cold eggs on counter?

[Trellinius]

I always keep our eggs on the counter, unwashed. Seldom have more than a dozen at a time. Anyhow, I've always heard that if they have been refrigerated you cannot then leave them on the counter. So I am wondering why....because when I gather eggs in the winter they are cold (natural refrigeration) and sometimes even frozen. I put them on the counter with the others and when I eat them they are fine. So what's the deal with having to keep refrigerated eggs refrigerated?

 

[DemeterAD9]

I would think the condensation from being cold and then left out to warm up may affect the bloom. But I haven’t had any issues with that so who knows.

 

[nuthatched]

Once they've been washed, you can't keep them on the counter but refrigerated is fine. However, eggs will age more (structure breakdown, moisture loss) in a day on the counter than a week in the fridge.

 

[Trellinius]

I would think the condensation from being cold and then left out to warm up may affect the bloom. But I haven’t had any issues with that so who knows.

Hadn't thought of that. Thanks!
Our house is so dry (low humidity) in the winter because of the heating system that nothing will condensate so that may be why it hasn't affected my eggs...

 

[Trellinius]

Once they've been washed, you can't keep them on the counter but refrigerated is fine. However, eggs will age more (structure breakdown, moisture loss) in a day on the counter than a week in the fridge.

Yeah, I don't wash my eggs til I'm ready to use them. That preserves the bloom.
With bloom intact, I have had eggs on the counter for up to three weeks with now issues of spoilage or anything. Don't know about longer than three weeks cause we eat them too fast...

 

[nuthatched]

Yeah, I don't wash my eggs til I'm ready to use them. That preserves the bloom.
With bloom intact, I have had eggs on the counter for up to three weeks with now issues of spoilage or anything. Don't know about longer than three weeks cause we eat them too fast...

They won't spoil, just dry out. I've seen eggs that were empty except for a little dried up wad of yolk. After about 6-7 days on the counter, they're no longer 'fresh'.

 

[Ridgerunner]

They won't spoil, just dry out. I've seen eggs that were empty except for a little dried up wad of yolk. After about 6-7 days on the counter, they're no longer 'fresh'.

How long were those eggs kept that had completely dried out? In Arizona I'd expect the air is pretty dry.

I regularly keep eggs on the counter more than a month and they are fine to eat. A hen can lay eggs over a two week spell and then incubate them for three weeks without them drying out too much to hatch. Some birds (like certain ducks) can incubate eggs for five weeks and they still hatch fine. They do lose moisture through the porous shell.

So what's the deal with having to keep refrigerated eggs refrigerated?

I agree, it is about the bloom. The bloom keeps bacteria out so as long as the bloom is intact bacteria will not get inside and rot the egg. In some conditions condensation could affect the bloom.

If I'm boiling eggs I prefer not fresh eggs. If they have been stored for a while (in the fridge or on the counter) they seem to peel better.