The egg roll is an Asian appetizer that’s popular around the world. They are great eating as part of a meal or just eating alone. Due to their popularity, they are found in almost every supermarket and grocery stores across the country. Besides the stores, egg rolls can be made at home as well due to the ingredients widely available at the stores. Whether they are bought at the store or homemade, they tend to go bad fast due to the ingredients used. Therefore, most will wonder how long egg rolls last.
So how long do egg rolls last? At room temperature, cooked egg rolls will last for 2 hours, while uncooked egg rolls will last no longer than 1 hour. In the fridge, cooked egg rolls will last 3-4 days, while uncooked egg rolls will last for 1 week. In the freezer, both cooked and uncooked will stay fresh for up to 6 months.
Above is an estimated time of how long they should last. There are other factors to consider such as the storage temperature, ingredients used, and whether it’s cooked or not. These factors can shorten or extend the egg roll’s shelf life.
In this short guide, we’ll go through on how long egg rolls last, how to store them, what to look for when they go bad, and how to keep them fresh longer. If that’s what you’re looking for, keep reading.
Egg Roll Expiration Date
| Room Temperature | Refrigerator | Freezer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooked/Leftover Egg Rolls last | 2 Hours | 3-4 Days | 6 Months |
| Uncooked Egg Rolls Last | 1 Hour | 1 Week | 6 Months |
How Long Do Egg Rolls Last?
At room temperature, cooked egg rolls will last for about 2 hours. Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F. The hotter the temperature is, the faster bacteria will grow on the eggs and causing destroying it. Therefore, it’s best to consume egg rolls right after it’s cooked. If it’s been over 2 hours, you should just throw it out.
The above applies to leftovers as well. Egg rolls at the restaurant are usually frozen products that are cooked. Therefore, once you get home, either eat them within an hour or store them in the fridge.
As for uncooked egg rolls, they will last about an hour at room temperature. This is due to raw produce such as pork or beef is used as the main ingredients. When it’s combined with other ingredients such as salad, carrots, taro, and other vegetables, it will get moist. Left out too long, the moisture in the egg rolls will start to have bacteria growing on them.
In the fridge, cooked egg rolls will last 3 to 4 days. It should be stored in an airtight container or a plastic bag. The less exposure to the air, the longer they will last.
Uncooked egg rolls will last about 1 week in the fridge. They should always be stored in an airtight container or a heavy-duty plastic bag. This is to prevent the spread of bacteria due to raw ingredients in the egg rolls.
In the freezer, whether it’s cooked or uncooked, they will last for 6 months. Afterward, they will still be safe to eat, but the quality of it will decrease. The taste will be bland and not very tasteful as when it was fresh.
How To Store Egg Rolls
At room temperature, cooked egg rolls should be consumed within 2 hours. If it’s going to be eaten within that time period, you can store them on a plate with a cling wrapper covering over it. This helps prevent flies and other pests from landing on the egg rolls which could carry bacteria. Also, the wrapper prevents the egg rolls from drying out. The less air the egg rolls are exposed to, the longer they will remain crispy and flavorful.
As for leftovers you got from eating out, they should not be stored at room temperature longer than an hour. If it’s going to be longer, it’s best to store them in the fridge. If not, you may notice the egg rolls will be soggy and chewy when you eat them.
As for uncooked egg rolls, they should never be stored at room temperature for longer than 30 minutes. Raw ingredients used to make the egg rolls will cause bacteria to grow quickly on them, which will eventually cause it to spoil.
It’s a good practice for homemade egg rolls to be made in small batches and stored in the fridge or the freezer right away.
For egg rolls that will be consumed within 1 week, place them into an airtight container or plastic bag and store them in the fridge.
On the other hand, to store egg rolls for longer than a week, they should be stored in the freezer.
Can You Freeze Egg Rolls?
Egg rolls whether it’s cooked or uncooked should be stored in the freezer. The egg rolls freeze really well and last for a very long time.
For cooked egg rolls, they should be stored there if they are not going to be eaten within a week’s time. This is true for store-bought egg rolls since most of the time, they are cooked already. Once you get them home, store them in the freezer right away.
If you made egg rolls yourself, you should freeze them right away if it’s not going to be cooked or eaten within a week. It’s best to flash freeze each egg roll so they will not stick to each other when they are frozen.
To learn more about freezing egg rolls and how to store them in the freezer: Can you freeze egg rolls?
How To Keep Egg Rolls Lasting Longer
If you’ve got some leftovers from eating out, simply put them in an airtight container and place them in the fridge. This will give you a couple of more days to eat them before they go bad.
If the leftovers are going to be eaten within a couple of hours, put them in a plate and cover it with a cling wrapper. The less air the egg rolls are being exposed to, the longer they will last.
After a couple of hours, they will still be safe to eat, but the quality of the egg rolls will decrease. The egg rolls will start getting chewy and lose its flavors.
For cooked eggrolls, whether it’s homemade or bought at the store, always keep them in an airtight container or a plastic bag. If you’re not going to eat them within a couple of hours, store the cooked egg rolls in the appropriate container and store them in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat them, take them out and reheat them in the microwave for a minute or two.
For uncooked egg rolls, if they are going to be cooked within a week, put them in an airtight container or plastic bag and store them in the fridge. If it’s going to be longer than a week, put them in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer.
When you’re ready to cook them, take the number of egg rolls you need and put the rest back in the freezer immediately. If you let them sit outside too long, they will start to thaw and get wet. When it’s frozen again, the ingredients inside will lose its flavor due to freezer burn.
How To Tell Egg Rolls Is Bad
For egg rolls, whether it’s cooked or uncooked, the usual signs of a bad egg roll are the appearance, smell, and taste.
Cooked egg rolls that are bad will have a dark coloring wrapper. It may seem to be oily as well. If you try to bite it, it will be chewy. If this is what you see, it’s best to just throw them out.
As for the smell and taste, the cooked egg rolls will smell rotten due to meat products as one of the ingredients. Hopefully, you won’t want to taste it after smelling the egg roll. If you do, the taste will be sour and bitter due to the spoilage of the ingredients.
For uncooked egg rolls, when it goes bad, the smell will be what you’re looking for. It will have an off odor with a strong rotten smell to it. This is due to the raw ingredients rotting in the egg rolls. This is for uncooked egg rolls that are stored at room temperature or stored in the fridge.
If it’s been in the freezer for too long, you may notice the egg roll has discoloration on the wrapper. This is caused by the freezer burn. Instead of the beige color, it will appear to be darker. The darker color doesn’t necessarily mean the egg roll should be thrown away. After it thaws, check the ingredients to see if it seems mushy and watery. If it is, you should throw it out along with the batch it’s part of.
As for the taste, you may not get this far as the appearance and smell will already cause you to throw them out. If you do want to taste it, a bad egg roll will be bland and sour. The sourness is due to the spoilage from the meat used to make egg rolls.
Consuming an egg roll that has spoiled could make you sick. Food poisoning could be mild or could be severe enough to land you in the hospital. Whenever in doubt, it’s best to just throw the egg rolls away.
Related Questions
Can I use expired egg roll wrappers?
It’s best to throw them out and use fresh egg roll wrappers. However, it’s safe to use them, but the quality of it will bad. Expired egg roll wrappers will be hard to wrap as it will break apart when you try to roll it. Also, as the egg roll is being fried, the wrapper will start to tear and you’ll end up with a mess.
What’s the difference between egg rolls and spring rolls?
Egg rolls use raw meat products that are mixed with vegetables and then cooked. The wrapper for egg rolls are egg-based and require frying.
Spring rolls, on the other hand, use cooked meat with fresh vegetables that are eaten raw. The wrapper for spring rolls are flour-based and can be eaten raw.