Washing clean eggs??

[Jachicks]

Our eggs almost always come out clean. Are you still supposed to wash them before using? I’ve only been washing the soiled ones under hot water. I’m new to egg laying

 

[kattabelly]

No need to wash them.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I wash them. Not sure how much it buys me on an egg that's pristine clean, but it makes me feel better if a piece of shell ends up in my food.

 

[Yardmom]

It is best not to wash. Washing takes off the protective bloom.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Are you still supposed to wash them before using?

I assume you are talking about just before you crack them, not before storage.

If you talk to a food health expert they would probably say absolutely, wash them every time. They are aware of what could possibly go wrong and their goal is absolutely zero risk. Their advice is to take no chances at all. Wash your eggs. Wash your hands. Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. So the correct answer is to wash them before cracking them.

I'm more old school. I might pull an apple from the tree and eat it without washing it. I might pull up a carrot from the garden and eat it after wiping the dirt off with my hands and without washing or peeling it. I might crack a "clean" egg without washing it. I understand the shell may not be pristine. It could be dirty. But I figure it will be cooked so it will probably be safe.

So the correct answer is wash them every time. Do as I say, not as I do.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Depends on how you plan on storing them. In the fridge, it's up to you. On counter, they need the protective bloom to keep bacteria out, so no washing.

(I refrigerate and don't wash. If an egg is soiled enough that I feel it's an issue I'll use it first or feed it to the dogs.)

 

[Jachicks]

Thank you everyone for your input

 

[MountainWoman73]

I never wash eggs. I separate the dirty ones and use them at home. Clean-ish ones go to egg customers. If they're gross I give them a quick rinse before I crack them.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

My eggs almost always come in clean from the coop and they go straight into the refrigerator. I used to wash religiously before selling or eating. I've been almost converted to not washing but not entirely. Reason being, in the US we do not vaccinate our chickens for salmonella; in the UK they do. So they can store eggs on the counter safely for quite a while. I'm not comfortable doing that. If you cook an egg thoroughly you protect against the possibility of salmonella, but I like my eggs runny. Why do eggs stored in clean cartons in the fridge need a protective bloom? They certainly need it if they're going to be rolling around under a sweaty hen for three weeks. But not in my refrigerator. I know where eggs come from. They're at least getting a wipe with a paper towel before I crack them into my pan.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

We don't wash initially. They go straight into a large bowl in the fridge, preserving the bloom.

After we've accumulated enough for a week or so, we wash them using Manna Pro Egg Cleanser, put them in an egg carton, and eat from there.

If you wanted, you could just wash them as you need them, but weekly-ish works better for us.