Yet Another Hardboiled Egg Question

January 26, 2012 2:33 PM

Unintentionally left a pot of hardboiled eggs in ice water for six hours. Toss out, or save?

Took a pot of hardboiled eggs off the stove, drained the water, put in two large measuring cups of ice and water to cover, as I usually do. Got a phone call, dashed out.

Six hours later upon my return, the water in the pot was quite cool, not cold. Eggs peeled easily and don't smell off. Now they are in the fridge. Keep, or toss?

posted by pinky to Food & Drink (21 answers total)

Eat 'em.
posted by runningwithscissors at 2:34 PM on January 26, 2012 [6 favorites]

I'd eat them.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 2:35 PM on January 26, 2012

They're fine. Make egg salad.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:35 PM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

The water was quite cool, and while eggs are generally considered potentially dangerous food items, hard-boiled eggs are about as safe as you can make eggs since you'd just raised the temp well above the danger zone.

I'd eat them.
posted by gauche at 2:37 PM on January 26, 2012

Totally fine as far as I'm concerned, that's better hygiene than most Delis.
posted by merocet at 2:45 PM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

I take hardboiled eggs as picnic items on walking trips. I dont eat them until 4-5 hours later, often they've been in my hot backpack that long.
posted by vacapinta at 2:52 PM on January 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

Eat them, fo sho.
posted by Knicke at 2:54 PM on January 26, 2012

Eat.
posted by kestrel251 at 2:54 PM on January 26, 2012

Eat
posted by oceanjesse at 2:58 PM on January 26, 2012

DEFINITELY DON'T EAT THEM - oh wait, did you say cold water? I thought you said cobra venom. Cold water is fine.
posted by dubold at 3:03 PM on January 26, 2012 [46 favorites]

Response by poster: Eleven yeses is all I need - thanks everyone, you are all best answer!
posted by pinky at 3:10 PM on January 26, 2012

What's the difference between ice water and a refrigerator?

From the point of view of food hygiene, not really any.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:32 PM on January 26, 2012

How many moms have packed hard boiled eggs for school lunches at 6 AM that weren't eaten until noon? Unless all our moms were trying to kill us, they knew it was fine.
posted by maudlin at 3:54 PM on January 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

My first thought was, I'm sure the Easter eggs we decorated as kids and my mom hid around the house sat out at room temperature for much longer than six hours. We always ate them and were fine. There was one that didn't turn up for a few days but the smell was enough to put us off eating that one.
posted by JenMarie at 4:07 PM on January 26, 2012 [2 favorites]

You don't even want to know how the (uncooked) eggs were stored on the Submarine I was on.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 5:12 PM on January 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

I take hard boiled eggs to burning man, they sit around in the desert heat and have never done me any wrong. Mind you they are duking it out with other things in my system, but my guess is you'll be fine!
posted by poissonrouge at 5:41 PM on January 26, 2012

Pickle them!
posted by Sunburnt at 5:46 PM on January 26, 2012

Here is my almost exactly same question from a few years ago.
posted by deborah at 6:42 PM on January 26, 2012

The current DHEC/ServSafe standards say that you have 2 hours to get food below 70F and another 4 hours to get it under 41F. Depending on how cold your water stayed during that time you might even be allowed to serve them in a restaurant.
posted by theichibun at 10:06 PM on January 26, 2012

If they're chicken eggs, then I think it's OK to go ahead and eat them. If they're the eggs of a predatory, acid-blooded alien biomorph, I'd think twice before putting them anywhere near my face. Those things can stay dormant even on ice-cold planets for God knows how long.
posted by Hugobaron at 1:44 AM on January 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: We've been eating them, we are fine. Thanks everyone!
posted by pinky at 1:58 PM on January 28, 2012