Wet eggs?

[Michaels1715]

I have a mini fridge in my shed where I store my eggs. When I went to get some for my niece today, I opened the door and found that the ice that had been in the upper freezer portion was all melted – and there was water all over my eggs. The eggs in styrofoam cartons seem relatively dry, but the eggs I had and cardboard cartons are definitely wet.

I am not sure when my fridge decided to do this – It could've been hours ago – or up to nearly a week ago. I haven't done any research on this issue at the moment – but in my head I am thinking that eggs that have gotten wet – or that have stayed wet - should not be eaten. Am I correct in thinking this?

So my question is – is there anything I can do with these wet eggs? Can I cook them up for the chickens? Or should I just throw them away? Or compost them?

Thanks in advance for your help!
~Sharon

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

It depends on how long they've been wet, because they can go bad. You can probably eat them, but if you're not comfortable doing so, give them to the chickens.

 

[frickenchicken1]

i agree, ^^^ or you can also do the floating egg in water test, but if your really not comfortable just scramble them up for the hens

 

[aart]

Hmmmmm, tough call.
Not sure I'd risk eating them, especially the cardboard carton ones and if they had not been thoroughly washed previous to refrigeration.
Cooking for chooks, either scrambled.... or hard boiled and chopped up shell and all(my preference)

Floating egg test does not tell if an egg is bacteria laden, or 'bad', only will tell if it's contents have evaporated enough to float.

That stinks, how many cartons did you lose!?
Wonders if part of fridge is missing, the part that directs 'self defrosting liquid' to an appropriate container?
Or the defrosting feature is grossly malfunctioning?
Any chance the power was out for a good long time?

 

[donrae]

I'd crack them and see how they look. Eggs aren't going to be stealthy bad, if they're bad they'll let you know right off by appearance or smell. If they look and smell fine, I'd probably eat them myself, depending on how hungry I was

. but if not for me, I'd definitely feed them to the critters. No need to waste all that goodness.

 

[Michaels1715]

Thanks everyone! I think I know what happened. Since it's been so cold out - I turned the temp in my fridge down. I just didn't realize that its "less cold" setting would be that warm! We had a couple of 50 degree days last week, so it was probably close to 60 in my shed - and the fridge must have barely kicked on - if at all!
I actually only had 2 dozen in cardboard cartons. I wipe all eggs before putting them in the fridge, but Idk if that counts as "clean".

I know about the float test, but I thought that was pretty much to tell if old eggs were too old.

Somewhere I read that eggs shouldn't get completely wet and then stored, and also that any eggs that had poop smears on them shouldn't be eaten because of the risk of bacteria. So currently, any poopy eggs I find get cooked up for my chickies (scrambled - with a good bit of shell thrown in).

Which brings me to my next question - how much poop for an egg to be considered "poopy" and therefore shouldn't be eaten? If it all wipes off after being collected - is that still a good egg then? Or does any amount of poop, and any amount of time its on the shell make it a poopy egg?
Currently I only discard (to the chickens) ones with poop stains that don't want to come off - or if the poop has been on the egg for several days. If I get a little spot of it wiped right off, then I consider it edible. I've always wondered if my reasoning was "right", though - or at least the same as what others do. Any opinions on this subject?

I am going to cook up the 2 dozen from the wet cardboard cartons for the chickies. I have more eggs than I know what to do with anyway. Im glad to know the wet eggs are okay for my babies too. Thank you for your replies!!
~Sharon

 

[aart]

IMO any visible poop should be washed off completely with scrubbing hands under running water that is warmer than egg.
Picking, scratching, wiping with a cloth or scrubber pads without full water flush is NOT a washed egg...again IMO.
I use immediately or dry and refrigerate after washing eggs.
Eggs that appear clean just get set on counter and used without washing...tho they also could have bacteria on them.

That's just my take on it.
Many variables for what kind and how much bacteria may be present and in what conditions it may flourish to the point of maybe making someone sick depending on their health and immune resistance capacities.

 

[donrae]

considering I'm a transplant patient, my doctors would probably be horrified at what I eat.......

I was poop off eggs all the time. I figure, I wash poop off my hands then use my hands and consider them clean, why not with eggs? that shell is pretty heavy duty stuff. I know it doesn't block all bacteria, etc, but it blocks most. And, bacteria isn't stealthy. If the egg is contaminated, the bacteria is going to be happy and flourish, and you'll know as soon as you crack that egg.

I (probably) wouldn't use a poopy egg were I making a recipe that called for raw or undercooked eggs. But I may have---once it's washed, who can remember it it had poop on it?

I once had a hen that, every time she laid, she pooped and it stuck to the egg. It was how I knew her eggs from everyone else's.

Right now, I have a good amount of feather footed birds. They track mud and poop into the nest boxes.

I also have hens determined to lay under some roosting shelves. So, poopy eggs.

If I threw out all my poopy eggs, I'd never have any to eat. My dogs would be happy, though

Then again, 25 years as a nurse has taught me that a little poo doesn't kill ya, so my tolerance may be a lot higher than other folk's.

 

[aart]

considering I'm a transplant patient, my doctors would probably be horrified at what I eat.......

I was poop off eggs all the time. I figure, I wash poop off my hands then use my hands and consider them clean, why not with eggs? that shell is pretty heavy duty stuff. I know it doesn't block all bacteria, etc, but it blocks most. And, bacteria isn't stealthy. If the egg is contaminated, the bacteria is going to be happy and flourish, and you'll know as soon as you crack that egg.

I (probably) wouldn't use a poopy egg were I making a recipe that called for raw or undercooked eggs. But I may have---once it's washed, who can remember it it had poop on it?

I once had a hen that, every time she laid, she pooped and it stuck to the egg. It was how I knew her eggs from everyone else's.

Right now, I have a good amount of feather footed birds. They track mud and poop into the nest boxes.

I also have hens determined to lay under some roosting shelves. So, poopy eggs.

If I threw out all my poopy eggs, I'd never have any to eat. My dogs would be happy, though

Then again, 25 years as a nurse has taught me that a little poo doesn't kill ya, so my tolerance may be a lot higher than other folk's.

I have one of those too.

I think this is key...why I don't sell those to certain customers.