To wash or not to wash eggs?

[Lorna1]

I could not believe that about 99% of the people here said they DO NOT WASH THEIR EGGS! My best friend is a pediatrician and she has had 2 separate cases of patients becoming SEVERELY ILL AND HOSPITALIZED from an infection from eating backyard chicken eggs. I am assuming it was salmonella but I will find out exactly.
I would think the eggs should be washed immediately. Bacteria is not the same as dirt. You can see dirt but you can't see bacteria.

 

[aart]

I could not believe that about 99% of the people here said they DO NOT WASH THEIR EGGS! My best friend is a pediatrician and she has had 2 separate cases of patients becoming SEVERELY ILL AND HOSPITALIZED from an infection from eating backyard chicken eggs. I am assuming it was salmonella but I will find out exactly.
I would think the eggs should be washed immediately. Bacteria is not the same as dirt. You can see dirt but you can't see bacteria.

@Lorna1 There are varying levels of immunity amongst people....
...and varying levels of 'proof' of 'backyard eggs' being the cause of an illness.
Often all possible causes of food borne illness are not fully investigated/disclosed.

Would love to know all the details of the illnesses your friend investigated.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I do not wash our eggs. The children come out to the coop and help me feed and care for the chickens. If they are going to become sick from bacteria it is much likely to happen while they are out there with me then from eating an egg. We, as a society, have disinfected ourselves to the point that any exposure to bacteria leads to serious illness. My children eat dirt, unwashed eggs, and help clean the coop, they are very healthy.

 

[dadschicks]

I have been under the impression that the eggs have a protective coating that keeps the bacteria from penetrating the shell and that washing them removes this barrier. I often eat my backyard chicken eggs raw and have had no problem. That being said, if the coop is not kept clean and there is feces on the eggs, then I would recommend washing them. If you do plan to wash them, it seems like the best time to do it would be just before cracking them.

Any other opinions?

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I have been under the impression that the eggs have a protective coating that keeps the bacteria from penetrating the shell and that washing them removes this barrier.  I often eat my backyard chicken eggs raw and have had no problem.  That being said, if the coop is not kept clean and there is feces on the eggs, then I would recommend washing them.  If you do plan to wash them, it seems like the best time to do it would be just before cracking them.

Any other opinions?

The egg do have a protective coating. It even makes logical sense, eggs are meant to be protective homes for undeveloped chicks. The mother bird does not wash her eggs waiting for them to grow, and nests out in the nature are not clean. How could we have birds if the protective shell was so ineffective as to let bacteria through?

 

[Bantamdelopera]

Is there anything wrong with not washing them before cracking them and eating them. I cook the eggs so I figure anything harmful will be killed anyway.

 

[User395221]

I don't wash them before cracking them unless there's an obvious smear of some type. Frankly, a wipe over a smear of poo (or something) with a damp paper towel is not going to do anything to the bacteria that might be there, all it does is make me feel better. I would just be careful not to let the raw egg run over the outside of the shell, that's all I do.

 

[Tika75]

I was wondering about this too. Reading what I did, I think I won't wash mine until I'm ready to use them. With so many reasons to do either I'm still not sure what is the best. The person who talked about eggs in the wild not being washed did make a valid point though.

 

[PocketAcesMom]

This forum is so helpful. I decided on my method. When I collect the eggs, I don't wash them. They almost always look very clean (you know, for the two weeks that my chickens have been laying ). I keep them in a specific container in my fridge. I feel like I have to wash them before I use them, so once I get a big batch, I will rinse them in warm soapy water, dry them, and put them in an egg carton in our fridge for use. My kids would think nothing of picking a piece of broken shell out of their eggs if they cracked them in a pan and pieces fell in. Or, not washing their hands after breaking an egg into a pan, so washing the eggs before use eases my mind.

 

[CluckerCottage]

I don't wash the bloom off my eggs. I keep eggs for my family on the counter, the eggs I sell are refrigerated.
I tell my customers why the bloom is left intact and instruct them to wash before using. Never had a customer get sick from eating farm fresh eggs.
My coop is very clean but of course I do collect the occasional poopy egg like everyone else does.
In that case, it's washed, refrigerated and used asap.