Do you refrigerate your eggs or not?

[michelle127]

I have been reading many articles on whether or not to refrigerate fresh eggs or not. Three of four of my chickens have started laying eggs starting from Thanksgiving on. Starting shortly before then I did quite a bit of research about whether to refrigerate them or not and whether or not to wash them. I have personally chose to not wash them and we leave them sit on the counter. We have yet to have to wipe an egg- they have all been very clean with maybe a smudge on 1 in 30 eggs! We just crack it on the clean side. We rotate thru the eggs fairly quickly- using around 10-15 per week. We keep track of who lays eggs on which days and average 2 eggs per day. My boyfriend's parents have always gotten farm fresh eggs that have been washed and refrigerated. I am trying to convince them that these do not need to be washed or refrigerated but of course can't find the few good arguments I read explaining pros and cons. So I'm curious- do you wash your eggs or not? Why? And do you refrigerate your eggs or not? Why?

 

[foreverlearning]

The bloom protects them from bacteria. If you wash them they must be refrigerated because you are taking the protective layer off. Some people prefer to wash then coat with mineral oil to replace the bloom. If you leave them unwashed (or only wash when using) on the counter they will store for up to a year (from the studies preformed, didn't test after a year) as long as you don't have extreme heat. They don't taste as fresh at a year but they are still edible.

 

[michelle127]

I never thought up to a year. That's crazy!

 

[foreverlearning]

There was a long thread about it and someone posted the trials on storage of eggs.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/813990/to-wash-or-not-to-wash-eggs

 

[chickengeorgeto]

There was a long thread about it and someone posted the trials on storage of eggs.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/813990/to-wash-or-not-to-wash-eggs

Do not I repeat do not try to keep your eggs in the refrigerator for 12 months regardless if you wash them or you don't wash them. You can however keep eggs in cold storage for 9 months or more if you coat them with mineral oil, beeswax, paraffin, lard, or store them in crocks of water glass, or salt. There must be something that keeps the air and bacteria from trading back and forth through the shell and prevents evaporation as well as storage temperatures cold enough to stop bacteria growth. Don't believe it when some one tells you that there is not any quality issues with eggs stored this long, because there is.

One hundred or more years ago it was routine this time of year to find eggs in the grocery store that were 9 months old or older. In the late spring and summer egg brokers bought up all the eggs they could afford and kept them in cold storage caves or lockers until eggs became as scarce as hens teeth and the price went up.

The reason for this was that poultry science had not yet come up with a way to reliably produce all the fresh grade A eggs that the egg buying public could eat.

 

[4 the Birds]

I have been reading many articles on whether or not to refrigerate fresh eggs or not. Three of four of my chickens have started laying eggs starting from Thanksgiving on. Starting shortly before then I did quite a bit of research about whether to refrigerate them or not and whether or not to wash them. I have personally chose to not wash them and we leave them sit on the counter.  We have yet to have to wipe an egg- they have all been very clean with maybe a smudge on 1 in 30 eggs! We just crack it on the clean side. We rotate thru the eggs fairly quickly- using around 10-15 per week. We keep track of who lays eggs on which days and average 2 eggs per day.  My boyfriend's parents have always gotten farm fresh eggs that have been washed and refrigerated. I am trying to convince them that these do not need to be washed or refrigerated but of course can't find the few good arguments I read explaining pros and cons.  So I'm curious- do you wash your eggs or not? Why? And do you refrigerate your eggs or not? Why?

When you buy eggs from a market or store they typically have regulations that require them to be washed and refrigerated. All eggs are layed with a natural bloom coating that helps SLOW bacteria from contaminating the egg. We do not wash our eggs unless there is apparent poop or debris on the egg. The eggs are then refrigerated until we use or sell them to friends/family. Leaving eggs out and unrefrigerated will increase the speed of bacteria contamination. Same goes with meat or any food that is not refrigerated. Eggs should be washed clean before used for eating/cooking. Eating eggs that are several months old can be dangerous or cause sickness.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Mine sit on my kitchen counter for weeks unwashed. We just use 'em. It's illegal in many European countries to sell washed refrigerated eggs. They do go bad faster when left out... But this is like goes bad in one month instead of 3. We use them by then.

 

[NicChicks2013]

Refrigerated and unwashed till used here..which is not long at all

 

[SelfMadeFarming]

I also refrigerate and they are not washed until we use them.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Do not I repeat do not try to keep your eggs in the refrigerator for 12 months regardless if you wash them or you don't wash them. You can however keep eggs in cold storage for 9 months or more if you coat them with mineral oil, beeswax, paraffin, lard, or store them in crocks of water glass, or salt. There must be something that keeps the air and bacteria from trading back and forth through the shell and prevents evaporation as well as storage temperatures cold enough to stop bacteria growth. Don't believe it when some one tells you that there is not any quality issues with eggs stored this long, because there is.

One hundred or more years ago it was routine this time of year to find eggs in the grocery store that were 9 months old or older. In the late spring and summer egg brokers bought up all the eggs they could afford and kept them in cold storage caves or lockers until eggs became as scarce as hens teeth and the price went up.

The reason for this was that poultry science had not yet come up with a way to reliably produce all the fresh grade A eggs that the egg buying public could eat.

This has been disproven. When egg storage methods were tested, eggs coated in water glass, salt, etc. actually started to go bad and stink. Eggs that were kept in plain old egg cartons in the refrigerator were edible 9 months later. http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/how-to-store-fresh-eggs-zmaz77ndzgoe.aspx