How Long Can Eggs Sit Out?

How long can eggs sit out? The answer to this question depends on the country where those eggs were bought. For example, in the USA and Canada, you shouldn’t leave eggs out of the fridge for more than two hours after you bought them.

In the UK, Australia, and New Zealand you can keep the fresh eggs outside the fridge, but only if the temperature is not higher than 60 degrees F (15 degrees C). In the EU, eggs can be stored at room temperature for several weeks.

Since raw eggs carry salmonella, especially the older eggs, it is recommended that you store them in a cool and dark place. Even the farm fresh eggs should be stored to keep them fresh for longer.

Many baking recipes ask for room-temperature eggs, but you probably want to make sure that they are actually safe for consumption. Read this article and learn more!

Table of Contents

How Long Can Eggs Sit Out At Room Temperature

If you are from one of the countries in the EU, you can store eggs at room temperature indefinitely. If you are from the US or Canada, you should refrigerate eggs in the next 2 hours after buying them.

The reason behind some countries having different rules than others lies in dirty eggs. Sounds weird, right? There is a logical explanation, however, as freshly laid eggs are covered in dirt.

This dirt might seem disgusting, but it also serves as a barrier between a fresh egg and harmful bacteria. In the US and Canada, egg producers wash eggs, which removes that beneficial bacteria and leaves the egg exposed to bacteria growth.

That’s why people living there refrigerate eggs as soon as they bring them from the store. Washing eggs exposes those eggs to bacteria, which can, in turn, cause serious food poisoning.

How Long Can Eggs Sit Out For Baking

When you want to make scrambled eggs or use them in a cake recipe, it is advised that you take the eggs out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using them. This will make the eggs blend evenly in the batter, and they will cook or bake faster than the cold eggs.

Cold eggs straight from the refrigerator can be lumpy when beaten, won’t blend as well in the batter, and may require longer cooking times.

How Long Can Eggs Sit Out Before They Go Bad

Unwashed eggs can sit out for several weeks before they go bad. If you have your own chickens from which you collect eggs, you don’t have to place them in the fridge until you need to use them.

Commercially produced eggs should sit out for no longer than two hours, but it is unlikely that they will go bad if they sit out for another hour or two. Still, salmonella contamination can be dangerous for your health, so we don’t advise you to make any risks.

However, be aware of cracked eggs because they can be quickly contaminated. If the egg was already cracked when you bought it, you should throw it away. But, if it cracked after you bought it, you can break it into a clean container, then cover it tightly and keep it refrigerated for up to two days.

How Long Can Eggs Sit Out Unrefrigerated

If you are from the US or Canada, it is advised that you refrigerate eggs whenever possible, but you can leave them unrefrigerated for up to two hours. If the room temperature is higher than 90 degrees F, you should leave them unrefrigerated for a max of one hour.

How Long Can Eggs Sit Out After Cooked

When you cook hard-boiled eggs, the high temperature of the hot water will kill all bacteria. Still, to prevent any bacterial growth, you should refrigerate cooked eggs as soon as possible, and you shouldn’t leave them sitting out for longer than 2 hours.

How Long Can Eggs Sit Out Before Incubating

If you want to hatch fertilized eggs, you probably wonder how long can you store them at room temperature before you incubate them. You shouldn’t let fertilized eggs sit out for longer than 7-10 days if you want them to hatch successfully.

Storing eggs for more than 7 days reduces their hatchability by 0,5%-1,5% per day, and after 10 days, their hatchability will reduce significantly until they are no longer viable.

Summary

Now you know how long can eggs sit out. The answer depends mainly on where you bought them. If you bought them in the US or Canada, eggs can sit out for a maximum of 2 hours after being bought, and even less if the room temperature is higher than 90 degrees F.

In the UK, Australia, or New Zeland, you can buy eggs and store them out of the refrigerator, but only if the temperature isn’t higher than 60 degrees F,

In the EU countries, storing fresh eggs at room temperature is perfectly fine for up to several weeks. The difference between these countries is that in the US and Canada, store-bought chicken eggs are washed, which significantly increases the chance of salmonella contamination.

If you have your own chickens that give you eggs, avoid washing them at any cost, and you won’t have to worry about them going bad, even when you keep them out of the fridge for several days or weeks!