Speckles part of bloom?

[taylacline]

I only have 6 hens and 3 of them lay speckled eggs. They are all different breeds but when I wash the eggs the speckles just wipe right off. Is that normal? I just assumed the speckles were apart of the egg shell not the bloom. Or am I washing eggs too roughly? I use a soft rag, warm water, and a dash of white vinegar. Should I just be lightly rinsing the eggs instead?

 

[sourland]

It's the bloom that you are removing. Doing so makes the eggs more pervious to bacterial infiltration.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Lighty rinsing the eggs will remove the bloom also. If the bloom is removed the eggs should be refrigerated. I would not rinse eggs that are to be incubated.

I'm not sure what the speckles you are talking about are but they are most likely under the bloom, so I'd think you are removing the bloom.

 

[taylacline]

It's the bloom that you are removing. Doing so makes the eggs more pervious to bacterial infiltration.

I know that but Ive read that eggs need to be washed before use

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you are storing them in the fridge, wash them before storing. It doesn't matter if the bloom is removed. If you are storing them on your counter, wash them after storage and just before use.

 

[taylacline]

Lighty rinsing the eggs will remove the bloom also. If the bloom is removed the eggs should be refrigerated. I would not rinse eggs that are to be incubated.

I'm not sure what the speckles you are talking about are but they are most likely under the bloom, so I'd think you are removing the bloom.

I don't have a current picture of mine but this is what one of the eggs looks like. Just speckled. But when I wash it with a rag the speckles come off and its a lighter color tan but if I just lightly rinse the speckles stay

 

[Ridgerunner]

When the egg shell is deposited in the shell gland, it is white for brown eggs. Look on the inside when you crack a brown egg and remove that membrane, you will see the white color. The brown is pigment laid on top of that white eggshell in the last 30 minutes or so in the shell gland before it is laid. Those speckles are put there at the same time. As the egg comes out, the hen coats it with a liquid that quickly dries. That liquid is the bloom, put on after the brown and speckles are put on.

You can rub that brown off with your thumb if you try without washing it, that takes the bloom off too. When you rub it with the wash cloth you take the bloom off and part of the brown, that's why it turns a lighter tan.

That pigment does not come off with water but bloom can. If you rinse it off I'd refrigerate the egg, whether you rub or not.

 

[taylacline]

When the egg shell is deposited in the shell gland, it is white for brown eggs. Look on the inside when you crack a brown egg and remove that membrane, you will see the white color. The brown is pigment laid on top of that white eggshell in the last 30 minutes or so in the shell gland before it is laid. Those speckles are put there at the same time. As the egg comes out, the hen coats it with a liquid that quickly dries. That liquid is the bloom, put on after the brown and speckles are put on.

You can rub that brown off with your thumb if you try without washing it, that takes the bloom off too. When you rub it with the wash cloth you take the bloom off and part of the brown, that's why it turns a lighter tan.

That pigment does not come off with water but bloom can. If you rinse it off I'd refrigerate the egg, whether you rub or not.

So when washing eggs, is removing that brown part a bad thing or does it matter? I just don't know if I'm washing too roughly because color is coming off.

I do refrigerate any eggs that I get wet.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you refrigerate them it does not matter.

 

[3KillerBs]

If an egg is clean it doesn't necessarily *need* washing before use. The bloom protects it.

But many people feel better about washing eggs.

Personally, I only wash eggs with visible dirt/poop on them.