To wash or not to wash...eggs

[Tuffoldhen]

I never wash my eggs unless one happens to have poo on it...There is a natural "bloom" that coats the egg when its laid by the hen...keeps bacteria from entering the egg....And I have egg customers....or did when my hens were laying...sniff, sniff...

Have always been told never to wash eggs you want to incubate and never set dirty eggs...they won't hatch.....bacteria gets in........

 

[1acrefarm]

I almost never wash my eggs. The only time I do wash my eggs is right before I cook them. Then its only if they look like they need it. From what I understand like others have stated is you remove a natural coating on the shell by washing. The eggfarms wash all eggs but I have read somewhere part of the wash process is a mineral oil coating. It is supposed to seal pores back up in the eggshell after washing.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

I dont wash them. Boiling them kils the bacteria when I make boiled eggs. Or I just bring them in and pop them in a frying pan for some delicious sunny side up eggs

 

[palabeco]

Never wash my eggs, but do wash my hands after handling them.

 

[buc]

Quote:
I wash all of my eggs, I, unlike you sell almost all of my eggs. I will in a few months start incubating eggs, those I will not wash, just knock of any poop or dirt.

 

[tink]

Hey....Never wash unless there is a mess....and then it is only right before I use them. When I sell them I let the buyer know that they are unwashed....
Tink

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

We will only wash soiled eggs if we are going to crack them and eat them, our eggs for the most part come out very clean looking and only with minor soiling.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

I don't wash unless they look really dirty (and then I only spot wash with warm water), or if I'm giving them away... and only if they look dirty.

It does remove the bloom, and allows bacteria into the egg. Washing with cold water is also supposed to cause the contents to shrink, drawing the bacteria into the shell. I've actually heard to either use warm or <somewhere else> as hot of water as you can stand.

BTW, did your friend want you to use soap?

Meghan

 

[paganfish]

Thanks again everyone. I like all the answers I am getting. I'll have to show these to my friend.

I wonder if there is some article out there on this subject. I could e-mail it to him along with this thread.

Quote:

I didn't think to ask him that!

Pedro

 

[ozark hen]

I, like some others, only wash the poo off them. I do not refridgerate(they go out the door in less than 24 hours) or wash them either. My customers know they are fresh, room temp. and they need to wash them if they want them washed. I explain about the "bloom".
I even leave a few fluffy feathers on some eggs as it brings a smile to my customers...I guess they need proof of where they come from?