I have the most amazing readers, and sometimes someone sends in a question that I think, “Hey, I bet lots of people would love to chime in on this.” So, I am going to try to feature some of your questions and answer them, the best I can.
Question One: “I have a couple question that I would like your opinion on – and hopefully your readers will chime in on. What do you do with your just-gathered eggs? Leave on the counter? Refrigerate immediately? Wash or not wash? Personally I don’t wash mine, and most of the time I store them in the refrigerator unless I’m going to use them right away.”
I personally don’t wash mine either. I use a 3M scrub sponge to scrape off anything if it is dirty and then I refrigerate them. I have heard you don’t have to refrigerate them, and in Europe, they rarely refrigerate their eggs–with no ill side-effects. I think it is a personal preference. A lot of bakers swear that room temperature eggs yield better results, so if that matters to you, you may want to take it into consideration. Of course, I feel obligated to let you know, the FDA recommends immediate refrigeration.
Question Two: “My girls are laying in a really clean area/box and the eggs are clean. It’s all new to me, so seriously I’m out getting eggs right after they are laid. 🙂 I put them in an egg carton without washing – but rinse in warm water before breaking them open.What do you do? I’m curious about what others do.Thanks!Susan”
I don’t collect my eggs immediately. I check them usually once a day. Even on hot days, I have never had an issue with the eggs sitting. As I mentioned above, I don’t wash my eggs–at all, unless for some reason they are really dirt. I usually just buff the egg with sponge. In the event that I have to wash an egg, I use warm running water {I don’t soak the egg}. If I do have to wash the egg, I try to eat it first, because the protective “bloom” that comes on the egg has been washed off.
I hope that helps, and I would also LOVE to know what the readers think. How do you collect, clean and store your eggs?
~Mavis
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Leah says
I don’t wash mine either. If there is something on them I take enough water on my finger to gently wash it off. Leave the bloom! I do refrigerate because it’s easy and I sell some of my eggs so I feel better to refrigerate them.
missy says
It’s completely safe to store your eggs on the counter as long as you DON’T WASH THEM. Like Leah said, eggs have a “bloom” layer on them that keeps germs and other substances at bay. Washing the eggs removes the bloom, and since eggs are permeable (water, air, germs) they must then immediately be refrigerated. So, if you wash, refrigerate. If you don’t, they can stay on the counter or go in the fridge.
Jesse says
I don’t wash or refrigerate.
I collect once a day and keep them on the counter in a ceramic egg tray. I try to keep them rotated so the older eggs get used first. If I remember correctly they can be out for three weeks at room temperature or three months in the fridge.
Michiele Nichols says
We were watching a prepper program and the lady took store bought eggs and rubbed olive oil on them so they would last longer. I have not tried this. Wondering if anyone else has any experience with this.
DogBoy says
I was shocked when I saw eggs on the unrefrigerated store shelves in Scotland — I’d always kept eggs refrigerated! After a *little* research, I thought I had it figured out, the eggs were dipped in a water-soluable silicate solution called “water glass” to seal the pores. At least, that’s what an old book from the 1890’s recommended. I saw the prepper show too and asked my prepper buddies who said that this works. More research and I decided on the following course with store bought eggs: 1) wash eggs 2) dip in scalding water 3) dry and cool 4) rub with foodsafe mineral oil 5) store in a cool dry place in their original egg packages. My first batch of experimental eggs is 6 months old. I’ll use them when the hit 12 months and if all is good, I’ll start putting up eggs every time they are on sale.
Patti says
How will you test your “12 month old eggs” to see if they are still a good egg for eating?
Graham says
Hi Michiele,
Back is the early 1990ies ,my company manufactured egg oiling equipment and installed it on a total of 104 egg producing farms in an entire state in Australia for the Egg Marketing Board .This ranged from manual push through equip to the massive 120,000 eggs per hour automatic packing . machines.
I believe that egg oiling at .1 of a gram per egg appliied to the big end of the egg. The oil used is vegetable oil that is used in the baking/cooking trade increases the unrefrigated / refrigerated egg shelf life by 10 fold in the hotter climates.
Graham.
Australian, Ret. NZ
Mari says
I never keep them in the fridge, Never have, never will. Also I only wipe those that need cleaning. I was taught at a food handling course that eggs are semipermeable shell that can absorb the odours in your fridge. Therefore they are safer on a bench in a domestic situation. Commercial kitchens, with all their additional heat are advised to keep their eggs in a cool store or fridge as the wet heat can deteriorate eggs. But an ordinary kitchen never gets hot enough to maintain a dangerous heat level constantly.
Even eggs laid and left outside will not spoil for more than 3 weeks. Like Mavis, I check mine once a day, usually later in the day as I have one late layer. My eggs are kept in an open container on my bench. I gently roll the eggs forward each day and keep the newest to the back. Once they are all laying, I date each egg in pencil so I make sure I use the oldest first. Works for me.
Bee Girl (AKA Melissa) says
I check for eggs once a day (although, if I’m completely honest, sometimes it’s every other day, depending on how busy things are). I rinse and refrigerate our eggs because my Partner prefers it so, but I wouldn’t mind not rinsing or refrigerating. We also sell a few dozen a week and our customers are newbies to the “fresh” egg experience, so it’s more comfortable for them to have them rinsed as well. I’m hopeful that we can slowly transition to a no-rinse process 😉
celia says
Former pastry checking in. You can keep eggs on the counter, however they will age much more quickly. it is absolutely true that room temperature eggs will give you a superior end product. But you can just take the eggs out an hour or so before you need them, just like you would soften butter.
Rebecca H says
Don’t wash the eggs. This removes the protective “bloom” and makes the eggs susceptible to bacteria. I do refrigerate mine, but only because of habit.
Susan says
Thanks to all for responding to my questions! I have learned a lot from your responses. I appreciate everyone’s input. Mavis has an awesome group of readers 🙂
Kim says
I do not wash them until I use them. My girls are not very neat and often poop in the box they lay their eggs in. I will gently wash that spot off but do not rub (if that makes any sense). Last year I found a youtube where the lady rubbed mineral oil on her eggs and said they would keep for something like 9 months. I did this with the very clean eggs (after writing the date in pencil). and then kept them in the refrigerator. The oldest egg I used was 176 days old and it was still rather fresh. The older eggs made great boiled eggs and the peels came right off! I am beginning to collect a couple of the extra eggs now so when the girls don’t lay in the winter while molting, I still have eggs to use in my baking.
Peggy says
Hi, I have a question…If the shells are permeable, aren’t you afraid of the lead from the pencil contaminating the egg? I keep mine in egg cartons and just rotate the oldest to the front of the fridge. I don’t wash them but I do refrigerate them after I brush off any debris. I collect every day and they are usual very clean.
Thank you.
Leanna says
Contrary to the name of the middle of a pencil, they do not use lead in pencils – and never have. It is graphite. The pencil writing on the shell will be fine.
Graham says
Peggy ,
In most modern world countres , “LEAD” pencils have been banned for many years ,peticulary in schools .
There is NO Lead in a pencil today they should really be branded as Graphite pencils .But then all the old jokes re lead in your pencil dont make sense
Graham NZ
Beth says
I only rinse eggs when we are getting ready to eat them. Our county extension agent says to rinse in cold water as warm or hot water makes the shells more permeable and can allow bacteria into the egg (probably good to know if you rinse and store).
I gather eggs once a day even in hot summer (KY) weather. I’ve never had a problem with eggs not tasting right but if in doubt do the does it float test (bad eggs float in water). I also leave them on the counter (in my super cute Anthropologie mega clearance egg holder 🙂 )until we eat them.
Mavis, I am curious to know what your favorite breed(s) of chickens are (esp gentle kid friendly types)? We have Barred Rocks and they so sweet and curious. Our kids cuddle them often – even Dude the rooster.
Mavis Butterfield says
Australorps are my all time favorites. 🙂
Susan from Santa Claus. Georgia says
I’m a first time chicken lady and that’s what we ordered. I absolutely love my australorps
Amanda says
My In-Laws, who are something like 4th generation farmers, insist that we store our eggs pointy side down. I’m not really sure why and to be honest you think I would have asked by now. Anyone else do that? If so, why?
Cathy says
Amanda, there is an air sac on the larger, rounded end of the egg which helps keep the egg from drying out when that end is stored upward. But, if you’re going to use your eggs within a few days, it doesn’t really matter which end is up in the carton.
Christie says
I don’t wash our eggs. I wipe off any yucky stuff with a damp paper towel. I had read something about bacteria going into the egg if you submerge it in water, so I never get the egg too wet.
Alton says
I scramble dirty eggs shell and all and feed them back to my chickens. Break the shells up so they can’t tell what it is . They love the eggs and need the shells !
Oksana Kling says
Growing up in the USA in the 60’s and early 70’s, we never used to refrigerate eggs. That trend got started due to salmonella issues with eggs coming from the big farms, where the chickens were not kept in a good, clean environment and the chickens themselves were not always healthy. Especially if the eggs come from my own chicken, I know what they are fed, how clean their living conditions are, etc I would leave them on my counter for the 1st week or 2, and only refrigerate after that to slow the aging process down. (of course this is my own opinion)
Sean says
We dont wash our eggs till we sell them, eggs are good for a month not washed. Once you wash them, refrigerate them, to tell if you have good or bad eggs, put them in a sink filled with cold water or a bowl, if eggs sink there good if they float to the top chuck em. We are Hobens homesteading and enterprises in Duncan az.we sell and hatch ,duck ,quail, and chickens
Letty says
I don’t wash them unless they’re badly soiled, and I don’t refrigerate in the winter, but I do in the summer as temps in my house can reach quite high.
Cannond3 says
I don’t wash mine. If really dirty, I just wipe them down with a paper towel. If there’s anything left on the shell, I wash right before using. However, I do refrigerate mine because I have roos and the eggs could be fertilized. The embryo can continue to grow for a week or 2 if left at room temp. The cold stops any growth. I’m ok with a dot from fertilization as it won’t hurt you. But don’t like to find larger than that lol. Unwashed they can last up to 6 months in fridge… depending on temp and humidity.
Ana says
Collect once a day when the girls are nowhere near, they feel more comfortable and so do I.
Then they go straight into the fridge, rarely do I find dirty things on the eggs. In the fridge they last longer, hate having fresh eggs and cracking them open and seeing that the white no longer seems to have two whites and has become runny and my yolk is not as round, that’s one of the ways to know if your eggs are fresh. Plus I have a rooster and I also don’t like to know that the eggs have started to develop when I eat them, the redish blood spot on them is not attractive to me or kosher.