I have an Egg Confession

I have an egg confession, and as a former city girl, I know somebody out there is secretly relieved to hear this.  When we first got hens while living in the city, I was a little freaked out about eating their eggs. Eggs came from the store. Period.

I finally transitioned to a happy egg collector and fresh-laid egg eater, but it took a bit of time. I also fell completely in love with my hens.  Meet Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (Buff Orpington) and Penelope (Barred Plymouth Rock). They were my first two girls back in Denver – may they rest in peace.

Then there was a second transition. I discovered I didn’t need to wash the eggs that my hens laid. In fact, not washing the eggs, allows them to last longer – even without refrigeration.

Huge learning curve for me. HUGE.  It went against every clean concept I had understood to be true.

An unwashed egg that comes straight from the hen can stay on your counter for quite a long time. I’m told at least three weeks; however, we’ve never had eggs that last that long around here because somebody is always hungry, or I sell them too quickly 😊

That being said, let’s talk about why…

The freshly laid egg is covered with what is called the bloom.

Consider it your nature-made protective wrap. The bloom preserves the egg by sealing all those pores that exist in the eggshell.

So, if you do wash your freshly laid eggs, know this – the longer you let them sit in whatever soapy water they are in, the greater chance that the water/soap mix is going to permeate through the shell and into your egg.  GAME CHANGER FOR ME.  Clean freak that I am, I had to really rethink my understanding of CLEAN when it came time to wash my eggs. Honestly, I don’t wash eggs before cooking anymore, unless they are covered with hay/dirt debris. But, oh my goodness, if you could have seen me washing eggs before and letting them SOAK in water, with no idea that doing so was allowing bacteria to permeate through the shell. Seriously, my lack of understanding was huge.

But now, armed with knowledge, things have changed.

I have more room in my fridge. We go through a ton of eggs, and I love having them on the counter, ready to grab, and with no cartons wasted.  If I sell them, I’m required to follow the Colorado Cottage Food industry guidelines and of course use cartons that cannot be reused, unfortunately.

Many countries do not sell washed eggs, nor do they refrigerate the eggs they sell.

They sell them at room temperature. In the United Kingdom, it would be illegal to sell eggs from the United States because we wash them, remove the bloom, and refrigerate them. The United States’ egg practices are considered harmful because they can introduce more bacteria into the egg. Ummmm…yeah…I agree.

If you decide to refrigerate your unwashed eggs, they last even longer than on the counter, three months or more! Hope this helps all my fellow chicken friends and those who are embarking down this egg laden path. It’s a journey of great joy, great feasting and entertainment. Have an Easter egg hunt every single day – collecting eggs is a beautiful routine I treasure.

If you’re local and in need of eggs – give me a ring!