Egg handling and storing

[AKnewbie]

I'm confused. Wash, don't wash. Cold water, warm water. Refrigerate, don't refrigerate...

Please enlighten me

 

[foxy2320]

There are a lot of ways to do things. I don't wash mine, I pick off a feather or piece of straw now and then, but when they come out of the hens they have what is called "bloom" on them. This is some sort of coating that acts as a barrier and doesn't let air in and out as quickly. If you wash the egg, you wash off the bloom, then it goes bad faster and can also absorb the smells in your refrigerator. If the eggs are fertile and you plan on incubating them, you definitely don't want to refrigerate them. Some people leave them at room temperature (the unfertile ones or any fertile ones they plan to eat). When my dad was in Guatemala he said that in the marketplaces there were just eggs sitting out in baskets all day. I don't know that I would be comfortable eating eggs that were stored at room temperature, but that may be just because I'm accustomed to getting them from the fridge. I'll be interested to see what other people have to say on the matter!

 

[JanetS]

I don't wash mine until I'm ready to use them and I put them in the refrigerator.