Having a hard time eating the eggs...

[shakecc]

We have been anticipating our first eggs from our first chickens and were super excited to get our first 2 eggs this week! I had the nesting boxes closed off so they did not learn to poop in them before they were laying, so the first 2 eggs were laid in the floor of the coop. I am a bit of a germ freak and am having a hard time eating them.

I know that there are varying opinions about washing eggs and after reading up on the topic had decided to rinse them off right before cooking, but I now feel like I should wash them first. Any thoughts?

Will cooking them kill any bacteria?

Thanks!

PS - I have opened the nesting boxes and have some golf balls in them. The hens are quite curious!

 

[DeeTee]

I have eaten at least half a dozen off the floor when the girsl ere still learning where to lay. I still get the odd one on the floor if all the nests are occupied when nature calls.

I would cook, eat and enjoy like any other egg!

 

[thechickenchick]

Quote:
Me too!

 

[JennsPeeps]

My mom refuses to eat our eggs - more for us!

I've found one egg in the coop and it was a bit poopy. I left it as-is until I needed it, then I rinsed it carefully and made cornbread with it.

I'm enjoying that cornbread right now with chili!

 

[bigredfeather]

I do the same as you. I wash them just prior to cooking. I'm no pathologist, but I would think cooking them completely would kill the germs, if any where present. It's easy for me to say, but I would enjoy your new food source rather than question it's germ content. There are probably far less germs and chances of getting sick from your eggs than the ones you buy in the store, even though the store eggs have been washed.

Enjoy them.

 

[JennsPeeps]

In case you're curious why we wait to wash our eggs, here's some info about an egg's composition:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/eggs/eggcomposition.html

With anywhere from 10,000-18,000 pores in the egg's shell, washing the egg can force bacteria into it through those pores, and remove the bloom, a protective coating on the outside of the egg. I only wash the egg if it's poopy, and then right before use to avoid contamination of the dish (outside of egg can be dirty, inside is clean).

Interesting website: http://www.georgiaeggs.org/pages/bloom.html

 

[kinnip]

Your mouth is probably dirtier than those eggs. If you worried as much about all the germs you come in contact with, especially when eating, you'd go nuts. Eat the eggs, love the eggs, shrug off the poop.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Yes, cooking them would kill any possible bacteria.

If it makes you feel better to gently scrub them with a soft little brush, in some warm soapy water, go ahead and do it. As long as you aren't keeping your eggs very long, it doesn't matter if you wash the bloom off.

If you want to store them for many months in the refrigerator, then you shouldn't wash the bloom off. Otherwise, just do what makes you comfortable. You might change how you want to do things over time, as you get more comfortable with eating your own fresh eggs.

At my house, clean eggs go right in the frig, without washing. Occasionally, I get an egg that needs to be washed right away. After washing it, I just put it in the rotation to be used right away. It works for us.

 

[greathorse]

I know everyone feels better after washing something prior to eating it. But if the truth is known unless you scrub for at least a minute with soap you do almost nothing to lower the bacteria count. I do wash mine if there is visible dirt (manure) on them but really only takes care of bacteria if you use a antibacterial or something of that nature.

Most of the time I crack cook and enjoy. If they are real gross I just feed em to the dog.

 

[clarkestep]

I always just wash the dirty ones off in very warm running water. I always use water that is warmer than the egg. After I wash off the dirty ones, I dry them and then put in the frig. I think drying them is important so when the temps change, the water and germs don't get sucked into the egg. The clean ones, I just put into the frig without washing.