Do Hard Boiled Eggs have to be Refrigerated?

Hard Boiled Egg Storage

If you’ve just colored them strictly for easter egg hunting, then it doesn’t matter… but what a waste that would be! If you refrigerate hard boiled eggs they can be used for so much more, including making deviled eggs.

Hard boiled eggs, like all foods that should be refrigerated, should be placed into the refrigerator within two hours of preparation or use.
Repeat: Hard boiled must be refrigerated to be safe to consume.
If you’ve ever smelled a hard boiled egg that has been left out of the refrigerator for too long or missed during your hunt and left out in the sun your nose will lead right to it. Unrefrigerated hard boiled eggs will soon smell like, well… rotten eggs.

Hard boiled eggs can be refrigerated with or without their shell. When eggs are boiled, the process removes the protective coating which comes on the shell of fresh eggs. So, they are no longer air tight. If the shells have been removed, be sure to place them into an airtight container before placing into the refrigerator. If the shells are intact, a covering is not necessary but still a good idea. Hard boiled eggs which remain in the shell will last slightly longer than eggs which have been shelled.