how long can you leave eggs out unrefrigerated?

[hopalongbo]

Today I found 19 eggs in a barn near our coop.I dont really know how old they are . Is there anyway to find out if they are good? I was told to.put them in cold water and if they float they are not good. Is that true?

 

[MyChickenCookie]

How long can you leave eggs (uncracked) out unrefrigerated before they can no longer be eaten?

Unwashed can last around three weeks, but washed can only last around a week. If you are unsure if an egg is good or not float them in water. Throw anything out that floats or bobs.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Can eggs go from being refrigerated to not or is that not safe? They haven't been washed or anything. Was thinking of giving some away to my friends on tour but wasn't sure if i should or not so put them in the fridge. My girls tend to lay later and I am going to their show at 1pm tomorrow (it's an early show, starts then but train at 1130) so won't be able to get unrefrigerated ones. Would it be safe. Just wondering. But probably best anyways as idk how they would cook them on tour and they'd probably get too hot sitting in the car during shows anyway. But just wondering for next time

 

[eggslplicity]

I read somewhere that if you don't wash the natural coating off an egg it is still edible after 10 months stored at room temperature. Can't say i have ever tried that though. I'm guessing most eggs you purchase at your local grocery is probably a week old when they get them. I have heard the float test is pretty reliable though.

 

[AllynTal]

I read somewhere that if you don't wash the natural coating off an egg it is still edible after 10 months stored at room temperature. Can't say i have ever tried that though. I'm guessing most eggs you purchase at your local grocery is probably a week old when they get them. I have heard the float test is pretty reliable though.

I have been told and it's my experience that unwashed eggs can be left at room temperature for "months." How many months, I'm not clear on. I've heard from 1 to 22 months. The oldest egg I've had was about 10 weeks and it was fine.

Eggs you buy in the supermarket have been washed so you can't compare your experience with supermarket eggs with fresh eggs out of your backyard. The protective coating is removed when you wash them and as a result, they can be contaminated with bacteria, which is why washed eggs have to be refrigerated and why they go bad so quickly.

And just an FYI, the older the egg, the easier the shell comes off when hard-boiled. It really has nothing to do with the method of boiling. The older the egg, the more evaporation has taken place, which pulls the membrane away from the inside of the shell. On fresh eggs, that membrane is still attached to the inside of the shell so they're really hard to peel.

 

[BlueBasket]

I get on average about 7 to 9 eggs a day, it usually takes 2 to 2-1/2 weeks to fill up my egg bowl that sits on the kitchen counter, which is what I use out of.... I know it's dumb but I don't like refrigerated eggs. When the egg bowl is full I put the eggs into cartons and put them in my extra frig in the garage. My four kids come by to get eggs and I give them the eggs out of that frig. I make sure to put a piece of masking tape on the carton and mark the date that the eggs went into the frig. If they have been in the frig for more than 6 months I toss them...it has happened once or twice that a carton accidentally keeps getting pushed to the back, but most of the eggs get used up...especially around the holidays.

By the way I have never had an egg go bad... even the over 6 month ones that I tossed...they didn't stink and looked fine but I tossed them anyway. I didn't want to take a chance on making anyone sick for a few eggs.

I see that this is an old post, but I'm wondering what's the oldest egg you've eaten? I have eggs that sit in cartons on the counter. My husband floats them when they're 4-6 weeks old and throws them out when they float. But everything I read about floating is that it tells the age of the egg. Nothing really about it being bad if it's floating.

 

[BettyR]

As I said they usually get eaten fairly quickly. If by chance a carton gets left for 6 months it's tossed. But I personally eat eggs out of the bowl on my counter so the ones I eat are either from that day or a few days prior.

I'm sorry I didn't have an answer to your question but I'd rather not take a chance on making anyone sick over a few eggs. But, if you crack them into a bowl and they look and smell OK then I would feel safe using them to bake with.

 

[AllynTal]

I see that this is an old post, but I'm wondering what's the oldest egg you've eaten? I have eggs that sit in cartons on the counter. My husband floats them when they're 4-6 weeks old and throws them out when they float. But everything I read about floating is that it tells the age of the egg. Nothing really about it being bad if it's floating.

About 10 weeks is the oldest egg I can recall eating off the counter. The floating eggs that he's throwing out are just right for hard boiling. Once eggs get a little 'old', evaporation has pulled the membrane away from the shell. Hard boil them, chill them well and they'll peel perfectly.

 

[Nikosbirds]

No, the refrigerator doesn't change the taste it's the texture. An egg that comes out of the frig doesn't blend into foods as well as a room temperature egg does. A cold egg clumps together and it takes a lot of beating to get it smooth and it never really gets as smooth as a room temperature egg does. Also when you make scrambled eggs, the eggs that have never been in the frig whip up lighter and fluffier than the ones out of the frig. When you make boiled eggs the eggs that have never been in the frig have a much creamier texture...the ones that have been in the frig get a little rubbery. The only time I reach into the frig first to get an egg is if I'm making fried eggs. The yolk of a cold egg clumps together and is harder to break on accident when you want a sunny side up fried egg.


I put eggs in the frig for long term storage and in the winter time when the hens are not laying I'm happy to have them...even cold they are better than store eggs. But if I have a choice I will use up my fresh eggs first before I go into the frig for an egg.   


By the way...fresh boiled eggs are VERY hard to peel...really almost impossible....unless you know the secret of how to cook them. A very kind and generous member of this forum posted the secret a few years ago and it works so well it's almost magic.... This even works on eggs right out of the nest!!!!


Get the water boiling first - rapid boil.  Add a dash of salt.  Gently lower room temperature eggs in with a ladle.  17 minutes later drain and put in ice waterallow them to sit in the ice water for another 17 minutes.  Peel. 

   

The eggs practically roll out of the shell.  I have almost intact shells.  Sooo easy.

I have found that adding a tsp of baking soda to the eggs water at the beginning helps the shells slide off.

 

[Bodragon]

You keep saying "frig" this and "frig" that. That's a very rude word.

Do you know that the proper abbreviation for refrigerator is "fridge"? A bit like the abbreviation: "mike" for microphone. (And yes, some do abbreviate to "mic" but this derives from sound engineers having to label the various in & outs with the available space severely restricted. You know, like: Mic01, Mic01 etc. Generally, an abbreviation like (or such as), this gets reduced to the basic phonetic.

So we have:
fridge for refrigerator
mike for microphone...

...I was really hoping for more examples than just these two.

Please, anyone?

Well, All the best and I really hope you overcome your inherent frigidity, (oops, I mean fridgidity).

Arf, arf!

No Offence.

I mean: offense.

Jus tryin to rayz a fyoo lafs