When I purchase fresh farm eggs, I request that the eggs not be refrigerated. I have left those eggs out on the counter for up to a month and have never suffered any health consequences. (I guess the eggs could be washed just before using, but I never did.) The power washing of eggs and subsequent required refrigeration is truly frustrating and unnecessary.

When my husband and I were living in England, it took longer than I'd care to admit to FIND the eggs at the grocery store - out with the bread! I'll usually try to keep eggs however I found them - if they got to me unrefridgerated, I'll keep them that way, and vice-versa for refridgerated eggs.

I was raised on a chicken farm answer sold eggs all the time, ours were kept in the asement but never in the fridge.

I was under the impression that eggs, regardless of the source and handling, will spoil more quickly if left out. While I tend to use them at a rate of about a dozen every week or so, folks that eat fewer of them might take longer to go through some.

Growing up, my grandmother never refrigerated her eggs, even after moving to the US. She kept her eggs stored under the stairway of our house where it was nice and cool. We never had food poisoning from the eggs and only occasionally ran into a rotten egg.

After a long day of work and grocery shopping, I accidentally left a dozen of eggs on the counter still in the grocery bag. I didn't notice until 2 days later when I picked up the bag and felt it had something in it. I used most of the eggs in a pound cake and it turned out fine, no sickness or anything. I won't be trying it again but I know I had heard that you don't need to refrigerate eggs and they actually are better to use in baking if they are room temp.

We've kept our eggs our for five years and haven't gotten sick yet.

(But not the SAME exact dozen, heh heh.)

@Shawnamuffin - that made me chuckle. Those would be truly remarkable eggs, indeed! :)

When I lived in London, we'd buy eggs that were kept out on shelves. But when we got them home, we put them in the fridge. Force of habit, I suppose.

I suppose it's worth adding that I rarely saw a dozen eggs in the UK. They were almost always packs of 6. People tend to do their shopping often enough to not require a full dozen.

That's interesting. Down here we just refrigerate eggs (at home) 'cause they last a little longer that way. Never thought about safety. Eggs are usually sold room temperature in Brazil and the "best before" date indicates 2 dates: room temperature and refrigerated.

I'm from Sweden, and here most people refrigerate them. I have, however, seen people storing them in the pantry. They're fine that way too, but obviously they'll stay fresh much longer in the fridge. :) So if you have the space, why not?

I have never refrigerate eggs, I do keep them in a cool spot.
Okay, I live in NZ so don't have the same OCD elements as the US but we have always done it this way.
We buy two trays of locally produced fresh eggs a month. They come from a supplier I trust and one that whose products are good quality and usually only a day or two old.
We haven't had any problems with getting sick, although the day I dropped both trays while transporting them from car to house, sort of did.

I live in the Netherlands now, and it took me some time after moving here (from the US) to get used to the idea of keeping the eggs out on the counter. I've been doing it for over four years now, though, and never been sick, whether using them cooked or raw (I make a breakfast smoothie of two fresh eggs, a bunch of frozen fruit, and coconut milk every morning, and that thing powers me through until well past lunchtime each day). I've even used them a few days past their date before in a pinch and suffered no ill effects (and neither have the kids, who are also crazy about mommy's breakfast smoothies).

Eww about the power washing thing, though - I never knew.

Yes, the FDA says to refrigerate eggs. So does Egg Farmers of Alberta:

http://eggs.ab.ca/recipes-tips/handling-storage

@Adonuts - the FDA says all kinds of things...I wouldn't take their word as gospel.

Free-range local eggs in an eggrack on the wall. Store-bought in the fridge.
I didn't know about the power-washing, either, but it seems to go with pastuerizing milk instead of keeping the cows healthy & the milk clean. Volume production will do that.

In the UK, if the eggs are refrigerated where they are sold, they are legally not allowed to be sold as "fresh eggs," which is why you will find them out on the normal shelves. To my knowledge, it does not matter whether once they home they are kept in the fridge or not. The point is that they need to be kept at a constant temperature in order not to go off, and in most domestic kitchens keeping them in the fridge is an easy way to achieve this.

In the UK, while eggs are sold on the shelf, you are told to put them in the fridge at home, because supermarkets are kept at a constant temperature and turnover is high. Some people do still keep their eggs on the shelf, but as people keep their houses warmer today than they once did, putting them in the fridge at home is more common.

Raw milk isn't a great comparison: it's not legal in the UK to sell it retail, either. It's not possible to keep it pure when you have larger herds (ie over 10 cows) and are transporting it longer distances. They tried inspections as an alternative to pasteurization already. It didn't work.

The eggs I buy in Manila are not refrigerated either, but we keep them in the fridge when we get home. It's just easier for us since counter and pantry space is at a premium.

Wow. I had no idea you could leave eggs out. Our CSA box includes a dozen farm eggs and I always wondered about if they were iffy, sitting out all day. How is it, then, that eggs in mayo are the big culprit for picnic food poisoning?

We have 6 hens and don't refrigerate our fresh eggs we get from them. In fact I keep them in a nice jar on the counter because they're such pretty colors! The need to be refrigerated IF they have already been cold or previously refrigerated. I read up on keeping eggs unrefrigerated before we got our hens, and one article said that in a test eggs left unrefrigerated were still unspoiled up to 5 MONTHS after they were collected!

Those who believe that eggs must be kept refrigerated are also probably the same people that think brown eggs are healthier than white... FYI, the color of the egg is determined by the color of the hen (white eggs from white hens, brown from brown hens, etc.) Although our grey and black Aruacana gives us greenish eggs!

I moved to an organic farm about 6 months ago, and the owners have free range, actually "spoiled" chickens. They got some more chicks just a month after I moved in, and I would help out feeding them & checking the temp-since they were right under my apt. One, a black one, (sorry, don't know the name-but she DOES lay green eggs!!), took a liking to me & now "bug-eyes" leads me to her eggs. I WILL say though that about a month ago, I cracked an egg making French toast, and what I "assume" to be about a 1 inch embryo fell out. I ALWAYS keep in the fridge. I have too many health problems & a depleted immune system, to even take a chance on getting sick.

I've grown up always keeping the eggs on the counter, we had a nice big ceramic rooster we kept them in. Sometimes I'll put them in the fridge if I'm going away for a while or I run out of counter space (small apartment). I lived in North America for a while, and did it there too, with no ill effects.

P_CAPUCINE, the difference is that as long as the eggs aren't power-washed (which would be unlikely with CSA eggs), the natural protective coating will keep the egg fresh and protected. Once the shell is broken the egg is no longer protected, and that's when you need to find other ways to minimize bacteria growth (I.e. refrigeration, pickling, etc).

I get eggs from my own backyard hens. We don't refrigerate, and (with the exception of knocking off any bits of dirt or poo) we only wash them just before we're going to use them. That said, I do keep them in a bowl away from any fresh vegetables and I don't let them touch my working surfaces until after they're washed.

Lets face it if you've smelled a bad you'd know it! I've lived in South Africa, Germany and Australia and none of them refrigerate eggs in the store, whether or not you do so at home is your own prerogative. But I am astounded by the lack of common sense that Americans display.

@tigr3bianca: I always leave eggs out of the fridge for a few hours (even better over night) before using them in baking, just like my butter. Never had an ill effect.

I agree with Hanhosh... you should keep the eggs in the same condition you bought them in. If they were in the refrigerated section then I'd suggest keeping them refrigerated but if you got them off a shelf, whether at a shop in the UK or at a farmer's market, then they are fine on the shelf. I used to live on a farm and we kept our eggs in a big old glass jar on the counter after a quick rinse to get the ickies off.

As a plus to keeping eggs at room temperature is for the pastry-chef-wannabes in the room. A lot of yummy recipes call for room-temp eggs. Something I am always forgetting to do whenever I want to make something without scrambling my eggs in my custard...

If the eggs have never been refrigerated then you can leave them at room temperature for up to three weeks.
But if you buy refrigerated eggs you should keep them cold...

This was interesting, as we're the comments. I had this very thing carefully explained to me by a local egg seller at an outdoor market in the UK after I remarked on the fact that they were sitting outside of refrigeration. She was adamant, when eggs are washed they have to be refrigerated. When they retain their natural coatings, they do not. So I too am following Hanhosh's statement, keep them the way they're sold to you.

IMHO healthily raised chickens produce healthy eggs.

I've noticed that European eggs also tend to be fresher -- the whites hold together more than North American eggs (which is why it is harder to make poached eggs with N.A. eggs). That is also a factor, in addition to the washing, I believe.

My ex-B-I-L grew up on a turkey farm in North Carolina, so we were often gifted with crates of giant turkey eggs. They were never refrigerated. Boy they were big, though!

Always refrigerate. My parents ran a restaurant so I keep doing the food safety routine that I was taught.

"But I am astounded by the lack of common sense that Americans display."

Roflol @ Pram.nurse - really, you have no idea (or perhaps do, if you hang out here very often reading comments). I was born & raised here and it astounds even me. I'm truly amazed at the glaring ignorance amongst such a [seemingly] well-educated gathering of like-minded folks at times.

Perhaps it's a result of the internet combined with our ever prevalent fear-mongering media. Or perhaps...most have just never cracked a bad egg. My eggs live on the counter. Thanks for the giggle.

Ditto Discerning and Pram.nurse - but most are so far removed from the source of their food that it's not really surprising.

Excellent piece! Good perspective. Excellent topic. Insightful. Well-done.

My English mother used to leave the eggs out she was going to cook for us the next day. I've often thought about that. We never got sick, though.

I usually store in the fridge because it is a controlled and even temperature. When I know I will be baking, I will place the needed eggs on the counter before heading off to work (or the night before).

If I think I am nearing an expiration of an egg, I test whether or not is rotten by filling a mug or glass with water and then popping the egg in it. If the egg floats to the top, I throw it away. Yes, I could just crack it and the smell would alert me, but I hate the smell.

I do think it's interesting how few people understand eggs and think they spoil so quickly. I think people compare them to dairy, and there's always the idea of "rotten eggs" being so gross... but they can really last for months in the fridge. I agree that when I buy them from the fridge, I store them in the fridge... When i get farm fresh eggs from my family friend I store them on the counter.

While you won't get sick from them being left on the counter, do they last longer in the fridge? That seems like the main reason to keep them there to me, but maybe that's just our idea of keeping everything free from contamination.

I work at a preschool and we have a lot of people from India working at Intel who bring their children to us. They insist on keeping their yogurts, cheese, and most food in their room temperature cubby hours because they don't like to serve their children cold food. Seems so odd to me, but I doubt they'd do it if they ever got sick from it!

As someone who owns chickens, I'm very conscious of the fact that chickens poop everywhere and sometimes get it on their eggs. Even if there aren't clumps of poop on the eggs, the chicken has probably walked around and sat and dusted itself in fecal matter and then rubs up against the eggs. I always wash my eggs and refrigerate them.

Interesting! I'm inclined to continue keeping my eggs in the fridge if only to free up more counter space in my galley kitchen.

Good point about eggs at room temperature for some recipes. I'm usually pretty impatient about allowing for that. When I get ready to cook or bake, I want to plow right ahead, darn it ...

I buy my eggs direct from a local organic farmer and the eggs he sells me have not been refrigerated when they come to me -- usually less than a day since they were laid. He told me that some of the "old timers" say you can coat the eggs in mineral oil and store them pointy side down in a cool place (like a root cellar) and they'll last for up to a year.

During my stay in Indonesia, we were told that fresh eggs had a natural protective barrier around them and did not need refrigeration. I thought they were just trying to soothe the nerves of us germaphobic visitors. We ate eggs daily that sat in 4 foot high stacks, unrefrigerated in their tropical (think humid and hot) climate.

Nice to read that the reasons we were given are actually true.

Eggs are sold not refridgerated here, though we are in the habit of putting them in the fridge at home. Don't really know why - I think placing them in a bowl on the counter would look so pretty. Maybe I'll try it. Oh, and I have never in my life come across a rotten egg, though we do eat them a lot!

It was news to me, too, that eggs did not need to be refrigerated when I visited NZ (I'm from Canada) two years ago and saw a hen-shaped wire basket full of them sitting on my cousin's kitchen counter (or 'bench' rather - another oddity!). I've since wanted to procure one of those wire hen baskets for myself and keep my own eggs out on display, but don't think hubby would be alright with it.

@Pram.nurse
@discerning
@paseo How are Americans lacking common sense by putting eggs in the fridge? It is a biological fact that they last longer that way and it reduces the chances of contamination. Because many people don't refrigerate them doesn't change that fact.

@WendyMR Bearing in mind what I wrote above what does that have to do with "OCD elements" in America? A lot of countries refrigerate their eggs, unlike what this article would have you believe. The person who posted above you is from Sweden where they also refrigerate their eggs.

@mschatelaine I have lived and traveled throughout Europe for many years and egg quality can vary quite a bit throughout the different countries and cultures on the European continent. That said, I never experienced any distinguishing quality of eggs in comparison to eggs in America.

Thank you for the article, I find this interesting.

I have never given it any thought but I have realized, upon reading the article, that when I lived in Europe my mom never stored eggs in the fridge. But - we had a fairly decent pantry. My mom grew up on a small farm and I am sure there was no fridge when she was a kid (she was born in 1926). I have always stored eggs in the fridge but without thinking about it - my kitchen is small and I am a clutterer so there is always an assortment of "stuff" on the counter - I would not want to add eggs to the mix. I have a decent fridge so that's where the eggs go. I have ask my mom about how they stored eggs when she was young.

The best thing to do with old hens is to make broth. The older the hen the more tasty and more nutritious the resulting broth. Here is my take on it. Our website has tons of information for raising your own

http://themodernhomestead.us/article/Chicken+Broth.html

EllenJill

I was watching one of those survivalist shows on cable. A woman rubbed some sort of oil all over her eggs and said they would keep for months in the pantry that way.

Yes, keep them the way they were sold to you. Once they have been refrigerated something probably changes.

But consider that the hen lays a egg a day till she has the amount she feels she wants to hatch out. So the unwashed and un- refrigerated eggs can be from one to 15 days old before she even starts setting on them and they all hatch out at the same time. So clearly eggs do not require refrigeration if they are going to be eaten within two weeks. I bet they last much longer if they are also unwashed, but we eat ours up rather rapidly so I
have no personal experience with eggs that old. But as with everything else, fresher is always going to be more tasty and more nutritious, so why would you even bother with an old one unless you had no choice?

We don't wash the ones that look clean, and lightly wipe any with even the slightest
trace of dirt with a solution of white vinegar and water. Those also stay on the counter in a dark area,usually in an egg carton for more protection from the light. No scientific studies for this, we just try to replicate the conditions under which a hen chooses to lay them.

EllenJill

I've left my U.S. bought eggs out for about two weeks with no problem. I do notice that the refrigerated eggs stay firmer than room temperature eggs. When they are left out they are runnier. You will know if you have a spoiled egg though!

"How are Americans lacking common sense by putting eggs in the fridge?"

@ jdoey: I don't see this either stated or implied in any of the comments. If storing your eggs in the fridge calms your fears or is simply the most feasible use of that real estate, then by all means do so. Some don't have counter space for a basket of eggs. But to insist that this is necessary is just plain ignorance. It's simply not true.

"It is a biological fact that they last longer that way and it reduces the chances of contamination. Because many people don't refrigerate them doesn't change that fact."

It is not a fact, despite the number of 'scientific studies' that would lead one to believe otherwise. Storing eggs in the fridge might make one feel safer but it is a false sense of security. It is not.necessary.

I think paseo cut to the chase with this comment: "...most are so far removed from the source of their food that it's not really surprising."

Ignorance is a lack of knowledge. So many in our modern world have never been afforded the opportunity of real life experience which frequently (often?) negates the 'scientific studies'. Still, it's no reason to get defensive, the result of which is this UNproductive convo. Life's too short for such things....

...the Truth will set you free ;)

posted by paseo on

*'scuse the bad editing*

We have eggs delivered every week by a local guy. He told me that the sell-by date in grocery stores can be up to 45 days after they are packed (that's a USDA reg) and that you can keep them 3 to 5 weeks before using them, even if the 'sell by' date rolls around.
So that would be a maximum of 12 weeks when they are probably OK to use.

I have kitchens in the UK and the USA and I keep eggs in the fridge both places, because it works for me. My British mother-in-law never put them in the fridge in 70 years of housekeeping (though she had a pantry with stone shelves that kept things cool in the mild English summers). Either way, I've only ever seen a 'rotten egg' once. So, I'm pretty sure there's a large margin of error -- if you use them with a couple of weeks, they'd be fine outside the fridge.

@Lafferteezy - the Indian parents are absolutely correct. If stringent standards of hygiene have been observed during food preparation, then a few hours at room temperature will not do any harm. My children used to take their own lunch to school, cooked the previous evening (including meat and fish), refrigerated overnight, and they would eat it at room temperature the following day. If you have not prepared the food yourself, however, that's a different matter.
I refrigerate eggs because we don't eat them very often.

I now feel like someone will judge me for being a fridge egg person. It just seemed like the easiest place to keep them.

Discerning wrote: "I don't see this either stated or implied in any of the comments."

You quoted and supported Pram.nurse saying "I am astounded by the lack of common sense that Americans display."

Discerning wrote:"Still, it's no reason to get defensive, the result of which is this UNproductive convo. Life's too short for such things...."

How is questioning someone saying Americans lack common sense "defensive?" You have it backwards, insults like that are "UNproductive convo."

Discerning wrote: "It is not a fact, despite the number of 'scientific studies' that would lead one to believe otherwise"

Yes, it is a fact that cold temperature delays the decomposition of biological matter, and that included eggs. That fact doesn't prevent some people from leaving their eggs out and still be able to eat them. Those are two different points and two different facts.

I have been living without a fridge for three months and so my eggs are stored at room temperature. A sailing book taught me to turn the egg carton every other day to prevent the egg sac from settling. Apparently if the membrane inside the egg remains in contact with the shell, it will hold moisture much longer. It's when the membrane pulls away, and the inside of the egg shell dries in one place, that egg begins to get stale.

Sealing the egg with mineral oil will also help with the moisture loss.

Refrigeration prolongs the freshness of eggs as well so I don't see anything wrong with that. Just take care with both methods not to store eggs where there are strong smells. Egg shells are porous and will absorb the smell, making your eggs taste like that smell. Unless you want it to, of course. I've read of people who store eggs with truffles for lovely truffle-infused omelets later on.

I keep my eggs out on the counter and it freaks people out! I love it. Never had a problem with eggs. I use them too quickly (I bake a lot and need room temp eggs anyway).

Salmonella is killed at such low temperatures it shouldn't even be a worry unless the eggs aren't cooked in your recipe (Thinkin' mayo here mostly).

I have a friend who, for twenty years, lived on a boat and sailed the world. She would coat the eggs in wax and would use them up to three months later. No sickness.

I have found that eggs used for hard boiled eggs that need to be peeled for Deviled Eggs work better with they are a week or so old. Don’t know why, but they peel easier.

Also, why does anyone with easy access to a grocery need eggs, lettuce, veggies, to last for weeks. And why do I have special bags that keep the fruits and veggies up to 3 weeks that I still toss in the trash?. Eat it already!

Fresh eggs you've just bought from a farmer's market don't need to be refrigerated, but most Americans are buying eggs that have been transported across the country.