Eggs - cupboard or fridge

[Fearchara]

I have always been curious about where to store my eggs and I thought the Baking Forums would be the perfect place to ask. The habit that I have when buying the eggs off the shelf at the supermarket is putting them straight into the fridge when I get home. What is the best method for storing eggs and please do tell me why as this is something that I have always wanted to know and have been worried that I might be storing them incorrectly.

 

[Suplex790]

I keep my eggs in the fridge, only because I think that they last a little longer that way. I think storing them in a cupboard would be fine too, but they may not stay fresh for quite as long, perhaps one or two days less in my opinion.

 

[Happyflowerlady]

I always put mine in the refrigerator, and I am sure that they will keep fresh longer this way. If you have ever broken a rotten egg into your breakfast skillet, you know that you will NEVER ever want to smell one again ! I ran out of the house gagging, and have no idea how I even managed to get the pan cleaned up again afterwards.
From that day forth, my eggs went right into the refrigerator when I got home from the store.

 

[ACSAPA]

I have always refrigerated eggs. I can't imagine not refrigerating them.
Even the supermarket refrigerates them. Leaving them out at room temperature seems like it would make them go bad.

 

[Djbrat]

I put them into the fridge right away. I have a cool little trick in how to keep your eggs fresher longer. Before storing them in the fridge, get some vegetable oil and place a small amount on a paper towel, and then gently wipe the vegetable oil all over the shell of the eggs. The vegetable oil will keep them fresher longer. I know it sounds weird, but it works.

 

[Becky]

I keep mine in the fridge in their box - the shells are porous so it's good to keep them away from other food as it can taint the flavour.

I guess the veg oil tip might work by reducing the amount of oxygen that penetrates the shell - I'm going to have to try it!

 

[Djbrat]

When I first heard about the vegetable oil trick, I was a little hesitant to try it. Now that I know it works, I do it all the time. When I get home for the grocery store, I immediately wipe the eggs down with the vegetable oil before I put anything else away.

 

[OliviaS]

When I first heard about the vegetable oil trick, I was a little hesitant to try it. Now that I know it works, I do it all the time. When I get home for the grocery store, I immediately wipe the eggs down with the vegetable oil before I put anything else away.

What is this supposed to do, exactly?

 

[brittany]

I always store my eggs in the fridge. I couldn't imagine putting them at room temperature. I think it's okay but they aren't going to stay fresh as farm fresh eggs might.

 

[Mortontfrh]

I always store my eggs in my fridge, and I have tasted my friend's egg who leaves them in the pantry. There was a very noticeable difference in taste, and I definitely prefer the fridge variety.

 

[Djbrat]

Olivia, by wiping the outer shell of the eggs with vegetable oil, it's suppose to keep the eggs fresher longer, rather than just putting them in the fridge as is. Since the shell of the eggs are porous, the vegetable oil acts like a barrier somehow and the eggs stay fresher longer. Try it, it really does work.

 

[Dorothy]

I have always been curious about where to store my eggs and I thought the Baking Forums would be the perfect place to ask. The habit that I have when buying the eggs off the shelf at the supermarket is putting them straight into the fridge when I get home. What is the best method for storing eggs and please do tell me why as this is something that I have always wanted to know and have been worried that I might be storing them incorrectly.

I have wondered that at times as well, but I usually put my eggs in the fridge as well, because they do tend to last longer that way, and stay fresher.

 

[Sage42]

Eggs do not need to be cooled until 20 days after their "production". So not having them in the cooled areas does save the grocery stores some money and space for higher priced products. The egg is naturally protected against salmonella for some time. Additionally salmonella count increases more with temperature changes - so taking them out of the cooling and letting them get warm on your way home is worse then taking the "warm" eggs home and cool them there. Most packages here also do have a label or stamp which tells you after which date you should start cooling the eggs and/or not use them raw any more.

 

[Fearchara]

Eggs do not need to be cooled until 20 days after their "production". So not having them in the cooled areas does save the grocery stores some money and space for higher priced products. The egg is naturally protected against salmonella for some time. Additionally salmonella count increases more with temperature changes - so taking them out of the cooling and letting them get warm on your way home is worse then taking the "warm" eggs home and cool them there. Most packages here also do have a label or stamp which tells you after which date you should start cooling the eggs and/or not use them raw any more.

This is a great post, brilliant information about storing your eggs as I have always been worried about "Salmonella"! So the key lies in temperature changes. It is just such a habit to come home after shopping, unpack and pop the eggs straight into the fridge.

 

[orclev]

I never thought about this before. I've never seen them stored on a regular shelf at the grocery stores here; they are all refrigerated. So of course I've always put them in the refrigerator in my house as well! I haven't been able to find even a "sell by" date on my eggs anymore lately, so usually I just try to use them right away so I don't have to worry about them going bad. It would be nice if our eggs were labeled as nicely as Sage42's eggs are -- that would be really helpful, and we would know how fresh the eggs already were when we got them at the store!

 

[Soliloquy]

I'm sure most people who are able to will keep them refrigerated just in case, but when my mother lived in Germany 50 years ago and they didn't have a refrigerator, they kept their eggs outside on the windowsill! Apparently it was a common practice. You have to wonder how many fell, though...

 

[danielz]

I keep my eggs in the fridge too. I put them on the top shelf as soon as I get home so they don't refrigerate too much. The trick is too take them out about 30 minutes before you cook them so that they can get to room temperature.

 

[Ohyesuare]

The eggs are kept refrigerated at the grocery store so it only makes sense for me to continue to refrigerate them. I have never heard of that vegetable oil method to keep them fresher longer. Very interesting method, I wil have to try that. Although I do usually finish all the eggs I buy before they are even close to being rotten.

 

[christa]

I also keep my eggs in the fridge, but they dont stay their for very long as we love eggs and i do a lot of baking!!! Thanx for the tip with the vegatable oil wil try it!!!

 

[Happyflowerlady]

When the hen starts laying eggs, she will lay at least a dozen before she starts setting on the eggs. So the eggs will be fine, even outside in the nest for at least a couple of weeks, and then she will set on the eggs for another few weeks before they are ready to hatch. Once she starts setting, and keeps the eggs warm, they start developing and change from an egg to a baby chick.
So , as long as the eggs are kept refrigerated, there is no chance that they might start to develop into chicks. However, ,most commercial eggs are not fertilized, so they should not ever develop into chicks in any case.