Eggs. Keep them in the refrigerator or at room temperature?

[deanawo]

I leave our eggs out, they look beautiful sitting in an old crock bowl. I refrigerate the ones I sell.

 

[oletymer]

I have heard you can keep your eggs on the counter for up to 10 days,

 

[melgauthier]

I don't know why I didn't think to date them when getting them out of the coop. I have just been rotating the cartons, (newest on the bottom) but now that I am getting 6-10 eggs a day, It is getting progressively more difficult.
Jeeze, the most simple things I learn on here!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I do both, but i only have a couple hens so mine move pretty quick

There is a product i saw in a catalogue, which is called "isenglass" i believe. That is how they used to store eggs before fridges were popular. It is still sold, but not by very many companies. It gets mixed with water and you put a big jar of it out, and set the eggs in it. You can put the dates on with a pencil if you have a lot of them. That is supposed to keep the integrity of the egg by closing the pores.

 

[gale65]

Ours sit on the counter until I have no room or until dh is taking eggs to someone. Then I wash the gross ones and put them and any others in the fridge in cartons so he can transport them easily. Any eggs we use never see the refrigerator.

I'm pretty sure I've been told that the US is the only country that sells eggs refrigerated. Just about everyone else does not wash eggs bound for stores and does not refrigerate them in the store.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I don't wash mine i leave out either, that would lose the "bloom" . If i had to wash i wouldn't submerge i would damp a sponge and gently dab. That way not as much chemicals get into the egg, but ya if you wash they have to go into the fridge

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Oops, It was "WATERglass" (sodium silicate) , not isenglass!

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/sites/default/files/images/lc105.pdf

 

[ChickensRDinos]

For Eating Eggs:

An egg kept at room temperature ages more in one day then an egg kept in the fridge ages in one week.

We refrigerate our eggs.

This isn't true.

What causes eggs to "age" or rot is bacteria not temperature. When eggs are laid they are coated with a layer that keeps out a normal amount of bacteria. It is natures way of keeping the egg fresh until the chicken needs it. If there are no cracks in your eggs then they can sit out and be good for a long time. If you do not thoroughly wash an egg and get all the bacteria off you actually increase the speed of rotting by putting it in the frig because refrigerating ruins the bloom and now the bacteria left on the egg can get inside. The frig does not kill all bacteria.

Commercial eggs need to be refrigerated because factory farm and transport conditions are terrible and crazy bacteria is everywhere. They wash the eggs extremely well and refrigerate and that is the best option given the conditions.

For home grown eggs there is really no harm in either method. Either don't wash and leave out or wash well then refrigerate. Both are pretty much equal. Unrefrigerated eggs are commonly sold in many countries.