Hmmm... should they be chillin'?

[MamaJohnson]

I've read that fresh laid eggs should sit for awhile (like 5 days or so) before cooking them to allow some air to build up in them (?)... (still a little unsure exactly why, but hey, the Forum has never been wrong before, so...) I have a couple of hens that have started laying

and was wondering - do the new eggs need to "sit" on the counter, or is putting them immediately in the fridge OK too?

 

[fargosmom]

I put ours in the fridge most days, but on the weekends they usually all get cooked up . . . even the ones from that morning. I haven't seen much difference between the fresh ones and the days-old ones. They're all yumalicious.

 

[GoldenSilverLaced]

As far as I know, air gets inside the eggs over time and water inside the egg slowly evaporates, changing the composition. The older eggs take less time to cook, although I wouldn't think 5 days would make that much of a difference. I've definitely noticed the physical differences between just-laid-today fresh eggs and store bought ones - the white/yolk in fresh eggs holds together, for one. They can sit out on the counter for awhile, but I normally refrigerate mine as soon as I collect them. Collection occurs at all hours of the day, depending on when they lay and what time I go to work, so sometime they eggs are at ambient temp for 8-10 hours for refrigeration.

 

[SproutGirl]

I've cooked them right from the hen. They are just fine! The only time you might want an older egg is if you are hard boiling it. A fresh egg can be very difficult to peel, but an older egg is easier to peel. But, if you are making omelets, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, quiche, or a cake, a fresh egg from a minute ago, or an egg from a month ago is just fine.