refrigerator.
If you do need to freeze them, remove the yolk from the egg whites. Then, freeze the egg yolk only. Freezing egg whites make them inedible so we highly recommend avoiding doing that.
When it comes to defrosting your egg yolks, always thaw in the refrigerator and never at room temperature. Once they have fully thawed overnight, ensure that they have been thoroughly cooked through before serving. Then, simply serve with your favorite dishes and enjoy!
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
