egg freshness & unclear

[DCortez]

A bit confused on the egg freshness issue. On one hand, I hear they can stay fresh for weeks if you leave unwashed, bloom intact. Then, I see a jpg like this one. Before I grow my flock and start giving eggs away, can I get the skinny on this.

 

[Wynette]

It's true, they can stay fresh for weeks if unwashed. In the pic you posted, it shows a one-week old egg which has the fat end slightly elevated in the water, and a "stale" 2-3 week old egg, with the fat end even higher in the water. A one-week old egg will not be as fresh as a one-day old egg, to be sure, but it will not be stale. Nor "should" a 2-3 week old egg, provided it has been refrigerated. I do not keep my eating eggs (for my family) refrigerated, and we eat eggs up to 3 weeks. On rare occasions, I've had them go stale by the very end of the 3rd week.

If you are giving away or selling to anyone, a good rule of thumb is not to sell/gift eggs over a week old. JMO

 

[DCortez]

If you are giving away or selling to anyone, a good rule of thumb is not to sell/gift eggs over a week old. JMO

Sounds like a good rule of thumb.

 

[pdirt]

Quote:

If you are giving away or selling to anyone, a good rule of thumb is not to sell/gift eggs over a week old. JMO

Sounds like a good rule of thumb.

This is what we do if we're selling/gifting eggs that have not been refrigerated. If they've been stored in the fridge since day of harvest, we will sell/gift up to 3 weeks. We never wash any of our eggs. Any of the poopy ones we eat ourselves or feed back to the chickens.