On the eve of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, believers color eggs. For this, various methods are used: special paints, stickers, etc. Often they turn out so beautiful that it’s even a pity to eat them. Therefore, the most beautiful products are left to be admired. But this raises the question of how to store Easter eggs.
Storing Easter eggs
For decoration, preference is given to the freshest products that have a whole shell. It is important to understand that even a minimal crack greatly reduces the shelf life of the Easter egg. Indeed, in such a situation, microflora multiplies very quickly in them.
The eggs must be hard-boiled, that is, the water must boil for at least 15 minutes. Then the product can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. For products purchased in a store, the period increases, since their surface is treated with a special protective agent.
Opinion of the Moscow Patriarchate
The Moscow Patriarchate reports: “According to ancient church tradition, the first Easter egg was presented by Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene to the Roman Emperor Tiberius. When she handed him an egg as a symbol of the Resurrection of Christ, the emperor, having doubts, said that just as an egg does not turn from white to red, so the dead do not rise from the dead. The egg immediately turned red. However, you cannot eat such an egg. No product can maintain its freshness for such a long period of time.”
How long to store Easter eggs
Easter eggs prepared for consumption must be stored like regular boiled eggs. This is 12-24 hours at room temperature, and 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator. However, you need to understand that it is better to eat them in the first 4 days.
After all, dyes are usually worn to church, that is, they stay out of the refrigerator for some time. Colored eggs brought by guests should be eaten within 10-12 hours, this is especially true if it is warm outside. Eggs must be transported by first wrapping each one in a napkin and placing it in a basket made of natural material. You should not place them in plastic containers.
Eggs will last longer if, after boiling, they are coated with a thin layer of sunflower oil. Fat will clog the pores in the shell and block air access to the product. This egg can be kept warm for up to 4 days.
Which eggs last longer - raw or boiled?
During heat treatment, the thin white film, which plays a protective role, is destroyed. It ensures long-term preservation of the raw product. It is damaged along with cracks in the shells and becomes an entrance gate for microorganisms.
Many sources indicate that a boiled egg can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 15-20 days. It is not true. Even in the absence of the main signs of spoilage - smell, color, change in the consistency of boiled white or yolk, eating stale food is dangerous to health. Maximum storage period 2 weeks when using vacuum packaging.
A protective translucent film attached to the inside is a sought-after remedy in folk medicine. It has long been used by humans to treat cuts, stop bleeding, help cope with burns, and protect open wounds from germs.
How to store Easter eggs, useful tips
- It is necessary to purchase eggs for subsequent coloring no earlier than 14 days before the holiday. Wash them before cooking;
- due to temperature changes, the shell may crack;
- The shelf life of a soft-boiled egg is much shorter than that of a hard-boiled egg;
- eggs without a refrigerator can be stored in a dark, cool place for no more than five days, but only if they were purchased before;
- if there is even a small crack on the finished egg, then it should be eaten immediately;
- The method of decorating eggs also affects their storage period. Sealing with thermal film allows the product to be stored for only a few days.
Symptoms of poisoning
Since it so happens that the eggs were consumed after a long period of storage outside the refrigerator, you should monitor your health to determine whether bacteria have entered the body or not.
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Symptoms of poisoning may include the following: vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, flu symptoms, and so on. At the first such manifestations, it is best to immediately consult a doctor.
How to preserve dyes without refrigeration
If it so happens that Easter eggs cannot be stored in the refrigerator, then you can use the following methods to preserve food:
- You can wrap the eggs in paper and put them in a dark place.
- Easter eggs can be stored in a saline solution in a cool place for up to 30 days. It’s easy to prepare; just dilute a tablespoon of salt in water.
- It is allowed to grease the eggs with lard and immerse them in a container with oats.
- You can coat the shell with egg white and wrap it in paper. Should be stored in a dark place.
- Lubricate the shell with liquid paraffin, petroleum jelly or glycerin.
- If you wash the eggs with a solution of potassium permanganate, you can store them indoors for up to 3 weeks.
- Place the dyes in a mixture of coal and oat bran.
- The syrup contains equal amounts of sugar and water.
These methods are relevant for a dark, ventilated room.
Why do blessed foods spoil?
Eggs left over after Easter are just as likely to spoil as regular eggs. Believers conducted an experiment and placed illuminated foods behind the icon. A year later they were taken out and it turned out that they had gone bad.
How to keep the product fresh:
- Grease the shell to prevent microbes from entering through small cracks.
- Onion peels have a similar property, because... it contains phytoncides that inhibit the development of harmful bacteria.
Bacteria can enter the protein through small cracks in the shell during the painting process. Therefore, it is not recommended to eat eggs from last Easter.
About storing Easter eggs through the mouths of others
The rector of St. Michael's Church believes that Easter eggs should not be stored. Because symbolizing an egg left in the house, it means a “ruined” life. And it can even provoke discord and illness among the living. It is better to leave dummies for storage.
The opinion of Hieromonk Victorin is absolutely opposite. He is convinced that blessed Easter cakes and eggs can be eaten at any time. And the remaining products can be thrown into the trash.
Thus, opinions differ. Therefore, if you want to store an egg consecrated in a church, you should be guided by the shelf life of the product and not eat it after it expires.
Story
Under a thin but strong shell, the most complex processes of the formation of the body are hidden. Since ancient times, people have admired the grace of the appearance of life under the shell: many peoples even in ancient times considered eggs to be symbols of life. But where did the tradition of keeping them in the house for a year come from?
The first legend goes like this: one day Mary Magdalene visited the Roman Emperor Tiberius and presented her with the words “Christ is Risen!” He gets a white chicken egg as a gift. She told people about the miraculous resurrection of Christ in lands far from Palestine, but often encountered misunderstanding and disbelief. It happened this time too: the emperor laughed at her story and in amusement compared the miracle of resurrection with the impossible fact of an instant change in the color of an egg. Before Tiberius had time to calm down, the snow-white shell turned scarlet right in his hands.
The second legend tells us about a Jewish meal: one of them remembered Christ’s promise to resurrect three days after death. The dinner companion answered him that such a miracle is possible only after the chicken that was served on the table comes to life and the eggs turn red. And so it happened.
According to the Lutheran Church, the cross that Jesus carried to the place of his own execution under the fierce screams of the crowd and curses was very heavy. An egg seller, passing by and seeing the suffering of the convict, rushed to his aid, leaving a basket of goods on the side of the road. When the merchant returned, he saw scarlet eggs instead of white ones. He told people about the miracle that had happened and, instead of selling them, he distributed the eggs to friends and relatives, believing in Divine intervention.
Another story is known. The apostle and founder of the Christian church was Peter, who is one of Jesus' disciples on earth. After Christ's ascension into heaven, Peter and his brothers walked around Judea, talking about their faith. In one of the cities, evil people refused to accept their testimony and began throwing stones to kill the first Christians. And then a miracle happened: the flying objects turned into red eggs, without causing harm to Peter and his friends. The offenders converted to Christianity.
Then the tradition of giving eggs for Easter arose. Gradually, another one was introduced - to store illuminated symbols of life in the house for a year. But eggs are a fragile and perishable product, so they were replaced by wooden Easter eggs decorated with symbols and patterns. This gift could be kept for a lifetime. This was done in order to protect the house from harm.
The famous Fabrege Easter eggs continued the art of Christians, delighting people with their beauty to this day.
Useful tips
Several recommendations for preserving eggs will be useful to housewives in the kitchen:
- you need to send the boiled dish for storage in the refrigerator no later than 120 minutes after the end of cooking - it is better to throw away those items that have been outside the refrigerator for more than 2 hours;
- You shouldn’t store the whole egg in the freezer, it’s enough to freeze the yolk and then use it in cooking - the whites will become hard in the freezer, you can store the yolks in the freezer for no longer than 90 days;
- You can store boiled quail eggs in the cold for no longer than 1 week - these products are best placed in plastic containers with a lid or paper bags.
What the regulations say
Sanitary rules regulate the duration of storage and conditions for placing food products. According to SanPiN 2.3.2.1324-03, boiled eggs should not be used later than 36 hours after cooking.
The product is stored on the territory of a public catering establishment at temperatures up to +6 °C.
GOSTs determine the time during which raw embryos of different types of poultry can be stored, the conditions for their placement, and packaging requirements.
What factors determine the shelf life of a product?
The shelf life of boiled eggs depends on storage temperature, cooking method and type.
- It is permissible to store the delicacy in the refrigerator longer than in a room.
- Hard-boiled eggs remain edible longer than soft-boiled eggs.
It is believed that the product from domestic layers remains fresh for a long time, unlike factory-made ones. It initially has a more powerful immune system, and the date of its “manufacture” is usually closer to the time of use.
How to determine freshness before consumption
The most reliable way to determine freshness is to immerse it in a container of water. During storage, the air chamber located at the blunt end gradually increases, so stale eggs always float on the surface. And those that have just been demolished usually sink to the bottom or float somewhere in the middle of the container.
To be on the safe side, it is recommended to break an egg from a questionable batch over a separate cup. This will prevent spoilage of all other products if it is stale. This advice is especially relevant when preparing fried eggs or kneading dough.
Most retail chains have a special ovoscope device to check the quality of eggs. It is designed for candling eggs. During inspection, you can see all the cracks on the surface of the shell, and various darkenings can be clearly distinguished inside the egg itself. As a rule, they indicate the presence of spoiled yolk or blood clots inside.
When choosing eggs, you should also pay attention to the following signs:
- Appearance of the shell. It should be smooth, clean, without visible damage.
- Weight. It must be true to size. Eggs that are too light will likely end up dry.
- Availability of markings. Industrial products must include information about the class and manufacturer.
- No foreign odors.
In some cases, it becomes necessary to check the freshness of boiled eggs. This can be done using the following criteria:
- The protein should be white. Even if there is the slightest change in color, you should stop using it.
- There are completely no foreign odors.
- After removing the shell, the surface of the protein should not be sticky.
Various types of eggs are an excellent source of proteins, vitamins and microelements. They are widely used for preparing baked goods, salads, desserts and individual dishes. Knowing the approximate shelf life of eggs in the refrigerator and quality criteria, they can be safely used for food.
What determines the shelf life
There are several factors that directly affect the shelf life of boiled eggs in the refrigerator. This:
- temperature regime;
- shell integrity;
- storage.
The main criterion still remains the integrity of the shell, because if it is mechanically damaged, the time during which the product will retain freshness and taste is sharply reduced. Thus, eggs with shells cracked during boiling or completely cleared of them can be stored at low refrigerator temperatures for no more than four days. An unpleasant consequence of storing a product longer than the specified period is the risk of infection with pathogenic microflora, which sharply increases the risk of food poisoning.
Shelf life in the freezer
The freezer is not the best place to store eggs, because due to prolonged exposure to very low temperatures, this product loses almost all of its beneficial properties. If you find eggs among your supplies that are approaching their expiration date, it is better to freeze them so that you can use them later for cooking, rather than throwing them away now. You can freeze both raw and boiled eggs; the shelf life of both types in the freezer is up to one year. To freeze raw eggs you need:
- Break them one by one into a deep plate, remove the remaining shells, and shake a little with a fork.
- Add a pinch of salt or sugar and stir so that after defrosting the consistency of the egg mixture remains homogeneous and does not become grainy.
- Pour the egg mixture into a clean, dry container of a suitable size, without adding 1-2 cm to the edges - it will expand under the influence of negative temperatures.
- Write the freezing date on the lid of the container and store it in the freezer.
If you want to freeze boiled eggs, use only the yolks, and use the boiled whites now, because once defrosted, their grainy texture is unlikely to remain suitable for cooking. To freeze boiled yolks:
- Place them in a deep saucepan, cover with cold water, and place over high heat.
- Once boiling, cover the pan with a lid and leave for 15 minutes.
- Then remove the yolks with a slotted spoon, remove any remaining liquid, place in a container and freeze.
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Does the painting method affect preservation?
At room temperature, boiled eggs can be stored for up to 3 days. For dyes, the period increases to 7 days in the refrigerator, 4-5 days in a cool room. Housewives lubricate the surface of the shell with sunflower oil after painting to add shine. Thanks to this, eggs last longer.
Many housewives prefer natural dyes:
- onion peel;
- beet and carrot juice;
- turmeric, etc.
The painting method does not affect preservation. The use of thermal film, which impedes air access, leads to fogging: the shelf life is reduced by a couple of days. It is necessary to glue the film correctly so that water cannot penetrate under it, leading to the appearance of an unpleasant musty odor.
Beetroot juice is a natural burgundy coloring agent.
