Left out hardboiled eggs

[beepbeepinajeep]

How long are they safe to eat sitting out on the counter? (nothing has been added, just forgot to put them up after they cooled off... they are still in the shell)

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

It will be interesting to see if people have input on this. In the past, I have heard (no guarantee of correctness) that any food left out at room temperature for 2 hours should be tossed. Lately I have heard rumor it is now 4 hours. Still this is all rumor and in general, not specific to eggs...I suppose there are a lot of factors involved... be cautious.

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

That is what I thought, but I thought this would be the place to get the answer. I hate that I forgot them... I think about all the work it took to get those eggs!

 

[DTchickens]

Still in the shell i'd expect them to be ok..

 

[redhen]

How long were they left out? Think about Easter time...boiled eggs are left out alot. I think they'll be okay.. depending on how long they were out.

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
Left out.. Hid in odd places where there is for sure germs and who knows what else.. Left there for a bit to find them.. Then eaten, so i'd expect them to be fine or i should be dead

.

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

5 hours... Can I at least feed them to the chickens?

 

[Puck-Puck]

(To cover my ***, I'm just suggesting this is safe, not telling you without a doubt that it's safe): if I had left the hard-boiled eggs on the counter overnight, I'd just roll my eyeballs at myself for being absent-minded, and either eat them right away or put them in the fridge as per my intention. Remember, the eggs needed some time to cool to room temperature anyhow, before being put in the fridge. I'd use the refrigerated ones in the next day or two, though, and not leave them for a week!

Mind you, even in this particularly hot summer it never got over 21 C / 70 F in the kitchen (in winter, I put things in the fridge to protect them from possible freezing!). I might answer differently if I knew how hot your kitchen had been while the eggs were left out, and for how long they had been left.

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

Our house is set at 76.

DH just said he wants me to feed them to the chickens. I guess they will be happy tonight!

 

[redhen]

Quote:
i think they are fine. I'd eat them.