How long can chicken eggs be left outside?
In this brief guide, we will discuss the following question, “how long can chicken eggs be left outside?”, how to properly store the eggs, and other queries related to this topic.
How long can chicken eggs be left outside?
You can leave your eggs outside the refrigerator and at room temperature for one month. In America, they sell the eggs unrefrigerated however in other countries it is the contrary, they sell them refrigerated. So, it all depends on the country you live in.
Hence, once you buy refrigerated eggs from the store, consider putting them in the refrigerator when you arrive home and do not leave them outside for more than two hours. Leaving eggs for more than two hours on the counter facilitates bacterial growth, because the change in temperature makes them sweat.
On the eggshell, we have a very serious bacteria, the salmonella, that can proliferate at warm temperatures causing food intoxication
How to store eggs long-term?
Put your eggs in the refrigerator if you want to increase their shelf life. Storing freshly collected eggs in the fridge preserves their quality and increases their shelf life by three to six months.
However, if you think about preserving your eggs for longer, you can freeze them. All you need is to separate the yolk from the white, and then put them in an ice tray, this facilitates dividing them into small portions to take them when needed.
Should I clean freshly laid eggs?
If your eggs are too dirty, try to wipe them with a dry towel, do not use a wet towel or piece of paper. Thus, if you wash them with water, put them directly in the fridge. The low temperature in the refrigerator will slow the growth of the bacteria within the product.
Eggs have a naturally formed protecting coat named the “egg bloom”, once you wash your eggs or you wipe them with a wet sheet, this coat will be removed and make the egg more prone to deterioration and bacterial overgrowth because bacteria can penetrate inside the egg. However, the shell of the egg is porous.
What is egg bloom?
The egg bloom is a coating layer on the eggshell, it helps to seal the pores present in the shell. Hence, this protective coat preserves the quality of the egg by preventing the bacteria from getting inside it and by reducing the moisture loss through the eggshell. All these ensure that the embryo inside the egg can grow safely.
However, most of the eggs sold in the supermarkets and at stores are cleaned so the egg bloom is removed. Manufactures, and to increase the shelf life of the egg and prevent bacteria from growing inside it, spray it with a specific product that mimics the egg bloom and seals the pores.
How to store chicken eggs?
To store eggs safely and for a long time, put them in the refrigerator. However, store them in a well-sealed container to prevent any bad odor from affecting them. Furthermore, put them on the rack inside the refrigerator, not on the refrigerator door because temperature changes can stimulate bacterial growth leading to egg deterioration and a decrease in their shelf life.
Moreover, do not wash your eggs, instead wipe them with a dry towel. Also, separate cracked eggs from the others and use them as soon as possible.
How to check if an egg is bad?
There are multiple ways to check if your egg is bad. Here are some tips to follow to check their quality. Bring a bowl of water and place the egg in it, if it floats that means that your egg is so old so throw it away and if it sinks, that indicates it is fresh. The egg will float because of the air that is formed inside of it.
However, if you cracked the egg and you felt that its smell is bad, get rid of it.
How often should I collect chicken eggs?
Collect your eggs twice a day, in the morning and the evening. There are many reasons why I collect them many times a day. First of all, keeping them in a warm place is not preferred, it is a matter of food safety. Moreover, when many eggs are left in the nest box, there is a risk that the chicken can crack them. Cracked eggs will cause a bad smell and attract pests.
However, the bad smell caused by the cracked eggs and the presence of the eggs in the coop may attract rodents and snacks. Also, sometimes chickens can eat their eggs, which is a serious problem.
Other FAQs about Eggs that you may be interested in.
Can you keep scrambled egg mix in the fridge?
Does freezing eggs kill Salmonella?
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we discussed the following question, “how long can chicken eggs be left outside?”, how to properly store the eggs, and other queries related to this topic.
References
https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/how-to-store-your-chickens-freshly-laid-eggs/
https://chickenandchicksinfo.com/how-long-are-chicken-eggs-good-for-in-the-coop/
