How do you wash your eggs?

[Aemelia]

That pretty sums it up. What is your tried and true way of washing eggs?

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I do not wash them unless they are visibly dirty. Then I will wash them in hot water and place them in the fridge. (Otherwise they go on the counter).

 

[Aemelia]

Yeah mine had poop on it it had to be washed.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

A fresh egg has a natural anti-bacterial covering on it, called the bloom. When you see an egg being laid it comes out wet, then dries in about a minute. That wetness is the bloom. This is the Creator's way of keeping eggs unspoiled in the nest while they wait for the mama bird to complete her clutch before beginning to set. And also to keep them unspoiled while they incubate.

We benefit from this by having eggs for eating that can keep unspoiled for a week or more at room temperature. Many of us will keep the eggs we get for home use on a counter, unwashed so that the bloom will keep them safe. But if they must have some dirt or poop washed off, we'll then put them in the refrigerator since the bloom will also be gone.

If it's just a bit of dried poop or mud you can even just scrape it off with a bit of sandpaper. To give them a wash, use water warmer than the temp of the egg, so that you're not causing the egg to suck in bacteria through its pores. It has something to do with osmosis, if you can remember it from biology class, my memory of it is dim. I use warm running water and a plastic scrubby.

Hens, and I guess all birds, have a way of laying their eggs so that they stay clean and poop-free. Their egg-laying parts sort of invert and push the poop-making parts closed while the egg emerges. But I guess that some hens' parts don't work as well as intended, or as they get old their elastic starts to stretch. It's really a wonderfully-designed system.

 

[Aemelia]

Mine was on the floor and someone pooped on it not like a smudge like a pile. My 5 year old really wanted it so she got to eat our first egg. She has no idea how much I love her. That's all really good to know, thank you!

 

[zzGypsy]

if it's a pile, I just wipe it off (if its still wet) or knock or scrape it off with the back of my pocket knife (if the pile's dry). then it goes in the bowl on the counter with the other eggs. If it's going to be boiled, I'll wash it right before I put it in the pan. if I'm cracking it raw, I crack from the clean side, or wash it if it's really bothering me. If I need to wash it, usually just warm water will do the trick. handle carefully, the bloom can make the eggs pretty slippery when you wet it.

 

[HomesteaderMel]

I've read you shouldn't wash eggs until right before you use them. Just use warm, slightly soapy water.