To wash or not to wash eggs?

[Happy Chooks]

I don't wash mine, unless I have a dirty one, which is rare. I survived eating dirt as a kid, so a little germs on the shell won't hurt me. Besides, I don't eat the shell.

If it does bother you, then you can wash them before using them.

 

[BackyardAnita]

I don't wash mine, unless I have a dirty one, which is rare. I survived eating dirt as a kid, so a little germs on the shell won't hurt me. Besides, I don't eat the shell.

If it does bother you, then you can wash them before using them.

... you survived eating dirt as a kid?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Yup. I was a Tom-boy when I was little. No other girls to play with in the neighborhood. So digging in the ground with Tonka trucks, you're bound to get some in your mouth.

 

[kirstin]

i put the dirty eggs in a bowl of water and then wipe gently with towel.

 

[SteveinMA]

I cant help myself. I always wash my eggs, then I date them on the end, put in a carton and right into the fridge. I only have 10 hens so I never have eggs over a week to 10 days old on hand. Once I get over 2 dozen eggs on hand I start giving them to friends.

 

[jdkc4d]

When I get my eggs at the store, I always wash them before I put them in the fridge...Should I ever get my coop built, I will probably wash them. I am only planning on 2-4 birds, I don't think the eggs are going to be around long enough for them to go bad in the fridge either way.

 

[lawatt]

nope, i don't wash unless there's on obvious smudge that shouldn't be there (which is very very rare), and if i do i try to use as soon as possible. my eggs stay on the counter & are never more than a few days old, i either use them or give/swap them with others. agree with Happy Chooks that one is using the inside of the egg, not the outside.

 

[rodentdrem]

It is true about the bloom, the protective layer, but I like ours washed and refrigerated out of habit. All in all, you do what you're comfortable with.

 

[MomsCorner]

I read this article a few weeks ago and thought someone on this thread might find it interesting.

I keep a clean coop, collect eggs, soft dry cloth wipe off if needed and keep on counter. If they manage to sit there more than a couple of weeks, they go into the fridge. I use an 18 holder egg tray so I can keep the eggs in order of collection so I am always using the oldest first. ~Kelly

http://www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaar...egal-in-a-british-supermarket-and-vice-versa/

 

[Chambertin]

The bloom on the egg is a protective coating that keeps bacteria out. The eggs that need washing, use them up first.

Unwashed, eggs can be stored on the counter for a couple of weeks. Once washed, they must be refrigerated. Unwashed eggs can last up to 3 months in the fridge. Washed eggs will not last that long.

We live in a hot climate, we dont wash any of our eggs.
Never had a bad one, eaten or otherwise. Not even a slight smell after more than a month on the counter.
The ones that are sitting around more than 3 weeks dont have that fresh taste, they get a little stale kinda like bread. Its still good. Just like bread, its obvious which loaf was eaten quicly and which one was not.

I dont really support washing eggs or putting them in the fridge unless you have a very dirty coop or birds who habitually lay in their own poop zones.
If we get one that has poo on it (some foot love) we knock off what we can with a flick and let it dry.
When opened, just open from the side with no poop over a bowl and not over the food or pan.
If the terribly unlucky happens and the poo flakes off into the egg just feed it back to the chickens, they love it!

I dont really support fridge eggs either. Eggs need to breathe, they really do need that bloom on them so they can stay fresh and alive instead of cold and dead absorbing all the odd flavors and smells in the fridge. Plus if your fridge is anything like most peoples its not to clean and a bad place to put an egg after the protective coating was removed.

I find that eggs out on the counter (even with a speck o poo) unwashed will be fresher tasting much longer and last about as long as any washed egg even in the fridge.

So for the best results and flavor get them eggs every day and leave them in a cool, dry and dark place. Dont touch the natural barrier, but flick off anything that doesn't belong.
Healthy chickens make healthy eggs that just dont need to be messed with.

If the idea of poo on your eggs bothers you, then wash. However you really dont need to wash the egg even with a foot print on it, that bloom is resilient! Flick and dry, you'll survive I promise.

(remember that bloom is on there just for the purpose of poo protection. you really think wild chicken feet are clean when they turn that egg every day?)

That being said, every one has their own story and opinion.
Wash away if you just cant help it

EDIT: Spelling, but I doubt I got it all