Egg wash?

[AdrieeC]

sometimes I have really dirty eggs and wiping with a soft cloth doesn't get the dried bits off. Does "egg wash" destroy the bloom? Do you have an effective way to clean eggs well without destroying the bloom?

 

[annie3001]

hello.
dont know the complete answer to your question, but heres my question back to you. you said your eggs are really dirty? is there nesting boxes changed about once a week or as needed? and perhaps someone might be pooping in their?

oh and hello

 

[A.T. Hagan]

If you have to really scrub to get the egg clean it's going to take the bloom off. Any method that gets a really dirty egg clean is going to take it off.

But folks make more out of the shell bloom than is really warranted. Yes, the egg won't keep as long so you'll be better off to eat it in a matter of weeks rather than months.

I wash all of my eggs under hot running water after first pouring a bucket of hot, soapy water over them. They're in a basket so it drains off right away. No soaking.

.....Alan.

 

[AdrieeC]

ah ok!

No, they don't have nest boxes yet, that is why they are dirty. They have been in crates/ on the porch/free ranging because they are new, pretty soon I will put them in the coup though.

Thank you for your input on several of my questions Alan! You have been quite helpful!

 

[ARose4Heaven]

Wow, what a timely thread to find! I specifically came on here to find out about egg washing. I have always just put them in a bowl of water for a couple minutes to loosen the big chunks, lightly rubbed them with my hands under running water, then let them air-dry.

Do I need any kind of disinfectant or cleanser to ensure that my egg customers are not going to make themselves sick handling my eggs?

How does cleaning affect shelf-life?

On another subject...Can chickens see in color?

 

[AlyUte]

I asked my father-in-law about this the other day. He's an inspector for the department of agriculture. He said most washing methods you use do destroy the bloom (not a problem though if you're using the eggs right away) and recommended a light scrubbing with a really fine grade of sandpaper.

 

[jaimslee4u]

Quote:
I actually would be interested in knowing if chickens do see in color?

 

[jaimslee4u]

I just rinse mine off and someone said ick we wash ours with vinegar....

So is it OK to eat eggs with just a rinse? Is vinegar a good method?

 

[ARose4Heaven]

I don't know about vinegar...but... we had an accidental spill of dill pickle juice in the fridge. A day later when it was discovered, the eggs that sit on the bottom shelf had soaked in it for a day. It took the color off the brown eggs, and left the shells rough and fragile. I would think that vinegar would have the same effect. I did not sell the damaged eggs. I was afraid they might be pickled. Or have a bad taste.

 

[newchicksnducks]

Quote:
I don't know about the vinegar method. I remember waaaaay back in kindergarten we did an experiment with raw eggs and vinegar. After soaking in vinegar the shell of the egg became rubbery like a child's ball! No bouncing eggs wanted