Storing eggs…
Do you store them on the counter?
Or store them in the fridge?
Egg shells are actually porous ?
Fresh eggs have a bloom on the outside
The bloom is a clear coating that stops disease from getting in through the pores should it be an egg that’s gonna be incubated to grow a chick ?
If you wash your eggs, you’re washing that bloom off, leaving those pores open to possible bacteria ?
I have heard about different solutions to reseal the pores afterwards, but I don’t know that any of that really works
What I do…
I don’t wash the eggs when I bring them in from the hen house
I wash then right before using them ?
Sitting out on the counter, unwashed, they’ll keep for a month
A month sounds like a really long time. Guess what?
The eggs that you get at the grocery store are probably at least six weeks old
People are eating older eggs without even realizing it
I’m not saying they’re bad, or no longer good to eat…
Just that people don’t realize how old they are
If you keep your nesting boxes clean, your eggs are gonna be clean
But even though they are clean, before I use it, I wash it
If the bloom is damaged for some reason
Or, I’ve knocked it by accident and cracked the shell
I wash the egg and put it in the fridge
I know it’s safe to eat when I damage the bloom or shell
Once you wash the eggs and put them in the fridge
They’re actually good for six months
I keep them in daily lay order, so that I use the oldest eggs first
That’s why I’ve got them on a rack called an egg skelter
It keeps them in the order that they are laid
Not by each chicken, but at least on a daily basis
That way, the oldest gets used first
If you have an overabundance of eggs through the summer or fall
And want to save some for the winter when your hens don’t lay as often …
You can also freeze your fresh eggs
In order to do that, though, you actually need to separate the egg white from the yolk and freeze them separately
If you’re not sure if an egg is good ? or bad ?, how do you check?
Get a bowl of water and put the egg in it, making sure the egg is totally covered
If it sinks to the bottom on its side, then it’s definitely fresh
If it sinks to the bottom, but its standing up on end, then it’s still good to eat, but it’s not as fresh
If it floats to the top, it’s definitely bad, you need to toss it
It’s a personal choice if you want keep your farm fresh eggs on the counter
Or if you want to wash them and refrigerate them
Remember … Be The Organic U – Feed Your Soul
#BeTheOrganicU #organic #homestead #sustainability #agriculture #coops #farming #gardening #chickens #backyard #eggs #farmlife #homesteading #permaculture
