Am I supposed to wash the eggs?

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

janinepeters wrote:

I wash them only if there is visible schmutz on them, or if I am going to eat them raw (as in home made mayonnaise or ice cream). If the shell appears clean and I am going to cook them, I don't bother washing because cooking will kill the bacteria.

I have read that the shell has a natural "bloom" that prevents bacteria from entering the egg. If you wash the egg, you wash off the bloom, making it easier for bacteria to penetrate the shell. Therefore don't wash until you are about to eat them. If they are visibly dirty, you can scratch off dirt/poop with sandpaper.

x2
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X3 I have never washed mine and we have been eating farm fresh eggs for YEARS...heck, I don't even wash them before I crack them into the pan lol Never got sick yet. If you do wash them they don't last NEAR as long. Tell him to get over it

 

[swmalone]

Hangin Wit My Peeps
Today 7:57 pm
janinepeters wrote:

I wash them only if there is visible schmutz on them, or if I am going to eat them raw (as in home made mayonnaise or ice cream). If the shell appears clean and I am going to cook them, I don't bother washing because cooking will kill the bacteria.

I have read that the shell has a natural "bloom" that prevents bacteria from entering the egg. If you wash the egg, you wash off the bloom, making it easier for bacteria to penetrate the shell. Therefore don't wash until you are about to eat them. If they are visibly dirty, you can scratch off dirt/poop with sandpaper.

x2
X3 I have never washed mine and we have been eating farm fresh eggs for YEARS...heck, I don't even wash them before I crack them into the pan lol Never got sick yet. If you do wash them they don't last NEAR as long. Tell him to get over it

As long as you properly prepare the eggs you are going to kill any bacteria that may have come into contact with the raw egg from the shell. The problem is that not everyone does this, and like I said if I were to sell them I would wash them prior to selling just to give myself peace of mind. You can never guarantee how the person you sell your eggs to is going to handle and prepare them.​

 

[wowmanacat]

I don't wash mine unless they have something on them and then I only wash it when I ma going to be using it, that way the bloom stays on it. There are time when eggs are in my fridge for a few weeks.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Fred's Hens :

If you wash them, as I do for my picky customers, I rub and rinse them under water as hot as I can stand. Don't quote me, but if the water is hot, the bacteria is driven outward, but if the water is cold, the bacteria is driven inward. Well, that's what I understand of the matter, which isn't much. lol

Anyhow, no soap. Just really hot water and air dry.

That's what we do for all of our eggs that are sold direct to customers. I run hot water over them to wet them, let them sit for a minute or two to soften any debris, and then dry/wipe them with a terry cloth rag. After they are completely dry they are packed in cartons.

As far as the argument about them not lasting as long... We refrigerate them and they are rarely in our refrigerator, or our customers' refrigerators, for more than a week. They don't deteriorate rapidly under refrigeration and we aren't trying to make them last for weeks on end.​

 

[2overeasy000]

Quote:
As long as you properly prepare the eggs you are going to kill any bacteria that may have come into contact with the raw egg from the shell. The problem is that not everyone does this, and like I said if I were to sell them I would wash them prior to selling just to give myself peace of mind. You can never guarantee how the person you sell your eggs to is going to handle and prepare them.

One also can't guarantee that the buyer will use the eggs in a timely manner or keep the food that they prepare with the eggs, below 40 and above 140.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

As long as you properly prepare the eggs you are going to kill any bacteria that may have come into contact with the raw egg from the shell. The problem is that not everyone does this, and like I said if I were to sell them I would wash them prior to selling just to give myself peace of mind. You can never guarantee how the person you sell your eggs to is going to handle and prepare them.

We only sell to certain ppl and they all ask that I do not wash and they are aware...my eggs are always clean so we never have to worry. However I do agree with you. If I were selling to strangers then I would let them know to either wash them before using or I would wash them. It's nice selling to only those you know

 

[ChickenAl]

Just started getting our first eggs and they have been clean looking so we did not wash them. We ate them and did not get sick. Hopefully we are doing the right thing.

 

[8Chicks4Ky]

Thanks for all the info. There seems to be so many conflicting POVs that it's hard to know what's best. Fridge or counter? Wash or not? I guess we'll not wash them, but keep them in the fridge, until we are ready to eat them. We'll wash before eating or selling (if/when it gets to that point).

 

[janinepeters]

Yes, all the different POVs and none of us getting sick, kind of makes me think the risk does not vary much, whether or not you wash, when you wash, and what temperature the wash water is.

 

[chicken farmer 1997]

i never wash my eggs. when a hen lays an egg she covers it in a protective coatin so not bad stuff gets in it.