This Is How Long Hard-Boiled Eggs Last in Your Fridge

It doesn't take that long to make a hard-boiled egg. All you need is about ten minutes, a stove, and a pot of water. But knowing how long they last after you've cooked them? Well, that's a little trickier.

According to the experts at the American Egg Board, you can keep a hard-boiled egg in its shell (i.e. not peeled) for up to a week in the refrigerator. A peeled hard-boiled egg, however, should be eaten the same day it's peeled.

It seems counterintuitive that hard-boiled eggs, whether peeled or unpeeled, don't last as long as fresh eggs, which last for three to five weeks in the refrigerator, since they're cooked. There's a reason for that.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) explains, "When shell eggs are hard cooked, the protective coating is washed away, leaving bare the pores in the shell for bacteria to enter and contaminate it." That means hard-boiled eggs won't last as long as raw, uncracked eggs in the fridge.

How To Safely Store Hard-Boiled Eggs

To make sure the hard-boiled eggs that you're storing to enjoy for later are safe, the USDA recommends quickly cooling them in an ice bath as soon as they are cooked and popping them in the fridge within two hours of cooking.

"Never leave cooked eggs or egg dishes out of the refrigerator for more than two hours or for more than one hour when temperatures are above 90°F." The reason? Bacteria can form and make you sick.

That means if you're bringing a hard-boiled egg to work as part of your lunch, be sure to pop it in the office fridge as soon as you arrive at work.

Smart Trick For Telling the Difference Between a Raw and Boiled Egg

It's best to store your hard-boiled eggs in a lidded container separately from raw eggs. If you do end up mixing them, there's a smart trick for telling them apart. Simply spin the egg. Los Angeles Times' former test kitchen director Noelle Carter writes, "A hard-boiled egg will spin smoothly; a raw egg won't. Because the yolk and white aren't set in a raw egg, motion can cause the center of gravity to shift easily, causing the egg to wobble rather than spin."

Are Stinky Hard-Boiled Eggs Safe To Eat?

Hard-boiled eggs might stink up your fridge, even if you store them properly. The experts from Egg Farmers of Canada point out that this gassy odor in your refrigerator from your hard-boiled eggs is totally normal. "The odor is caused by hydrogen sulphide, which forms when eggs are cooked. It's harmless and usually dissipates in a few hours."

Though a gassy odor from hard-boiled eggs is normal, you can tell the egg is rotten if it's slimy, looks chalky, or has a distinct rotten egg smell. If you're unsure, it's best to be safe—compost/toss it.

Can You Freeze Hard Boiled Eggs For Longer Storage?

Don't freeze your hard-boiled eggs. The American Egg Board, Egg Farmers of Canada, and USDA do not recommend freezing hard-boiled eggs because "hard-cooked whole eggs and whites become tough and watery when frozen." By the time you try to make the most of the rubbery, tough egg whites, it's probably easier to simply cook a whole new batch of hard-boiled eggs.

A version of this article originally appeared on MyRecipes.com.