washing eggs

[vtchickenlady]

I rinse mine under the tap using warm water.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I wash all of mine under warm running water after first pouring warm soapy water over them (they're in a basket).

.....Alan.

 

[gritsar]

I keep my nestboxs very clean, so dirty eggs are a rarity to start with. If I do occasionally get a very dirty egg, it's fed to the dogs. Those with slight blemishes or dirt are stored unwashed, so as not to remove the bloom. The bloom keeps dirt and bacteria out and eggs with the bloom intact stay fresher much longer.
I wash them right before using by giving them a quick rinse under running very warm water, then use a paper towel to dry. Washing in cold water or water colder than the egg itself causes the contents of the egg to contract, pulling dirt and bacteria into the interior of the egg.
Soaking the eggs in water or water mixed with detergent is a big no-no. As soon as you submerge the eggs the dirt on the eggshell gets released into the water and then sucked into the eggs as the contents contract.

 

[chickenjen]

WOW! Great info! I never knew all that about stuff getting in the egg and about the bloom. I have advised the other half not to wash the eggs or he will be eating soap for breakfast!

 

[tnchickenut]

I'm sorry... I'll be the oddball. For eatting eggs only, of course, I run HOT water over them one by one and then add a drop of unscented antibacterial dish soap into my hand... wash them (even if they look clean), rinse for 30-60 seconds in hot water. The heat pushes the bacteria out of the egg... you can see the bubbles comming out of the egg. The reason for the anitbacterial soap is because salmonella is on all chicken eggs.

I learned this method by doing some research on proper egg handling. No one who eats my eggs has gotten sick or complained about taste being comprimised... matter of fact they love the taste. Other than it being a issue of time, I don't see why someone wouldn't.

 

[LittleFeat]

Wow I've just spent the last hour reading USDA's guidelines about egg safety, storage and washing and this is not as simple as it sounds. I had read several times on here NOT to wash eggs but that doesn't seem to be the most widely accepted. One sidenote I did see is that salmonella is NOT on all eggs and in fact isn't that prevalent to begin with but precautions do have to be taken for the times that it is. And of course since you never know whether it is present or not, the precautions always have to be taken as if it is present.

As for me, unless the eggs are particularly dirty I don't think I'll wash them but then I ALWAYS cook them quite adequately. As long as you fully cook them, the washing shouldn't make a difference.

 

[goobhen]

I do not wash the eggs that I keep for personal use at home. Just rinse them off if they are messy, right before I use them. If I give away the eggs, I may wash them, my DH dug up an article that said how to wash them. I tell people at work, they last longer if I do not wash the eggs. One person only wants WASHED eggs. I do what Gritsar said, really soiled eggs make a wonderful doggie treat!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I think, but may be mistaken, that the USDA guidelines are more geared to commercial producers. My egg customers know that I don't wash the eggs and they know why. It doesn't matter to the majority of them because they've been eating farm fresh eggs their whole lives and have never gotten sick from an unwashed egg.

 

[FrenchHen]

We do wash ours, but our chickens get muddy feet in our wet winters (Western Oregon), and that's not appealing for our friends. They go straight in the fridge after washing.

 

[LittleFeat]

Quote:
I think, but may be mistaken, that the USDA guidelines are more geared to commercial producers. My egg customers know that I don't wash the eggs and they know why. It doesn't matter to the majority of them because they've been eating farm fresh eggs their whole lives and have never gotten sick from an unwashed egg.

Yes I agree with you totally. The article was actually for small flock owners as well as large producers. It told about washing using commercial equipment and techniques but it also described "kitchen sink" techniques. It was pretty interesting but I'm with you, don't wash unless there's a small amount of poop on them.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to have enough eggs to share with others! I only have room for 5 hens and we pretty much eat up all their eggs!