To rinse or not to rinse?

[deldeer]

Im full of a lot of questions, and you folks have been great to a newbie! Now that my chickens are gonna start laying, seems to be across the board, do you rinse your eggs and store them in the fridge or leave them out in bowl? My concern is even though I keep my coop extremely clean, I worry about salmonella with grand kids

 

[My Pretty Pekins]

We have a rustic-style egg carrier for 6 eggs which we keep by the back door. All of the daily eggs go in there, are washed at the end of the day, and go in the fridge labelled with the date they were laid - so we know which to use / sell first.

Hope this helps!

 

[SueT]

I do not wash eggs and I do put them in the fridge. I wash them before cooking, and wash hands after handling them each step of the way.

 

[aart]

I don't wash eggs unless they are very dirty, then will refrigerate or use immediately because thorough washing will remove all the protective bloom(cuticle).

Eggs should be washed in 'water warmer than the egg'.
Simple physics, using colder water will cause the egg contents to contract, causing any 'germs' on exterior surface of egg shell to be pulled into the interior of egg thru the shell pores. Using warmer water will do the opposite.

I don't use any soap or other cleaning/sanitizing agent, just rotate in my hands to 'scrub' all surfaces area of egg shell. Then I air and towel dry before placing in the fridge.

If you are washing eggs for sale to the general public, other requirements may apply, so check your state regulations.


other thought on handling eggs...
When in doubt....
Open eggs one at a time in a separate dish before adding to pan or recipe,
use your eyes, nose, and common sense to decide if egg is OK to eat.


Floating an egg will only tell you how old it might be.
They float due to evaporation when older.
It will not tell you if an egg is 'good' or 'bad'.
Plus then you've wetted the egg so it should be thoroughly washed and refrigerated.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The last thing a hen puts on the egg when she lays it is a liquid layer we call bloom. The egg looks wet when it comes out because it is. But that layer dries almost immediately and forms a barrier that helps keep bacteria out of the porous egg. What causes an egg to go bad is bacteria gets inside it. That bloom is so good that a hen can typically hide a nest for a couple of weeks and then incubate them for three more without the egg going bad. It's really effective.

If that bloom gets compromised though bacteria can get inside if it is present. If the egg is dirty, especially with poop, that bloom can be compromised. If you wash the egg or scrub it with something abrasive or even rub it with your thumb to clean it, the bloom is compromised. If bacteria gets inside the warmer the egg the faster the bacteria multiplies. Incubation temperature is about perfect for bacteria to thrive. But in your refrigerator it should be cool enough that bacteria will not grow.

If the egg is fertilized it can develop in warmer temperatures. Again, the warmer it is the faster the embryo develops. It can develop some even below true incubation temperatures.
I store my pretty clean eggs on my kitchen counter. Room temperature is always below 80 F. I've stored fertile eggs there for over a month before I eat them, never had a problem. These are the eggs I give away. If the eggs are dirty I wash them and store them in the refrigerator. These are mainly the eggs I eat.

I'll repeat Aart's suggestion to always open our individual eggs in a separate bowl before you mix them with anything. Part of that is that if an egg goes bad you can smell it. But another part is that any hen can lay an egg with a blood spot or meat spot. For different reasons something might get inside the egg as it is forming. These eggs are generally safe to eat but there is a YUK! factor involved. You just might not want to use that egg. This happens to all hens, commercial as well as our backyard hens. The commercial operations electronically candle all their eggs so their customers don't get these surprises, that's why you don't see them in eggs from the store. They sell those eggs at a reduced price to pet food manufacturers or maybe even bakeries that open the eggs and mix them as they are used, they are "safe", but some are bad enough I wont use them.

 

[deldeer]

ok my concern is with all the grandkids, if i leave them out on the counter isn't there a much higher chance of salmonella? Or am i panicking? sorry

 

[SueT]

ok my concern is with all the grandkids, if i leave them out on the counter isn't there a much higher chance of salmonella? Or am i panicking? sorry

Well if you are panicking, then put them in the fridge. Wash them if you'd feel better doing so.
I use a skelter that fits in the fridge, it keeps the eggs organized.

 

[aart]

ok my concern is with all the grandkids, if i leave them out on the counter isn't there a much higher chance of salmonella? Or am i panicking? sorry

Not really, IMO, but I would not hazard to advise how to feed other people kids.
If you're uncomfortable with them sitting on the counter,
then thoroughly wash/dry them and store in the fridge.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I always wash mine in cold water, for incubation, & eating.
Never gotten sick. I rarely had any chick deaths from washing eggs.
I also haven't gotten sick from handling unwashed eggs without washing my hands.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sorry, I did not address your specific and clear concern. I wasn't paying close enough attention.

Salmonella exists in the world. It is certainly possible that our chickens live in areas that have it. If you have a dog that spends any time out of doors it could have salmonella in its fur. There are lots of things that can infect you with salmonella.

If you read up on it you will be told how common it is and all the risks. It is pretty common in the world. Practically any case of food poisoning you hear about is caused by salmonella. Some people are more vulnerable than others, the very young, old, or people with compromised immune systems. Many get over it on their own but it can kill. The general preventative is cleanliness. Keep animals out of your food preparation areas, be careful handling raw meat, rinse off your fresh veggies, fruit, or berries before you eat then raw, cook things properly, and wash your hands a lot.

That's the general stuff. Now your specific question, will leaving the eggs unwashed on your counter give your grandkids (or you) salmonella?

Are you going to let your grandkids handle the eggs or cartons if they are in cartons? If they do have then wash their hands before they stick their fingers in their mouth or eyes or pick their noses or wash their hands for them yourself. I have a 4-year-old grandson, try teaching him not to pick his nose.

Wash the eggs before you use them and wash your hands. Cook them, don't serve them raw. Doing these things should pretty much eliminate the risk from salmonella.