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Farm Kitchen:  Keeping Eggs  |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7437 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7437 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 01 2015 : 06:19:26 AM
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Looking through MJF Sister issue this morning I read where she had new products. I checked it out and liked the ceramic egg crate. I don't need it for the fridge. So, my question is - how long will eggs keep out on the kitchen counter in a reasonably warm/cool kitchen? Store bought eggs or from backyard chickens. Planning ahead to when I have some.
I also liked the stoneware berry baskets. Nice colors.
Sara
Walk in Peace - Live with Joy
FarmGirl Sister #6034 Aug 25, 2014 |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2979 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2979 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2015 : 08:06:05 AM
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Sara
Don't leave store bought on the counter. They have been washed, probably bleached, and have had their bloom removed. The bloom is a protective layer.
I take my fresh hen's eggs straight from the coop, and put in a wire egg basket and leave on the counter for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. We wash them and refrigerate before we sell them (hubs takes to work.
Once the bloom is removed, they should be refrigerated.
I have never had one go bad, but if you want to check, put them in a pan of water. If they sink, they are fine. If they float, PITCH IT!
Good luck. I'll have to check out the crate.
"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” – R.R. |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7437 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7437 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2015 : 08:22:57 AM
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Thanks Lisa. I didn't know about 'bloom'. I knew about putting eggs in water to test them, but had forgotten which was which. Will print your answer to have when I need it.
Sara
Walk in Peace - Live with Joy
FarmGirl Sister #6034 Aug 25, 2014 |
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Terralea
True Blue Farmgirl
138 Posts
Terra
Midland
Michigan
USA
138 Posts |
Posted - Feb 01 2015 : 1:07:40 PM
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I do the same thing Lisa does and the "bloom" is a protective coating that is part of the laying process and seals the egg from the outside air. You can't see it necessarily but it's there. Once it's gone the air can get into the egg and that's an invite for germs if the egg isn't in the fridge. Fresh eggs can last for many months if properly tended to.
Terralea |
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ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
13822 Posts
CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13822 Posts |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2015 : 09:00:41 AM
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did you know you can freeze eggs...use extra large ice cube trays (I use the silicone type)and break one egg in each cube, freeze, then put in what ever type of freezer container you use, you can then thaw as many eggs at a time you need per recipe (note: they can not be fryed as an example sunny side up), but scrambled and in any recipe that uses eggs...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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ceridwen
True Blue Farmgirl
899 Posts
Carole
New York
USA
899 Posts |
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Marilyn Hartman Sullivan
True Blue Farmgirl
1138 Posts
Marilyn
Oxford
PA
USA
1138 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2015 : 10:43:26 AM
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People always comment that the French do not refrigerate eggs, but as was noted above, they haven't been washed and stripped. Makes a huge difference. But then, fresh eggs make a huge difference!
Farmgirl #6318
"Where there's a will -- there's probably a family fight." |
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ceridwen
True Blue Farmgirl
899 Posts
Carole
New York
USA
899 Posts |
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ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
13822 Posts
CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13822 Posts |
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ellaandrubys
Farmgirl at Heart
6 Posts
Alissa
Westerville
Nebraska
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2015 : 6:07:15 PM
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| Im wanting to get some chicks next spring...so thanks for the info! I knew about not washing them but didn't know they would last that long without refrigeration. |
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modernpioneermama76
Farmgirl in Training
40 Posts
Rebecca
Cavour
South Dakota
USA
40 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2015 : 5:48:02 PM
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Keeping them out will sometimes vary depending on your weather too or how sneaky your hens are hiding the nests. If you have mildly hot to scorching summers, collect them two or three times a day, also wouldn't leave them on the counter more than five to seven days in summer... rest of the year you can probably get away with up to two weeks unless you are in a hot climate.
Farm Families Forevermore
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rksmith
True Blue Farmgirl
858 Posts
Rachel
Clayton
GA
USA
858 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2015 : 4:19:01 PM
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When we had chickens and would get tons of eggs, I would wash them to remove the poop, dry them and coat them with lard or coconut oil (you could also use olive oil or food grade mineral oil,butter or any food grade oil I would think) and then pack them in salt (we bought the big bags of salt for water softener thingies). I put them in Rubbermaid containers, put the date on them and put them in the pantry. These eggs kept for a little over a year (before we ate them all) and came in super during the winter when the girls weren't laying. All of these eggs looked and tasted fresh and none of them went bad. When we are able to get chickens again, we'll be using this method to store our eggs.
Rachel
Farmgirl Sister #2753
True enlightenment is nothing but the nature of one's own self being fully realised-- His Holiness the Dali Lama
http://rachelsmithhhp.com
www.madameapothecary.com |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9625 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9625 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2015 : 08:52:02 AM
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My dad who is 89 years old, bless him, told me that his mom used to pack eggs in a crock with salt and stored them that way. I never understood why they kept but it was probably because they didn't wash them. They had 9 children so I imagine they went through a lot of them for eating and baking.
~Denise~
Farmgirl Sister #43
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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ceridwen
True Blue Farmgirl
899 Posts
Carole
New York
USA
899 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2015 : 8:04:08 PM
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Rachel, Wow, a whole year! Why do you coat them in some form of oil? Does it help with the preserving? Just curious!
Denise, Does your father know how long the eggs kept? I'm curious about this as our chickens take a break in the winter time and we "buy" eggs! Of course we have an over abundance in the spring/summre/fall.
Cheers!
Carole
Farmgirl Sister 3610 - Nov 7/2011
http://www.carolesquiltingetc.com
http://www.fibrejunction.com |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9625 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9625 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2015 : 08:27:54 AM
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Carole,
As I said they had 9 children so I am sure they were rotated to use the oldest eggs first. We do that with them in the fridge once we have washed them. We sell them in the warm weather. We had eggs all winter this year as our girls were still laying for some reason. They did not have a light in the coop so I was surprised. They didn't lay as many but we were still getting them. I have already had people stopping by to get them. We had 19 through the winter so I think that may be why we were getting them. Fox just got one of our girls the other day so we stopped letting them free range for a while.  From what I understand they will keep up to a year with the method my grandmother used. I am sure she must have checked to make sure they were still good.
I was wondering for those of you who don't wash the eggs, what do you do with the really messy ones? Some of ours come in pretty poopy sometimes.
~Denise~
Farmgirl Sister #43
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
7437 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
7437 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2015 : 08:34:02 AM
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Now, 'poopy' is a new word for me. 
After cleaning the girls' cage this morning it does fit.
Have a blessed day, Sara
FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth.
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9625 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9625 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2015 : 08:36:03 AM
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I just asked my dad about this again and he said that the eggs kept all winter until they got more chickens. He said they would kill the chickens and fill their freezer and then they would get more each Spring. He had never heard of washing and then doing the oil.
I was thinking how in his culinary arts classes my son said they always used room temperature eggs for everything but of course they were kept in the fridge because they purchased from the stores.
~Denise~
Farmgirl Sister #43
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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ceridwen
True Blue Farmgirl
899 Posts
Carole
New York
USA
899 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2015 : 11:43:07 AM
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Denise, thank you for your reply. It is strongly suggested that the eggs not be washed as it removes the special coating that seals it. Eggs are extremely porous. As for the poopy one, we wash them and use them first.
Carole
Farmgirl Sister 3610 - Nov 7/2011
http://www.carolesquiltingetc.com
http://www.fibrejunction.com |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9625 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9625 Posts |
Posted - Apr 09 2015 : 12:49:58 PM
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I was telling my husband about this thread and he thought not having to wash them is a great idea. We will have to wash off the ones we sell but as for the ones we use I think leaving them out unwashed is a better way to keep them separate from the ones we sell. Lots of times I go to get a carton for someone and it feels light because someone grabbed one out to use. Maybe keeping them we can avoid that.
Sara,
I laughed when I wrote that but didn't know how else to say it.
~Denise~
Farmgirl Sister #43
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com |
Edited by - levisgrammy on Apr 09 2015 12:50:56 PM |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Apr 10 2015 : 11:13:07 AM
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when you get a "POOPY" one, just rinse with cool water, don't use any soap, and do not scrub them, this method keeps the bloom on, 95% of the time...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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rksmith
True Blue Farmgirl
858 Posts
Rachel
Clayton
GA
USA
858 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2015 : 4:25:06 PM
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I coated ours with oil because we washed them, removing the protective layer. Our hens refused to lay in their boxes, but would lay their eggs on the ground and most of them decided they liked laying them under the roosting poles in the coop and the eggs ended up being rather yucky looking and I did not want poop covered eggs sitting on the counter! I read somewhere (don't remember where) that if you washed the protective layer off of the eggs that they would ruin quickly because air could then get inside the egg and that by washing, drying and applying a coat of oil quickly would prevent that from happening. Whatever the reason, it certainly did work for us anyway.
Rachel
Farmgirl Sister #2753
True enlightenment is nothing but the nature of one's own self being fully realised-- His Holiness the Dali Lama
http://rachelsmithhhp.com
www.madameapothecary.com |
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Farm Kitchen: Keeping Eggs |
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Keeping Eggs
