Walking to your garden, opening the nest box, and taking out a fresh egg is one of life's greatest pleasures if you're raising your own backyard flock. You'll get a warm egg if you're lucky.
Back inside, you joyfully prepare the egg for breakfast. However what if you plan to eat the egg later? What is the best place to store eggs and how long can fresh eggs sit out?
If you don't mind a little dirt or are going to use the eggs yourself, then you needn't worry about cleaning them (as long as they're not too dirty).
Nevertheless, if you're giving the eggs to friends or family, it doesn't seem right to give them eggs with poop. Making sure your hens lay on fresh straw is the best way to ensure clean eggs.
When you collect your eggs each day, make sure you remove any large pieces of dirt from the straw. You don't need to replace the straw every day. It is inevitable that there will be a few mucky eggs no matter how clean you keep the nesting box.
If the muck is hard to remove, try wiping it with a dry cleaning pad. Alternatively, the eggs should be run under warm water and scrubbed with the cleaning pad if they are particularly soiled.
Whenever possible, use a dry cleaning pad since running water over an egg will remove its bloom.
A lot of times, when you wash your eggs, you can feel the bloom coming off. It is often slimy and is easy to remove with warm water and soap. Once it is removed, your egg becomes exposed to bacteria.
Please note: you should store your eggs in the refrigerator straight away if you clean your eggs with water because you've removed the bloom from the eggs.
The eggs can be stored at room temperature, but in the fridge, they will last much longer.
In case you are concerned about such matters, you can mark the date the chickens laid their eggs on the shells. This will help you keep track, but if you only have a few chickens, this might not be necessary.
Fill up a dish with water and place the eggs in it. The eggs that float are bad but you can eat any eggs that fall to the bottom of the dish. Your washed or unwashed eggs should also be free of any cracks to keep your family safe from any contaminants and bacteria such as salmonella, even if those eggs come from your own chickens.
Remember, if you do the Egg Float Test and your egg floats to the top of your water bowl, discard it.
Do you know of any other creative ways to store fresh eggs? Please share them with us in the comments section below.
Further Reading:
Back inside, you joyfully prepare the egg for breakfast. However what if you plan to eat the egg later? What is the best place to store eggs and how long can fresh eggs sit out?
Cleaning fresh eggs
Cleaning eggs is the first thing you need to do once you have them inside from your coop before you can eat or store them. And this takes us to one of the hottest chicken debates around! This debate revolves around the question of whether farm fresh eggs should or shouldn't be cleaned.If you don't mind a little dirt or are going to use the eggs yourself, then you needn't worry about cleaning them (as long as they're not too dirty).
Nevertheless, if you're giving the eggs to friends or family, it doesn't seem right to give them eggs with poop. Making sure your hens lay on fresh straw is the best way to ensure clean eggs.
When you collect your eggs each day, make sure you remove any large pieces of dirt from the straw. You don't need to replace the straw every day. It is inevitable that there will be a few mucky eggs no matter how clean you keep the nesting box.
If the muck is hard to remove, try wiping it with a dry cleaning pad. Alternatively, the eggs should be run under warm water and scrubbed with the cleaning pad if they are particularly soiled.
Whenever possible, use a dry cleaning pad since running water over an egg will remove its bloom.
What's an Egg Bloom Exactly?
The egg's bloom is an exterior film/natural protective coating that forms on the surface. Eggshells are sealed off by this protective layer, which stops bacteria from creeping into the shell pores. Chicks incubating under your broody or your incubator are protected from growth of bacteria by this bloom.A lot of times, when you wash your eggs, you can feel the bloom coming off. It is often slimy and is easy to remove with warm water and soap. Once it is removed, your egg becomes exposed to bacteria.
Storing Chicken Eggs
After your eggs have been cleaned, you can store them. You have 2 options here: you can either keep eggs in your fridge or leave them on your kitchen counter at room temperature.Please note: you should store your eggs in the refrigerator straight away if you clean your eggs with water because you've removed the bloom from the eggs.
Keeping eggs at room temperature
Eggs that have just been laid can be left for at least a month out at room temperature before they need to go into the refrigerator. Eggs can be kept in any dish or basket. However, when you get them inside, you should place them in an egg carton if you want them to remain fresh.The eggs can be stored at room temperature, but in the fridge, they will last much longer.
Refrigerating fresh eggs
When it comes to extending their shelf life, keeping them in the fridge is the best choice. If you are storing your eggs in the fridge, you can either use a carton or a container that is sealed. Eggs In a sealed container, eggs can be stored for 6 months and still taste delicious. There is only one thing you might notice: the egg white is a bit runny.In case you are concerned about such matters, you can mark the date the chickens laid their eggs on the shells. This will help you keep track, but if you only have a few chickens, this might not be necessary.
How Long Will Chicken Eggs Last?
You can leave your eggs out at room temperature for at least a month without cleaning them as long as their bloom is intact. You can store your eggs in the refrigerator for up to six months (either because you washed the bloom off, or just because you want them to stay cold).How to Check If an Egg Is Still Good For Consumption?
If you have lots of eggs laying around, it's a good idea to check your eggs occasionally to be sure they haven't gone bad. The simplest way to do this is to use the Egg Float Test.Fill up a dish with water and place the eggs in it. The eggs that float are bad but you can eat any eggs that fall to the bottom of the dish. Your washed or unwashed eggs should also be free of any cracks to keep your family safe from any contaminants and bacteria such as salmonella, even if those eggs come from your own chickens.
FAQ's About Storing Freshly Laid Chicken Eggs
If you have questions about storing your chicken's fresh eggs, the following information should help you.Do Freshly Laid Eggs Need To Be Kept In The Fridge?
While you don't need to refrigerate them, they'll last longer. Just remember that you shouldn't wash them until you're ready to eat them if you won't be refrigerating them.After how long does an egg need to be refrigerated after laying?
Before you refrigerate a freshly laid chicken egg, you can leave it out for a month. Following that, you might want to refrigerate it. Make sure you start from the oldest eggs when consuming.Why Don't Fresh Eggs Not Need To Be Refrigerated?
Freshly laid eggs have blooms or cuticles, which act as protective coatings. So long as you don't wash the eggs, this coating will keep your eggs fresh. Each carton of eggs bought at your local grocery store will need storage in the refrigerator since the USDA requires all commercial egg producers and farmers to wash eggs before being sold.Why Should You Not Wash Fresh Eggs?
A protective covering called the bloom is removed when you wash fresh eggs. This opens the egg up to bacteria. Washing them in cool water is even worse because it creates a vacuum that allows bacteria to enter them.How Come Older Eggs Are Easier to Peel?
The air sac in raw eggs expands with age due to moisture loss. By doing so, the eggshell membranes are separated from one another. This is also why older eggs tend to float - the air sac makes them buoyant.Remember, if you do the Egg Float Test and your egg floats to the top of your water bowl, discard it.
Do you know of any other creative ways to store fresh eggs? Please share them with us in the comments section below.
Further Reading:
