how long can you leave eggs out unrefrigerated?

How long can you leave eggs (uncracked) out unrefrigerated before they can no longer be eaten?

We don't put ours in the fridge unless they are over a week old. Otherwise, they sit on the counter in an egg carton until we eat them... or put them in the incubator.

I don't believe Europeans refrigerate eggs. Of course, they likely have a shorter Farm to Table time span than we do here.

I get on average about 7 to 9 eggs a day, it usually takes 2 to 2-1/2 weeks to fill up my egg bowl that sits on the kitchen counter, which is what I use out of.... I know it's dumb but I don't like refrigerated eggs. When the egg bowl is full I put the eggs into cartons and put them in my extra frig in the garage. My four kids come by to get eggs and I give them the eggs out of that frig. I make sure to put a piece of masking tape on the carton and mark the date that the eggs went into the frig. If they have been in the frig for more than 6 months I toss them...it has happened once or twice that a carton accidentally keeps getting pushed to the back, but most of the eggs get used up...especially around the holidays.

By the way I have never had an egg go bad... even the over 6 month ones that I tossed...they didn't stink and looked fine but I tossed them anyway. I didn't want to take a chance on making anyone sick for a few eggs.

Quote:
X2

I agree with BettyR. I don't like refrigerated eggs either. I leave them out in a basket. If I haven't sold or eaten some and they get to be about 3 weeks old or so, I either feed them to the dogs or make something that takes a lot of eggs. I've been doing this for several years and have never had any problems whatsoever.

Does refridgeration change the taste or something? We are new to chickens and ours are not of laying age yet, but I sure don't like the store bought ones (even the free range) no flavor, pale yolks etc.

Quote:
No, the refrigerator doesn't change the taste it's the texture. An egg that comes out of the frig doesn't blend into foods as well as a room temperature egg does. A cold egg clumps together and it takes a lot of beating to get it smooth and it never really gets as smooth as a room temperature egg does. Also when you make scrambled eggs, the eggs that have never been in the frig whip up lighter and fluffier than the ones out of the frig. When you make boiled eggs the eggs that have never been in the frig have a much creamier texture...the ones that have been in the frig get a little rubbery. The only time I reach into the frig first to get an egg is if I'm making fried eggs. The yolk of a cold egg clumps together and is harder to break on accident when you want a sunny side up fried egg.

I put eggs in the frig for long term storage and in the winter time when the hens are not laying I'm happy to have them...even cold they are better than store eggs. But if I have a choice I will use up my fresh eggs first before I go into the frig for an egg.

By the way...fresh boiled eggs are VERY hard to peel...really almost impossible....unless you know the secret of how to cook them. A very kind and generous member of this forum posted the secret a few years ago and it works so well it's almost magic.... This even works on eggs right out of the nest!!!!

Get the water boiling first - rapid boil. Add a dash of salt. Gently lower room temperature eggs in with a ladle. 17 minutes later drain and put in ice water…allow them to sit in the ice water for another 17 minutes. Peel.

The eggs practically roll out of the shell. I have almost intact shells. Sooo easy.

I keep mine on the counter now too - as long as they are clean and unwashed! If the eggs are dirty, which occasionally happens after a lot of rain, I wash them, and those go straight to the fridge because people don't like seeing muddy/poopy eggs on the counter I feel more than comfortable leaving them out for a couple of weeks, at about that point I will hard boil them and they disappear fast!

The boiling eggs method that Betty listed is a method I came across completely by accident once. My daughter turned the water on to boil and forgot to put the eggs in, so I put them in during a rolling boil (room temp eggs, of course). It works GREAT! Now I actually LIKE peeling eggs

I just boiled up several dozen odd or poopy eggs that had been collecting for nearly 3 months without refrigeration. Only 2 eggs floated and not a single one looked or smelled bad though some of the air cells were quite big.

Pigs and chicks will love them.