Egg washing method

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

I am planning on just rinsing before using. Course if there is poop on one I will wipe it with a damp cloth

I think my Grandma, who was selling her eggs to the store would wash with a solution but I forgot to ask her the last time I saw her so I am unsure of this.

Good luck!

 

[Ohhhdear]

I collect 10-12 eggs a day from my 12 hens. I run the water to almost unbearably hot and rub the shell in my hand under the running hot water. Any really stuck on stuff is rubbed off gently with a scrubbie sponge which goes into the washing machine. The eggs air dry on the sideboard of my sink. Then I weigh each one, mark the date laid and if it's L, XL or J (depending on weight) on the top in pencil and put it in the carton.

I don't use bleach or egg wash. There usually isn't any poop in the nest boxes to get on the eggs because I change the shredded newspaper in them several times a week. However the soy ink in the newsprint sometimes adheres to the newly laid shells making black marks which buyers of my eggs might misinterpret to be dirt or poop. So I wash them.

I've seen ads for egg wash and fancy eggwashing equipment, but I'm only doing a dozen or less a day.

As an aside, the people who've bought my eggs are thrilled about seeing the date when their eggs were produced and the size. Especially when they get an enormous 3.5+ ounce Jumbo egg in the carton along with the larges and extra-larges. I keep any eggs which weigh less than 2 ounces, those sized at Medium. I don't get many of those anymore, so sometimes I get to keep odd looking shelled Larges.

 

[MOChickenz]

I just rinse them off with warm water, scrub poop off with my designated scrubbie sponge (goes in the washer) and air dry them on the counter.

 

[WhetzelMomma]

Quote:
They do.

 

[WhetzelMomma]

Quote:
This is what I do, when there is a lot of poo. Otherwise, I don't wash. I leave my customers with instructions on washing.

JUST BEFORE I'm ready to crack and prepare:
Wash with soapy sponge for the ones with any poop, and otherwise just rinse.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
They do.

The USDA recommends a 50-200 ppm bleach solution for sanitizing eggs. One teaspoon of 5.25% bleach in one gallon of water is 65 ppm. One tablespoon bleach per gallon is 200 ppm.

We wash large quantities of eggs that we sell from the farm. I put the eggs in an egg basket and run hot water over them until they are all wet. I let them set for a couple of minutes to let the water soften any dried manure and then just wipe the eggs dry with a terry cloth rag. I've never needed to use a scotch-brite pad, hot water and wiping with a rag does the trick.

I've never sanitized them, but if I did I'd put the eggs into another egg basket as I wiped them down, and then pour the sanitizing solution over them and allow them to air dry before packaging.

 

[WhetzelMomma]

Quote:
They do.

The USDA recommends a 50-200 ppm bleach solution for sanitizing eggs. One teaspoon of 5.25% bleach in one gallon of water is 65 ppm. One tablespoon bleach per gallon is 200 ppm.

We wash large quantities of eggs that we sell from the farm. I put the eggs in an egg basket and run hot water over them until they are all wet. I let them set for a couple of minutes to let the water soften any dried manure and then just wipe the eggs dry with a terry cloth rag. I've never needed to use a scotch-brite pad, hot water and wiping with a rag does the trick.

I've never sanitized them, but if I did I'd put the eggs into another egg basket as I wiped them down, and then pour the sanitizing solution over them and allow them to air dry before packaging.

I like your method. I'm not in favor of much the USDA has to say... lol I personally think bleach is a little overkill. Someone here mentioned that if you're really into the benefits of bleach, a better alternative is vinegar. It also disinfects, and is safe to consume. In fact, I had forgotten about that, and had been thinking that I wanted to switch my washing techniques from soap to vinegar.

 

[kcfuerst]

One of the things I enjoy most about growing my own eggs is that I don't have to treat (pollute) them like commercial eggs. Rarely are the eggs dirty, but if there happens to be poo on one, I simply pick up a handful of clean wood shavings from the floor of the coop and scrub the egg down with the shavings until the egg is clean. I never wash my eggs after they get into the house nor before I use them. I winced to read how these eggs were being washed and gasped at the use of bleach. Egg shells are extremely porous and absorb liquids at any temperature. Since a natural egg is laid with a bacteria preventing coating on it already, it is really not necessary to wash them, or if desired, just before using them.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Just because they are the USDA doesn't mean they are wrong. Using bleach as a sanitizing agent is a tried and true method. I'd research the concentrations and contact times required for vinegar. Vinegar, in high enough concentrations, will start to etch the egg shell. Could be just as good, I don't know...

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I'm new to this, and I only have four chickens. I haven't had poop on any eggs. I'm not washing and I would never use bleach on an egg. I occasionally wipe with a damp paper towel prior to using.