There are certain celebrations, especially during holiday seasons, that will not be complete without a tray or two of deviled eggs. We understand that it is really stressful to make big food preparations, usually if you are short on staffing to do the preparations. This concern is very relevant, especially if you also have to transport it, for example, if you are catering for a party or bringing it for a potluck. In this article, we want to help you plan to prepare your menu by helping you understand how long do deviled eggs last. Proper handling in the preparation, serving, and storage of deviled eggs can help you extend its shelf life.
How Long Do Deviled Eggs Last?
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, hard-boiled eggs can only last up to a maximum of 2 hours at room temperature, even shorter on hot summer days. The same is also true with your deviled eggs since it uses egg as its primary ingredient. That is why it is important to refrigerate it after preparations to prolong its life.
Once mixed and immediately refrigerated, these favorite appetizers can still be safely eaten for up to two days. All unconsumed deviled eggs should be thrown out after said period to avoid consumption of contaminated food. Proper techniques and practices in handling can also prevent the spoilage of your deviled eggs. Check out the tips we have listed below:
Tips on Preparing Deviled Eggs
Spoiling usually comes from bacteria; that’s why it is very important to keep them away from the food you are preparing. Clean everything that you will use—utensils, bowls, and trays—in the preparation of the deviled egg with hot and soapy water.
Cooking the eggs until the yolk and white are firm can help keep them from immediately being spoiled.
While preparing for the filling, you can keep the boiled egg whites refrigerated. You should also check for the expiration date of other ingredients such as mayonnaise and mustard before adding them to the mix.
If you are preparing the deviled eggs a day ahead before serving them, it would be better to refrigerate the filling and the whites on separate food containers that you can use in the fridge.
Tips on Serving Deviled Eggs
The basic concept of serving dishes with cooked eggs is to keep the cold dishes cold and keep the hot dishes hot. For the deviled eggs, you should keep them chilled until you serve them or transport them.
Make sure that servings brought out at room temperature will be consumed in two hours. If you have prepared many servings, you can bring out servings in batches or refill every two hours.
Keep the deviled eggs in ice if they will be out of refrigeration for more than 2 hours.
Tips on Transporting Deviled Eggs
Now that we know how long do deviled eggs last outside refrigeration, we should employ important steps in transporting prepared food. You should keep deviled eggs chilled until before you transport them. During transportation, you can put it in coolers filled with ice or ice packs to keep them in cold temperature.
You should put your coolers in the passenger compartment of the car instead of putting them in the trunk, which is warmer.
Shelf Life of Eggs
Part of checking how long deviled eggs last is checking the shelf life of eggs since the main ingredient of deviled eggs are eggs. Let’s see how long the shelf life of eggs is and how we can extend it. Having fresh eggs definitely helps in prolonging the shelf life of your deviled eggs.
The shelf life of eggs at room temperature is around two hours, based on the US Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. If you store your eggs at the advised temperature of 40° Fahrenheit, it can last up to three weeks.
The number one reason for spoiled eggs is bacteria build-up. When the eggs are laid, it is washed and cleaned to prevent salmonella contamination. However, washing the eggshells can result in destroying the protective cuticle that can possibly prevent bacteria contamination.
Prolonging the Shelf Life of Eggs
One of the easiest and most practical ways of prolonging the shelf life of eggs is through refrigerating them. As mentioned above, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service advise that you store your eggs in your refrigerators.
The best position inside the refrigerator for your eggs is in the middle rack near the back of the refrigerator. This is the part with the most stable temperature. Placing your eggs near the door or at the door can result in bacteria build-up because of temperature fluctuation.
How to Check for Spoiled Eggs
There is no definite way of checking for spoiled or rotten eggs. You only get to verify if your egg is still okay by opening it. However, there are some signs which you can check for a higher chance of getting good eggs.
The first one is to smell the egg. Some eggs smell rotten even inside the shell. The foul smell is easy to detect, and this can mean that the egg is rotten. You can also check the shell’s appearance. If it has a crack, a slimy feel, or a powdery appearance, it may be signs of molds or bacteria build-up. After opening the egg, check for discoloration and verify the smell again. If there is no discoloration or no foul smell, your egg is still good.
Conclusion
Now that we know that the main cause of food spoilage is bacteria contamination, we can prevent it from happening to our deviled eggs. Proper food handling is always necessary, and proper food storage will help extend the shelf life of your egg dishes. Besides, you don’t need to think hard about how long do deviled eggs last since your deviled eggs will most likely be eaten up before the party ends. Know more about deviled eggs.