Egg Cleaning Tips?

[Oktober]

Hello,

This is our first year with chickens and 1 or two of our hens have started laying eggs for the first time last week.

I'm sure this question comes out all the time, so please excuse the newbie inquiry. How does everyone clean their eggs when they pull them out of the coop? Do you do anything before you put them in the fridge, or do you do anything when you pull them out to use them. We are likely going to be giving some of the eggs away to friends, so I would like to make sure we have them "clean" for use prior to gifting them.

All help and suggestions are welcome.

And Happy New Year!

-Okt

 

[goldies99]

if the eggs are clean...they are good to go!...no cleaning necessary!...you dont want to wash off the bloom if you dont have too....if you need to clean them, you can use a scratchy pad ..(the kind you get to scrub dishes)...if they need more cleaning then that, run them under warm water...but dont soak them in water....let them dry and put them away!......happy new year!

 

[CheerioLounge]

I must disagree... IMHO, if it is necessary to wash an egg at all it should be done in water about 10 degrees warmer than the egg. I personally have never washed an egg in water. I only use a slightly damp piece of t-shirt and only wipe off any "dirt." My eggs go straight into a basket on the kitchen counter. No refrigeration needed if used within a week or so.

 

[vjbakke]

We don't wash ours either. Just Spot clean them if needed.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Cheeriolounge is right. Always wash an egg with water temperatures 10-20 degrees warmer than the egg. Using cold water forces the bacteria into the egg. All egg handling guidelines, published by Agriculture Extensions for which I am aware, state this. Here' just one example.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...Lif7vF&sig=AHIEtbSx5nSvQXOAW5BoPjGBipN7TqC2aA

 

[MedChicken]

Some people use "egg wipes" from the local farm supply. I just rinse in running tap water and rub with my fingertips to remove any dirt. If it looks clean, I consider it good enough. I've heard similar answers from most of the OTs who I've asked.

 

[Nicole01]

I only clean mine right before eating in plain water. I use my hands to rub off the bloom surrounding the egg. I've never had one with poop on it, but I've seen feathers on them. Eh, I just stick those in the fridge too. I'll pull or wash the feathers off right before using.

We don't give many away because we eat so many ourselves! We can easily go through 6-10 eggs in a day. When I do give them away, I do not wash them. I tell whoever to wash before using. I give my biggest and best looking eggs too when passing to friends and family.

. I need a couple more hens.