How picky are you with your eggs?

[allcrackedup]

Quote:

this is what i was thinking only better said....

 

[Tala]

mud? not a problem.
If for some other reason I'm suspicious of it (don't know how old it is, or hairline crack or something) I feed it to the dogs.

I wash them before giving them away though. The people I give them too are city folk that freak about dirt, but DO think homegrown eggs are healthier at least. If a white egg stains badly I usually keep it for myself and give the pretty ones to people who are more dirt-aphobic than myself.

 

[Claudias Coop]

Remind me to thank my girls for laying clean eggs in their nesting box.
I have read you should not wash until ready to use? I don't know the
rationale for this. Why would it make a difference if you wash upon laying
or upon use?
But being a retired nurse, there is no way that egg is coming out of that
shell without being washed.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Because washing the eggs can remove their natural protective bloom and allow dirt/germs to enter. Washing right before use removes the dirt that could transfer to the inside when cracked, but doesn't allow time for any germs to grow before they are cooked to death.
Unwashed eggs keep fine outside of the refrigerator with their natural protection, I bring them in from the coop and put them on the kitchen table. The ones that I wash for other people I refrigerate afterwards, and they generally use within a week.

 

[bock]

I just almost stepped on a mud, poop, and grass covered duck egg that was in the back yard this morning. I washed it up and had it for breakfast. Tasted great!

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote:
X2

Usually if it's very dirty, I wash it as soon as I get it in the house and set it in a basket we use for that purpose. We have two baskets on the counter, one is small and for cleaned eggs that we eat first, the other is for the few white eggs we get, odd size eggs, (Very small, very large, odd shaped, etc.) stuff like that we eat as soon as we clean out the little basket.
Any that are cracked or I'm not sure how old they are, I hard boil, smash shell and all very fine with a potato masher and feed to the dogs or back to the chickens.
Our egg customers get all the pretty ones.

I might wipe off a smudge or something, but usually don't include scrubbed eggs in sale cartons. The self serve 'fridge we use for selling eggs has a note printed up on the door saying they are mostly unwashed, gathered by hand and other details.

 

[Mervin]

Quote:
Yup. I get a few fairly regularly. I wash them as I use them or when I give them away.

 

[woodmort]

Actually, if you want to be real careful, you should probably wash every egg before you use it whether it is a BYC egg or commercial one. You never can be too sure what kinds of bacteria are on the shell and it is impossible to keep pieces of shell out of whatever you're using the egg for. Also it is probably a good idea to always crack the egg into a cup or small bowl before using. BTW I don't always follow that advice and will spend 10 minutes chasing a piece of egg shell or blood spot around in the cake batter or frying pan.

 

[krazeepolack]

You WASTE your eggs?

You feed your chickens, water them, built a coop & run for them, & waste the product they work so hard to feed you & your's? AGAIN ---->

You don't want to touch a soiled egg?

Many stores sell latex gloves!!! They're quite economical, also. I wish I lived next door to you. I'd gladly help you dispose of your soiled eggs.

 

[Jabbok]

I soak mine for a bit in warm water and lightly scrub them before I put them in an egg carton and put them in the fridge.