To wash or not to wash.......

[woolymama]

I have some conflicting egg advice. I was always told not to wash fresh eggs - just brush them off and put them in the fridge. This was so as not to remove the protective bloom that naturally coats them and keeps out bacteria.
BUT - recently I have heard that you should "Always scrub" your eggs before putting them in the fridge.
SO........what are your thoughts on this?????

 

[BarkerChickens]

I don't wash them unless absolutely necessary and in that case, I wash right before using with hot water.

 

[Texasboy4ever]

I wash mine with clear warm water if they need it. But I have a well so I don't have any chemicals in the water. They do have a protective bloom on the eggs, but egg shells are porous. The oxygen in the air getting through the egg shell is what makes them go bad. They will go bad if you wash them or not if not kept at the right temp in the fridge or incubated I have never had any eggs go bad from all my years raising chickens whether I wash them or not

 

[gritsar]

The bloom keeps keeps them fresher alot longer. I don't wash them until just before use and then only in hot water.
The occasional really dirty egg the dogs get.

 

[woolymama]

Quote:
Thanks! That's what I thought. A chicken - owning friend of mine was horrified that I don't wash them until I use them. She scrubs hers with soap before putting hers in the fridge. Of course, she also won't eat her eggs - she still only eats ones from the store! LOL!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I keep my clean eggs on the counter and do not wash them. These are the ones others get. I wash my dirty eggs and put them in the fridge. These are the ones I eat. I do not like to give others refrigerated eggs since they can take on odors if they are stored next to something that has a strong odor and (the real reason) the cool eggs may pick up condensation when I take them out of the fridge which can soak through the porous shell and take bacteria inside the egg. I know I am being over-the-top over cautious but that is just me. Hatching eggs are kept in my coolest room on the turner until I am ready to incubate them. I never wash hatching eggs and do not use dirty eggs for hatching.

Unwashed eggs will last a long time on the counter as long as the temperature stays below 75 degrees Fahrenheit. If they get too warm, the fertile eggs might "develop" a bit. I figure 75 degrees is a very safe cut-off temperature. The warmer it is the faster they will go bad, washed or unwashed. If you are not going to hatch them, it is never a bad idea to refrigerate them. They will last longer in the fridge.

The egg has an air sac in it. If you wash the egg in cold water, the air sac shrinks and creates a suction on the egg shell. This can bring in water which might have bacteria in it. I certainly would not wash them in cold soapy water either. If you wash them in water at least 10 degrees warmer than the egg, you will not have this problem. I just run the tap water until it feels a bit warm and wash them in that. The dogs get the real dirty eggs.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Quote:
Thanks! That's what I thought. A chicken - owning friend of mine was horrified that I don't wash them until I use them. She scrubs hers with soap before putting hers in the fridge. Of course, she also won't eat her eggs - she still only eats ones from the store! LOL!!!

No more bloom, means open pathways in the shell for anything that touches that egg, and that includes the water and soap she is using

 

[blurose]

I sell my eggs and, beings as it is so wet and muddy around here, I have to wash just about every egg. My nest box is kept very clean with clean pine shavings, but my birds' feet are so muddy still by the time they get there. I just use warm water and a veg brush designated for eggs only to wisk away those muddy toe prints. Of course, every once in awhile I get an egg or two with poop or yolk on it and these get the same treatment. I NEVER use any soap or anything but water and the brush. Quite often there are pine shavings stuck to the eggs' "bloom" and if this doesn't simply scrape off with my fingernail I resort to the water and brush treatment here also. I don't as a rule refrigerate the eggs that I eat but I do have a fridge designated only for the eggs that I sell and some cans of soda pop.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I don't wash mine unless they are dirty. (which isn't often) If it gets washed, it gets used first.

And I'll be honest here..................I don't usually wash before using them either.

Sometimes I do, but it's not the norm. My hens are kept clean and in a clean environment, and I think it's better for our immune systems to be exposed to different germs. I ate dirt as a kid and it didn't hurt me.

 

[Domestic_goddess]

I only wash before using!