# Egg Handling Saftey Question



## neigy (Feb 19, 2016)

So, we've gotten a our first dozen or so eggs. Many sources are adamant that the egg has to be "carefully washed in *potable water 20°F warmer than the egg temperature* and at least *90°F*, using only sanitizers* approved for egg washing. Place eggs in suspended colander and rinse *without submersing* them in the wash solution. *Eggs must be dried* immediately afterwards. Sanded eggs must not be washed.* _bleach solution made of __½__ oz of household bleach (5% sodium hypochlorite) in 1 gallon of water may be used." _Also, the eggs must be stored in the refrigerator. 
I have lived in a country where the eggs were not sold refrigerated nor did we store them refrigerated. The years that I was there I ate eggs and cannot recall any suspicious egg related sickness.

What are your egg handling practices?


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

I admit, I don't have very good egg handling procedures. I bring the eggs in at night in a bucket. They sit in the sink until morning, when they are put soaking for 20+ minutes in cold water as they are very messy this time of year.Then they are washed with cool water and no soap, allowed to air dry, and put in the fridge in a carton.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I sell eggs. I don't follow rules.

I collect eggs. If they have a lot of poop on them, I wash them with dawn dish soap and water. If they have zero to very little poop I brush off the little poop and box them up. Washing them removes the "bloom" so I try to not do that. Proper nest box care will keep eggs from being too poopy.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Lol that's bad? I get the eggs if they have poop on them they get washed in plain water dried and go in the fridge. If they look clean they go in the fridge. Sometimes I collect them and eat them for breakfast with no cooling at all. I'm 31, have had chickens since I was 12 and haven't croaked or got sick yet


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Oh wow, I didn't think of the fridge part. I never put eggs in the fridge... I eat cracked/washed eggs within 10 days. I don't sell cracked eggs but do sell the ones I have to gently wash. 

I have customers that are "off grid" so I never refrigerate eggs ever. They are good for quite a while. Like I've had them on the counter for a minimum of 3 weeks and they are fine.

Always store pointy side down.


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## neigy (Feb 19, 2016)

Great feedback!

I guess I'll have to determine what I'll ultimately end up doing.


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

A while back I found this article where they experimented with storing eggs to find the best way to do it: http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/how-to-store-fresh-eggs-zmaz77ndzgoe.aspx#ixzz2ctguCDbQ

We just wash off any poop and then put all the eggs in the refrigerator.


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## MoonShadow (Mar 1, 2015)

We just wash the really icky ones in warmish water with vinegar, all the clean ones ether go straight in the fridge or get wiped down with a damp wash cloth that has a little vinegar added in, and of course they all get thoroughly dried off.
If an egg is cracked I just give it to the dogs, they love them Lol.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Check your local laws...to sell here in NY state, we are required to wash them by law. I use dawn original and water warmer than the egg. Recommended is 110 degrees. I would NEVER use bleach. Eggs are porous and if you use water colder than the egg, it draws the water inside. I wash them as soon as I put them in the water....rinse with warm water, and air dry. Package and refrigerate since the bloom is gone. 
I do collect for a week before washing and they are always fine. Refrigerating adds shelf life to the egg.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I've done the no fridge before too dayna, since I hate going to town and shopping I get as much food that will cram in that fridge, so when there's no room eggs to in a bowel. But during the summer since its freakishly hot and all I have is a swamp cooler I try to put them in the fridge or use them as fast as I can because I agree with nygoatmom I think being cold they last longer


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If you are going to sell them, then I agree that you need to look at your local laws. People are pretty sue happy and you want to protect yourself.


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## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

Karen hit the nail on the head. 
What's best for the eggs is one thing; what the law requires is usually something else, at least in the US.

When they are laid, eggs have a natural germ-resistant bloom which protects them and keeps them, not just fresh, but ALIVE, for at least two weeks after they're laid. Washing that off leaves them vulnerable, so then they need to be refrigerated.
In Europe, eggs are neither washed nor refrigerated; they are sold "as is". They want the buyers to be able to see how cleanly the chickens were kept by how clean their eggs are.

In the US, the big egg producers would prefer that you don't think about it.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Greybird said:


> Karen hit the nail on the head.
> What's best for the eggs is one thing; what the law requires is usually something else, at least in the US.
> 
> When they are laid, eggs have a natural germ-resistant bloom which protects them and keeps them, not just fresh, but ALIVE, for at least two weeks after they're laid. Washing that off leaves them vulnerable, so then they need to be refrigerated.


Eggzactly! :lol:


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## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

We don't wash ours unless they were laid in mud or covered in mud and then once washed they need to be refrigerated. I remember reading about the blooming the egg that is antibacterial after it is laid. Hence why in other counties eggs sit out on the counter, so do ours


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## REBurwell (Jul 22, 2014)

Yes I see someone else explained the bloom much better than I could!!! People freak when they come to my house and see eggs on the counter !


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Got a double post, sorry.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

No eggs in my 'fridge! Most of our eggs are clean and just go in the carton. If they are really dirty they get a quick soak to loosen dirt and get gently rinsed and air dried. I do number my cartons so I use the oldest eggs first. If I am selling or giving them away I always provide the freshest eggs possible. (Rarely more than 3 days old.) Been doing this since the 80's and we're all still kickin'. (And I eat raw cookie dough:-o )

We were going on vacation for two weeks in January so I stuck all the eggs we already had in the outside 'fridge. When we got home there were plenty of eggs so I kind of forgot about them. I decided to give them a try the other day and they were still fine. Eggs last a long time on the counter and a really long time in the 'fridge.

As to the law, yes, they are strict. They want all of our food to be dead. Then we can take commercial probiotics to repair our gut. Just me of course. We all do what we are comfortable with.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

Yea, my eggs just get put into a basket and sit on the counter for prolly around a week or until I get to it. Then anything clean just goes into the carton, anything with some poop gets washed in just plain cold water. The really bad ones just go into a separate bowl in the fridge and those are "my" eggs, the rest go to other people.


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