Another egg washing thread is this appropriate/safe practice

[Redheadhomestead]

Hey all. I’ve read so many egg washing threads that I’m blue in the face. I’ve seen peoples personal practices and the common theme is obvious-wash and store in fridge or don’t wash and leave on counter. Some people say if they see poop they wash and store in the fridge.

My question is if there are some skids on the egg. Do I NEED to wash and fridge? I have NOT been washing the eggs. Leaving it on the counter unrefrigerated and then rinsing it off with warm water right before I crack it into the pan. Is this dangerous. Do y’all all wash your poop eggs and put them in the fridge right away?

I suppose I’m working under the assumption that the bloom is in tact and shielding the poop/bacteria from being drawn in.

Am I going to die.

 

[nuthatched]

You're not going to die. Least not this way.
You do not NEED to wash your eggs, even for skids, but it will keep your cartons cleaner.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I don't wash my eggs at all. If they're yucky I give them to the dog. If they have smears on them I wipe them off with a wet paper towel before I eat them. I never refrigerate my eggs.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I hope it's a relief but you answered your own question by acknowledging how many different practices are out there. If there was a definitive, you'd see that common theme but there is not, it's really about your own preference. I read an old article that Mother Earth News put out where they did a test on 4 different ways to store eggs (complete with washing and not washing,) the 4 month test results were basically that eggs stayed "good and healthy," very close to the same amount of time no matter which process. Indeed eggs lasted slightly longer with one process and of course I can't remember what it was, because to me it didn't matter, I don't need them to be good for longer than 3 months and I CHOOSE to wash off heavy amounts of poo when/if that ever happens, but not "skids."

 

[ChickyWhicky]

You do not NEED to wash or fridge your eggs. It's totally up to your discretion.
I don't wash my eggs. If they have a skid, I rub it on my shirt before I put it in the cartoon. Sometimes it comes off & sometimes it doesn't. No big thing, it's not going to effect anything. You are good to go with whatever method you choose.

 

[countrybumpkin5]

I know in general eggs do not need to be refrigerated, and I never wash my eggs. But, in my home, which is an rv, it gets very warm even using the ac during summer months, and winter temps inside are still kept about 70 to 72 and it varies greatly . Since I don't have a lot of room/counter space, and the temps are usually 80 to 85 or more for several months, and I need the eggs to stay good for a long time, I refrigerate as many as I can. What are the reasons they should not be refrigerated? I'm dehydrating as many as I can but still have over a dozen to a dozen and a half a day that are being used quickly.

 

[saysfaa]

... What are the reasons they should not be refrigerated?...

#1. Space in the refrigerator is limited
#2. .... ...... ... ok, I can't think of another.. oh, maybe, it is kind of cool to do something that feels "wrong" if you grew up where it was drilled in that it had to be refrigerated - or "right" if you grew up where it was common not to refrigerate them.

This assumes you don't wash the bloom off. Just because they need to be refrigerated if you wash the bloom off doesn't mean you have to wash the bloom off if you refrigerate them. The pros and cons of washing any mess off vs leaving the protective layer intact is really a different question.

Oh, one more reason they shouldn't be refrigerated - if you have a rooster and might want to hatch some, you will get better results if you don't chill the eggs.