How long do eggs last?

[Plucky Pullet]

I'm sorry if this seems a silly question but I was wondering how long to freshly laid eggs last? Obviously store bought eggs have a pretty good length shelf life. when you pack a 12 pack of your own eggs do you need to eat them in order they are laid or does it matter as long as they are all eaten within a certain time frame?

 

[teach1rusl]

Store bought eggs are around a month old by the time you get them, so eggs have quite a shelf-life. I don't worry about individual eggs, but do try to use up the oldest dozen first...

 

[lovinlife]

You can leave them on the counter for well over a week. In the fridge they're good for a few months. I read an article somewhere about storing eggs and the big thing is not to wash them, which removes the bloom.

 

[woodmort]

I don't know if there is an exact answer to that question. Unwashed eggs will last a couple of weeks on your kitchen counter at room temperature without losing too much quality. Stored under refrigeration probably a couple of months, maybe longer if they are unwashed. After that you can always crack and freeze them--they lose some quality but are great for baking. Obviously washing, since it removes the bacterial protective "bloom", shortens shelf life to the point were all washed eggs have to be refrigerated--the USDA requires producers to wash all eggs, that is why they are labeled "keep refrigerated".

On the other hand, they don't last long around here at all: they are either eaten immediately, shipped off to my daughters' or snapped up by local customers. I can't remember a time in 25 years where we've had an egg go bad.

 

[Plucky Pullet]

WOW. I thought it was maybe a month or so (a little longer since they are fresh and not store bought). That is very interesting but good info to know when I do start getting eggs of my own. Thanks!!

Woodmort when you say freeze the egg (I've never heard of freezing eggs) how would you do that? crack and open the entire egg and put it in a container or crack, as in pip, the egg and freeze it shell and all?
I doubt I would have a chance to freeze them but I am curious.

 

[woodmort]

Plucky Pullet
[b :

[/b]Woodmort when you say freeze the egg (I've never heard of freezing eggs) how would you do that? crack and open the entire egg and put it in a container or crack, as in pip, the egg and freeze it shell and all?
I doubt I would have a chance to freeze them but I am curious.

Crack them open and dump them into some kind of individual container--some use ice cube trays covered with plastic wrap until they are frozen then put them in an air tight contain. That way you can take out as many as you need. Others will freeze them in groups suitable for a single cake or whatever they are planning on using them for in a single freezer container. No, you don't freeze them in the shell.​