How to clean eggs for sell

[lemonie12]

Hi! I'm newer at this chicken thing and could use a little help! I'm not even sure if this is the section I need to be in ... I have several hens and I'm getting quite a bit of eggs now that they're laying, like 40 a day!! I'd like to sell them in town or at a farmers market. I live in Kansas have looked up the regulations but I'm not finding anything on exactly HOW I need to clean them to be able to sell them, it only says they need to be "washed and clean." I'm afraid of "washing" it wrong and someone labeling my eggs as unsafe :-( Until recently I've only had a couple hens who'd lay and we would rinse them and store them in the fridge. They'd never last long anyways!

I've ready somewhere that some people wash in warmer water then dip in a bowl that has warm water with a touch of bleach....?
I've also read somewhere that they wash in warmer water with a little dawn soap then rinse well...?
Others just rinse in warm water...?

I want to do this properly and be able to make a little extra money with this hobby and to recoup some of it's cost. Anyone have a good answer on this? I appreciate any feedback!!

 

[aart]

wash eggs ... at a slightly warmer temp than the egg itself. It is said that water colder than the item you are washing can create a vacuum effect and actually draw bacteria into the egg.

Exactly...then they should be air/towel dried and refrigerated asap, don't let your cartons get wet/damp.

I don't want the cartons looking bad but buying new empty cartoons for 50 cents each seems silly to me... I might have to get creative!

Buy some nice cartons, add the carton cost on the price of eggs, offer discount if clean cartons are returned in good shape.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I wash my eggs under warm running water with a fingernail brush.
In warm weather, I wash when I collect them.
If it's colder than 50s Fahrenheit, I let them warm up to room temperature before washing.
I let them air dry in an egg collection basket that is only used for drying. I hang it on a hook over my sink.
I use a small pail to collect eggs.
I put eggs in carton when dry and refrigerate. I date carton when full. I have a shelf in the fridge just for eggs, and line them up right to left, stacked 2 high.
I bought egg cartons online at 32¢ each. I give a 25¢ discount for a clean carton return. GC

 

[lazy gardener]

Could even have your repeat customers put their names on their cartons so they get the same cartons back.

My customers, and even my "not customers" recycle cartons for me. I simply burn the dirty cartons, and recycle the others. While this may not be the preferred method, this is what works for me, and what satisfies my customers. I do not sell enough eggs that regulations are an issue for me. And I believe the standard is different if you sell from your home/yard/driveway than if you take them to a farmer's market or other public venue.

 

[Jealous Gypsy]

I wash my eggs under warm running water with a fingernail brush.
In warm weather, I wash when I collect them.
If it's colder than 50s Fahrenheit, I let them warm up to room temperature before washing.
I let them air dry in an egg collection basket that is only used for drying. I hang it on a hook over my sink.
I use a small pail to collect eggs.
I put eggs in carton when dry and refrigerate. I date carton when full. I have a shelf in the fridge just for eggs, and line them up right to left, stacked 2 high.
I bought egg cartons online at 32¢ each. I give a 25¢ discount for a clean carton return. GC

I use thd same exact method to clean my eggs, only difference ins i oil my eggs instead of refrigerating them it works well

 

[Jealous Gypsy]

I started with mineral oil now i use olive oil 1 customer requests canola oil and says it works just as well

 

[Sara Ranch]

The water should be ok. I have no idea if you (or a sensitive customer) could taste the bleach in a dipped egg.

I tell my customers that the eggs are NOT washed and they need to do so before using them. It hasn't been a problem.

If I was selling at a market, I might do things differently.

Do you have to, or want to, put a note that includes the date collected in each carton?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

The only thing I can tell you is that you should wash eggs (as well as most fruits and vegetables) at a slightly warmer temp than the egg itself. It is said that water colder than the item you are washing can create a vacuum effect and actually draw bacteria into the egg. I've heard lots of different opinions on this subject, looking forward to everyone's comments
Oh. . and

 

[junebuggena]

It should be noted that once you wash that protective bloom off the eggs, they must be kept refrigerated to prevent bacteria from compromising the eggs.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I really don't know much on the dos and don't s on egg washing. . but I am a kitchen manager at a school so I've had to take serve safe class. That's where I learned about washing stuff in warmer water. tomatoes are also one veggie they warn us can create the "vacuum" if washed in cold water.
You don't need HOT water necessarily but if you figure your fridge is 38 to 40 degrees it just needs to be warmer than that.