Deviled eggs have a long history, appearing in cultures across the world, from the ancient Romans, southern Spain in the 13th century up until the present day.
Deviled eggs are the perfect side dish to accompany any buffet or meal you can think of, but can you preserve them for longer? What if you’ve made or bought too many deviled eggs?
Let’s take a look at the shelf life, and whether freezing them is a good idea.
The Shelf Life Of Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are similar to any egg-based dish, in which most food regulators recommend that you eat them within 4 days of buying or making them.
If you eat them within 2 days, this helps preserve their flavor and consistency, making sure that you enjoy them at their best.
You should also avoid leaving them out at room temperature for any longer than 2 hours, as this renders them unsafe to eat thanks to bacterial growth.
Keep this in mind if you’re thinking about doing deviled eggs for a buffet, as you’ll need to put the leftovers straight into the fridge to maintain their freshness.
Should You Freeze Deviled Eggs?
Freezing eggs in any form can be tricky, as they are very sensitive to changes in temperature.
When you consider freezing them is an extreme form of that, if they’re not prepared properly they can turn mushy, slimy, or even unsafe to eat.
The freezing process can also turn eggs into a watery, disappointing mess. Cooking an egg erodes the natural coating which covers it and prevents changes in structure.
While freezing deviled eggs isn’t a widespread practice, that’s not to say you can’t freeze them (see also Can You Freeze Scotch Eggs?), or that they will be unsafe to eat upon defrosting, but you do need to be careful.
Egg whites in particular are prone to changes in consistency and flavor once frozen and thawed, so avoid this where possible.
The Key To Freezing Deviled Eggs
In order to freeze deviled eggs properly, you need to make sure you prepare them right from the get-go.
When making deviled eggs from scratch, let the mix go cold before you try to freeze it.
Decant it into a resealable freezer bag, allowing for some room at the top for it to expand as it freezes. Get rid of any excess air, and seal it.
If you want to store it in the freezer for a longer period of time, consider sealing the freezer bag in either another freezer bag or a layer of foil. Label this layer, seal and freeze it.
For leftover deviled eggs, extract the filling from the white with a spoon, putting the filling into a resealable freezer bag. Once you’ve put all of the filling into the bag, make sure it’s mixed together, seal it.
Wrap it in an extra layer of foil or cling film, label it, and freeze it.
If you’re worried about the deviled eggs getting flattened in the freezer, put the wrapped freezer bag into a rigid container, and then you can stack it in the freezer without any risk of flattening your deviled eggs before you have a chance to use them.
How To Thaw Deviled Eggs, And How To Reheat Them
The best way to defrost the deviled egg mixture is to put the container straight into the fridge, and let it sit overnight. By the morning, it will be ready to use.
Don’t be tempted to try to speed up this process, as getting eggs to freeze and thaw properly is tricky enough.
Trying to speed it up can result in making the egg mixture lose its consistency, or making it much worse by rendering it unsafe to eat.
When the egg mixture has fully defrosted, transfer it into a microwave safe container. You can also put a cup of water in the microwave with it, and this will help prevent the eggs from drying out completely.
Cook the mixture in 15 second bursts and check them each time, to avoid the deviled eggs from going rubbery. They are ready to serve once piping hot.
Make sure to use all of the defrosted deviled eggs, as you cannot refreeze them safely.
Conclusion
As long as you follow these steps, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t freeze deviled eggs for a later date.
It also means that you can save some time later by making them ahead, but they are best made fresh where you can.
With this method, you won’t have to worry about making too much and causing any food wastage.
Just make sure that you don’t forget about them, as they don’t last forever, and the longer you leave them in the freezer, the more likely they are to lose some of their flavor or consistency, affecting the finished dish.
