HOW LONG CAN I keep duck eggs in the refrig.

[72elizabeth]

someone mentioned that ducks can be kept for 6 months. I've looked thru the sites and the most I've seen is 2 months. Anyone else know? Maybe it was a typo error on the 6 months.

 

[desertdarlene]

I'm not sure about how long they can be refrigerated, but someone did post something about how to freeze them using ice trays and ziploc bags. I was thinking of getting a bunch of duck eggs and doing that.

 

[Denninmi]

I would say 2 months is much more realistic. After a month, I personally would save them for baking and cooking, and use fresher ones for eating as eggs per se.

 

[Wokawidget]

I was under the impression that if you put duck eggs in the fridge then the smells in the fridge can be absorbed by the porous shell.
You then end up with an egg that tastes "funny".

The same thing applies to eggs laid in the coup. If you leave them and they have poo on them then the poo odur penetrates the shells and the egg tastes nasty.

Chicken eggs on the other hand come with a protective layer...chicken varnish I call it. This protects the egg from odurs. Duck eggs do not have this.

You should always wash dirt off a duck egg but never wash a chicken egg because you'll remove the protective film.


I never keep any eggs in the fridge.

woka

 

[MysticalMom]

6 weeks is my limit in the fridge. And yes duck eggs do have the protective coating called the "bloom." When you wash them you also wash off the bloom. I coat mine in a thin layer of mineral oil or olive oil and this takes the place of the bloom. Not to mention gives them a nice sheen that make them look nice for selling.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Quote:
X2 and I wash them with ACV to remove stains and as an antibacterial.

 

[FenDruadin]

Yup, duck eggs do have a protective layer--they're actually glossier than chicken eggs when first laid, especially if the hen sat on them for any length of time, because her natural oils rub off on them.

I was probably the one who posted about 6 months. They get eaten too fast in our house to actually test that theory, but I know that eggs in the stores are usually a few weeks old by the time you get them, and they've been washed & sanitized (which means their protective bloom is gone), and they still keep several weeks in the fridge at home. However, the nice thing about eggs is that they let you know if they've gone bad--just crack one open and you'll know. That is not true of salmonella infection, so I would certainly recommend *cooking* eggs that have been in the fridge a while, since salmonella is more likely to be present in large quantities in older eggs and you're not likely to be able to tell. But otherwise, if it smells good, it is good.

I'm also the one who posted about egg trays and ziploc baggies. We haven't had them in the freezer for long, but the eggs I tested by freezing overnight tasted great when thawed the next morning. Here is what I do:

* Buy a set of two ice cube trays at the dollar store, or use some that you already have.
* Crack a half dozen or a full dozen eggs into a bowl and lightly beat them to combine white & yolk and to reduce stiffness
* Pour half a dozen eggs into each tray (one dozen fits neatly into two trays)
* Freeze
* Place frozen egg cubes into a quart-sized ziploc baggie and return to freezer. One dozen fits neatly in one quart-sized bag.
* Be sure to label them because frozen eggs look a lot like frozen mango or peach--unpleasant surprise if you're making fruit pie!! lol

Enjoy!

 

[kirsti]

hi we just broke a double yoke duck egg it looked like mould in it it was 2 days old we mark the date on each one of them. what could it be i wish we would have taken a picture of it!

 

[Amiga]

hi we just broke a double yoke duck egg it looked like mould in it it was 2 days old we mark the date on each one of them. what could it be i wish we would have taken a picture of it!

Welcome, kirsti,

Was it a grayish glob? Those happen sometimes, especially with younger ducks.

It is not harmful, if you don't like it, compost the egg, but I don't think it could be mold.

 

[Tivona]

Sounds like it could be what is called a "meat spot". Meat spots are usually bits of tissue from the bird that sloughed off before the yolk got down the oviduct to get its white layer. Here is a link with some pictures of meat spots. I have seen them in my eggs from time to time and I usually just scoop that part out. I know that they are harmless but they look gross and they can look moldy like you described.