How long do pickled eggs last?

Pickled eggs are a humble but tasty snack or appetizer that may be confusing to those who have never made them. Cured in brine or vinegar, these hard-boiled eggs have a surprisingly long shelf life.

But how long do pickled eggs last?  Pickled eggs will last for 3-4 months if stored in the fridge in a glass jar or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. But you should keep the hard-boiled eggs in the pickling solution for about a month until they are fully seasoned. 

In this article, we will tell you how to preserve pickled eggs so that they last longer and are still safe to eat.

It’s always important to know the signs of spoiled pickled eggs, as well as the mistakes that can cause them to go bad sooner.

Do pickled eggs go bad?

Pickled eggs are hard-boiled eggs preserved in vinegar or brine. Vinegar and salt water solution are used for the preservation of different foods. And eggs, being very perishable, have been preserved in vinegar or brine since the mid-17th century.

If you have a lot of eggs and you don’t want them to go to waste, what you should do is pickle them. The acidity of the vinegar or brine solution prevents the growth of harmful bacteria.

The acidic solution controls the pH value of the liquid. This, in turn, controls the growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria. The latter is the cause of botulism in pickled and canned foods.

Although pickling extends the shelf life of eggs considerably , pickled eggs also eventually go bad. In order for eggs to last as long as possible, you need to provide proper storage conditions.

In addition to poor storage conditions, there are two pickling mistakes that can cause eggs to go bad too soon.

First, prick the eggs. Although some sources recommend piercing the eggs to speed up the seasoning process, this can greatly shorten the time these eggs are safe to eat.

Poking holes in hard-boiled eggs before dipping them into the seasoning liquid makes it easier for Clostridium to penetrate the yolk. These harmful bacteria can grow inside the yolk and lead to food poisoning.

Second, pickled eggs can go bad if you don’t close the jar tightly. Bacteria can enter pickled eggs as long as the lid is left unlocked.

How to store pickled eggs

The best and safest place to store pickled eggs is in the fridge.

Although you may find sources that say that storing pickled eggs at room temperature is fine, we recommend storing pickled eggs in the fridge.

The risk of bacterial contamination of pickled eggs is greatest when you store them at temperatures above 39°F.

Therefore, we recommend not storing pickled eggs at room temperature. High temperatures and a warm environment create the perfect conditions for harmful bacteria to grow.

How long do pickled eggs last?

Hard-boiled eggs can last about a week in the fridge. Pickled hard-boiled eggs, on the other hand, last between 3 and 4 months. You should store the pickled eggs in the fridge in a container or jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Mason jars are best for pickling eggs . If you use a plastic container, make sure it is food grade.

You should never use metal containers for pickled eggs or pickled foods in general, as the acids and salt in the pickle solution react with metal.

For store-bought pickled eggs, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for shelf life and storage conditions for the eggs.

One thing to keep in mind is that if in the case of many other products you can continue eating them after the printed date, in the case of pickled eggs it must be avoided.

It is important to note that the shelf life of already pickled eggs is 3-4 months. The eggs take another month to absorb the seasoning.

How long you should marinate the eggs also depends on your preferences and the size of the eggs.

The general rule of thumb is to let large eggs pickle for 14-28 days. As for small eggs, you can eat them after 7-14 days of marinating.

Once the eggs are set and pickled, you can eat them as is or make deviled eggs, salads, and various other garnishes. If you’re a big pickled egg fan, you can use them in just about any dish that calls for hard-boiled eggs.

Can pickled eggs be frozen?

Freezing hard-boiled eggs is not a good idea. When the whites freeze, they become hard and rubbery, and almost inedible.

Since pickled eggs are essentially hard-boiled but pickled eggs, freezing them is also not recommended.

The shelf life of well-stored pickled eggs is quite long - up to 4 months. If you have not eaten them fresh during this time, you will hardly eat them frozen and thawed.

Pickle the eggs in small batches to avoid wastage, and eat the eggs while they are fresh.

Signs that pickled eggs have gone bad

If you’ve pickled your eggs correctly and kept them in the fridge throughout and after the pickling process, the chances of spoilage are minimal. Unless, of course, you’ve had the pickled eggs in the fridge for too long.

In either case, you should check your pickled eggs for signs of spoilage, especially if you’ve had them for a few weeks.

There are some telltale signs of spoiled pickled eggs.

• Unpleasant smell.  Pickled eggs often smell like the vinegar solution of spices in which they have been seasoned. If you notice unpleasant odor changes, it is best to discard the eggs.

Some people say that homemade pickled eggs smell bad when you just put them in the seasoning liquid. But the smell should improve as the eggs soak up the vinegar solution.

If this is your first time making pickled eggs, we recommend that you smell them during the seasoning process (at least 2 weeks before eating) and also when the eggs are already pickled.

Doing this will help you detect odor changes and get rid of the pickled eggs if necessary.

• bubbles . Bubbles throughout the jar are normal when pickling eggs, as gases build up in the jar during the fermentation process. However, bubbles on the surface of the pickling solution may be a sign that the pickled eggs are not suitable for consumption.
• Bulging lids . If there is too much acid in the pickling solution, the pressure inside the jar causes the lid to bulge. For safety reasons, food in jars with bulging lids should not be eaten.
• Color changes.  You should discard the pickled eggs if the pickling solution has changed color. Color changes may be an indication of the presence of fungus in the fluid.

What happens if you eat spoiled pickled eggs?

While some foods do not pose major health risks even if they have gone bad, pickled eggs do not.

Bacteria can grow on pickled eggs as a result of improper pickling technique or improper egg storage.

Bacteria like Campylobacter in pickled eggs can cause food poisoning.

At worst, spoiled pickled eggs can cause botulism. Clostridium botulinum is the bacterium that grows in poorly pickled eggs. The growth of these botulism-causing bacteria is associated with an increase in the pH of the liquid.

Therefore, if you decide to pickle eggs at home, be sure to learn everything about the pickling process, as well as the conditions for storing eggs. 

Always practice food safety and discard pickled eggs if you are not sure if they are perfectly safe to eat or if they are contaminated.

How long do pickled quail eggs last?

Like chicken eggs, pickled eggs last 3-4 months if stored in the fridge. The difference is that because of their size, pickled eggs take less time to absorb the vinegar.

So if you want to make pickled eggs but need a shorter seasoning time, we recommend using quail eggs as they only take 7-14 days to pickle.