OK, I'm feeling a little bit stupid about this. I'm talking about eggs.

[Abolishinist]

When I arrived home this evening, my wife had left a rather non-discrete carton on that little portion of our dining table where my 'transactions' for the day are placed... i.e. letters, bills, flyers etc.

Upon opening up the carton, to my surprise I found six eggs. They were unique as well, as there were two light blue ones, two somewhat tan ones, and two off-white ones.

She explained that a friend has several hens, and that he gave her the eggs. As it turns out, these were from three different hens. So far so good, wonderful in fact.

But here's the crux of my post... I asked "why didn't you put them in the refrigerator, they'll spoil being left out". To which she responded "they haven't been washed, so it's OK".

I must say I had not heard of this. When I buy eggs, the first thing I do is to put them in the fridge. So of course I googled this, and found the following...

https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2015/09/do-i-have-to-refrigerate-my-fresh-eggs.html

Apparently eggs are fine at room temperature, which makes sense when you think of a chickens laying eggs in the 16th century prior to cold storage. The reason they need refrigeration, which seems to be more of an American thing, is the washing of the egg.

I understand that many reading this will say "Duh, I knew this". But I must say I never knew.

Is there anyone else out there like me, or is this more or less common knowledge?

[drray23]

1. we have chickens so we do know this.

However, eggs bought in a store are always washed so indeed, if you get eggs at the store you have to refrigerate. If you have chickens and get their eggs, they can last a long time unrefrigerated.

[RockRaven]

2. Between relatives who keep chickens and neighbors who are from Europe, I had heard this...

But it isn't something I learned growing up, or even through young adulthood.

[bluecollar2]

3. I didn't know eggs were washed

Until I moved to America. I grew up in South America and the UK.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

4. In the UK, they aren't washed

Even in the supermarket they aren’t refrigerated.

[unblock]

5. We had a tough time getting mini-unblock, so I knew about sperm washing

But I hadn't heard about egg washing.

[mopinko]

6. you dont have to put them in the fridge, but they'll last longer if you do.

what you dont want to do is take them in and out. you get condensation in the shell, and the white will be cloudy. if they were cold when you got them, keep them cold.

it's better not to wash them til you use them, and unless there's visible yuck, you dont rly need to. what you wash off if you wash them is the 'bloom', good bacteria that prevent pathogens from getting through the pores in the shell. chicks breath through the eggs, so they need protection.

if you do, tho, let them dry thoroughly. set them somewhere cool and dry for a day or so.
also, paper cartons are preferable, cuz they'll absorb any water.

[Rhiannon12866]

7. I didn't know. Eggs are refrigerated when I get them, so I refrigerate them at home

But I'm wondering if my grandmother got "fresh" eggs. I feel guilty throwing the egg cartons away since my mother used to save them for my grandmother - so I'm wondering if she got the eggs she sold in her neighborhood grocery straight from the farm. I wish I had someone to ask...

[Earth-shine]

8. I would keep them at whatever temp they are at when you buy them.

If they are from a refrigerator, as is common in the US, put them in the fridge when you get home.

[Wounded Bear]

9. OK, that explains something...

I spent about 18 months on an aircraft carrier in my time in the Marines. I remember one time, after a replenishment, that the mess crew had kept a large volume of eggs stacked against the wall in the end of the mess hall. One of the difficulties of being at sea of course is the availability of fresh food. We ate a lot of powdered eggs and potatoes etc when we were out for several weeks. As I remember those eggs were there for several weeks, and I was a little concerned about eating them, but I never got sick.

Interesting. I've never heard this before.

[Abolishinist]

10. Thanks to you and the others who responded.

It's good to know I'm not the only one out there who wasn't aware of this. Of course, I doubt there are that many people in the U.S. who buy fresh eggs to begin with, so most would be unfamiliar with the egg-washing difference.

[MissB]

11. I too have chickens so I know this

It’s much easier when you have almost a dozen hens and they’re nearly all producing an egg a day….

[petronius]

12. I 'knew' that, but as a suburban grocery-store-American, I don't truly 'believe' it

All eggs go in the fridge, right next to the butter...

[Mr.Bill]

13. I only recently found that out.

Like you, my wife told me.

By the way, according to the legislatures of a number of red states, those are six chickens.

[electric_blue68]

14. I didn't know either

[LNM]

15. I just learned that last week.

I knew that my Grandma kept her eggs on the counter but my Mom kept them in the fridge so I was confused. Do they need to be refridgerated or not?

The eggs I get at the Farmers Market have been refridgerated but sometimes have bits of feathers on them. I'll have to ask my farmer why she refridgerates them.

[womanofthehills]

16. If she washes them, they need to be refrigerated

“In the US, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires that eggs destined for supermarket shelves — called graded eggs — are washed and sprayed with a chemical sanitiser before they are sold to the public to reduce the risk of salmonella infection.”

“In the UK, Grade A hen eggs may not be washed because the process is thought to "aid the transfer of harmful bacteria like salmonella from the outside to the inside of the egg," according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Forbes contributor Nadia Arumugam has previously noted that USDA graded eggs could not be legally sold in the UK (and the other way around) because of these different preparation methods.” https://www.businessinsider.com/why-europeans-dont-refrigerate-eggs-2014-12?op=1

[Jade Fox]

17. Someone I know who worked in Africa.....

was shocked at how eggs were stored unrefrigerated in the African heat. They were unwashed.