You can leave them out if you do not wash them. If you wash them you need to either eat them right away or put them in the fridge as you have now removed the bloom that keeps out bacteria.I am sure glad that Myersfarms asked this question.I have been putting mine under warm water and lightly washing mine with my hands. Then I dry them and place them in an egg carton in the fridge. We dont eat that many eggs so I was wondering how long I could keep them stored there. I give mine to the neighbors but I certainly dont want to give them a bad egg and make them sick.
So, I guess the answer is: it is safe to keep them for a long time and it is just a matter of who one talks too. I also didnt know that one could leave them out on the counter for a period of time.
Thanks. (Hope I made sense)