FoodKeeper advises against freezing eggs: the texture falls apart, or the thawed result can't be trusted to be safe.
FoodKeeper advises against freezing eggs: the texture falls apart, or the thawed result can't be trusted to be safe. Your better bet is the fridge: 3–5 weeks.
Freezing eggs, step by step
FoodKeeper advises against freezing eggs: the texture falls apart, or the thawed result can't be trusted to be safe. Refrigerate them instead and finish them within 3–5 weeks.
Counter, fridge or freezer: the numbers
How freezing changes eggs
Raw eggs can't go into the freezer in their shells, because the contents expand and split the shell. Whole eggs beaten together, or whites and yolks frozen separately, hold up well; stir a pinch of sugar or salt into yolks so they don't thicken into a gel. Cooked egg whites go rubbery when frozen.
How long eggs keeps with each storage method
| Storage | How long | Temp | Packaging | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counter / pantry | 2 hours | 68–72°F | Airtight | only 1 hour above 90°F |
| Refrigerator | 3–5 weeks | ≤ 40°F / 4°C | Airtight | 40°F (4°C) or colder |
| Freezer | Not recommended | 0°F / -18°C | Wrapped or freezer bag | hurts texture or safety |
Getting to know eggs
Eggs sit in the dairy & eggs section of our food guide. The USDA FoodKeeper database files them under the name “Eggs (in shell)”. Going by USDA FoodKeeper, they last 3–5 weeks in the fridge. Freezing is not advised. As with any perishable food, they shouldn't spend more than 2 hours at room temperature. Best storage spot: choose a middle shelf over the door, which warms up each time someone opens it.
Thanks to the shell and the thin membranes just inside it, eggs last for weeks in the fridge. Eggs sold in the US are washed before they reach stores, a step that strips off the shell's natural protective coating, so they have to stay refrigerated. Once an egg is cracked, separated or cooked, its storage time shrinks sharply.
What makes eggs spoil
Salmonella is the key safety concern with eggs, and it can lurk inside an egg with a perfectly ordinary appearance. As they age, eggs gradually give up water and carbon dioxide through the porous shell, so the white turns runny and the yolk sits flatter. An egg that has truly gone bad gives off a sulfur smell as bacteria break down its proteins.
Mistakes people make storing eggs
- Storing the carton in the door, where temperatures go up and down.
- Washing eggs before putting them away.
- Letting cold eggs sit out longer than two hours: condensation on a cold egg can help bacteria get through the shell.
- Freezing whole eggs in their shells, which makes the shells split.
Choosing good eggs at the store
- Open the carton before you buy and make sure none of the eggs are cracked or dirty.
- Only buy eggs that are sold from a refrigerated case.
- Leave them in the carton, which shields them and keeps the pack date in view.
Eggs: ways to finish them in time
- Make a batch of hard-boiled eggs; they keep for a week in the fridge.
- Beat any extras together and freeze them for baking.
- Use them up in quiches, frittatas, custards and baked goods.
Making sense of expiration dates
The dates printed on eggs packaging mostly describe quality rather than safety. Under US rules, infant formula's use-by date is the only one federal rules require; manufacturers choose all the others themselves. A “Best if used by” date marks when flavor and texture are at their peak. A “Sell-by” date helps the store rotate its stock, and once it passes you can still keep the food at home for its usual storage time. A “Use-by” date is the manufacturer's own pick for the final day of best quality.
For that reason, the storage times on this page start counting from the moment you open, cook or buy eggs, not on the date stamped on the package: 3–5 weeks in the fridge. Food that was stored properly can still be good after a best-by date, while food that was handled carelessly can go bad long before it.
The best place for eggs
Choose a middle shelf over the door, which warms up each time someone opens it.
Your eggs storage questions
How long do eggs last in the fridge?
3–5 weeks when held at 4°C (40°F) or below. Start counting on the day it was bought, opened or cooked.
How long do eggs last in the freezer?
Not recommended. FoodKeeper advises against freezing eggs: the texture falls apart, or the thawed result can't be trusted to be safe.
How long do eggs last at room temperature?
2 hours at most, or 1 hour if the air is above 32°C (90°F). Throw out perishable food that has been out longer than that.
How long is eggs good after the expiration date?
With perishable eggs, time in storage counts for more than whatever the label says. Once it has spent longer than 3–5 weeks in the fridge, throw it out — even if the printed date hasn't arrived yet.
How do you know if eggs are bad?
A sulfur smell the moment the shell cracks is unmistakable — throw that egg away. Shells that are cracked, or that feel slimy or powdery. Whites or yolks with a pink, green or iridescent look.
How long can eggs sit out?
At room temperature the limit is 2 hours, dropping to 1 hour when the temperature tops 32°C (90°F). A whole night out is never safe.
Eggs myths: fact or fiction?
- You got it!Not this time.
False. Food-poisoning bacteria seldom alter how food smells. Keep to the 3–5 weeks window and discard anything older.
- You got it!Not this time.
False. The freezer puts bacteria on hold rather than killing them. They start up again as the food warms, so let it thaw in the fridge, then cook or reheat it all the way through.
- You got it!Not this time.
False. FoodKeeper advises against freezing eggs: the texture falls apart, or the thawed result can't be trusted to be safe.
- You got it!Not this time.
False. Each time the fridge is opened, the door heats up. Choose a middle shelf over the door, which warms up each time someone opens it.
- You got it!Not this time.
False. Certain bacteria produce toxins that heat cannot destroy. Reheating kills the bacteria themselves but leaves those toxins behind, so anything left out longer than 2 hours belongs in the trash.
