Why don't we keep eggs in plastic containers?

[backintime]

So what's the answer . . . do the eggs "need" air or can they be kept in airtight containers?

P.S. Steve, you caught me on that one! Funny!

 

[notsooldmcdonald]

I really like the plastic containers for their "eye appeal", but have a couple of questions about them:

-if your eggs are slightly damp, due to cold temperatures during collection OR washing, then are they more prone to getting moldy?
-are they made of a plastic that is recyclable? I think you can get post-consumer paper egg crates, but I'm not so certain about the plastic ones

Anyone know?

-Christian

 

[Akane]

Plastic cartons tend to be more expensive and don't hold up as well as cardboard. Only real reason I know of. Generally only the more expensive cage free or organic eggs are sold in plastic.

 

[FunnyFarmer]

I admit to not liking the plastic containers--they take up more storage space and they wear out quicker because they're brittle. I'd rather have the cardboard or styrofoam ones.

 

[Feathered Wings]

I don't understand the debate over if a egg needs air.
A egg is literally dead until it is incubated and it's the incubation that stmulates it to form into cells and then into a chick.
Evaporation is what causes eggs to become less viable over time. So it only makes sense to try and impede that as much as possible.
I have hatched eggs this way by wrapping them in plastic wrap for 7 years and i get under a broody hen 98 to 100% hatch in the incu i get 75 to 90%

 

[jvls1942]

eggs are dead until they are incubated? then explain why they become less and less able to hatch the longer we put off getting them into an incubator..

 

[Feathered Wings]

Because of evaporation and egg dries out over time. There has to be enough moisture in the egg for it to develope properly.
When you say the egg needs to breath thats refering to theres something inside that needs air.
I will state again a egg only begins to develope when it is incubated.

Thats why you can eat fertile eggs if something in it was breathing and needed air i don't think you would want to eat it.
I have had my eggs in air tight plastic wrap for up to 14 days and they develope and hatch.
So if it needed air wouldn't they have suffocated during those 2 weeks.

As for the dead egg statement a egg is not truly "alive" until it's incubated
I have explained this enough and i'm off this subject

Good Luck

 

[1mommahen]

I use Lock n Lock egg keepers (from QVC) for almost two years now and love them. It's in the "breakfast keepers" collection from them. The bagel keeper that comes with it is great too!

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
this question is for everybody except oegblady..
If the egg is dead and it gets too cold or too warm and the liquid inside the shell does not evaporate
then why does it not hatch?

because
It is a living cell and can be killed..

 

[pips&peeps]

I just bought 50 trifold plastic cartons from eggcartons.com to try for shipping. I was thinking with the extra flap it might hold the eggs more secure. Anyway I bought the 8-packs which will allow extras whether I sell 6 eggs or 12.

They will also fit better in the #7 box that I ship in and will have more room for cushion on the sides, so the corner eggs don't get broken.