I'm curious about the shelf life of eggs. It seems they last forever in the fridge. So I'm wondering about the variables:
Shelf life of eggs in the fridge
Shelf life of eggs not kept in a fridge
Shelf life of fertilized eggs in the fridge
Shelf life of fertilized eggs not kept in a fridge
Input?
Shelf life of eggs
Hi Gwen!! You don't want to put fertile eggs in the frig at all.
Shelf life of frig eggs is about ten weeks, so I have been told, and about six weeks for unrefrigerated eggs. This info could be wrong, I'm just repeating what I have been told by some chicken heads. Hay
Yup, fridg will keep them about 2 months. You definately do not want to put hatching eggs in fridg. The embryo will not make it. You can eat fertile eggs though. Those fertile eggs can go in fridg. I do not keep eggs that are not refridgerated. So I am not sure about that one. Hope that helps. I just hope I did not confuse you.
From what I have read on the net, the eggs you get in the store can be anywhere from 2 wks to 7 wks old before they even get on the shelves. Yuck.
Gotta love them farm fresh eggs! A friends wife is from Germany. I gave them some extra eggs and she was so eggcited. She said they tasted like the eggs from home to her.
Big compliment. German folks don't keep stocked up in the frig, everything is fresh!
I understand they will keep longer if not washed? There is supposed to be a protective layer on the outside of the shell.
Anyone still use waterglassing for egg storage?
I have never heard of that. Do tell.
A friend of mine brought me 3 dozen eggs to incubate.. and 2 extras.. He had the 2 extras in the fridge! I put them in the bator, just cause he swore they would be okay. They are developing!!! They are both swimming around and doing great! They are due to hatch on the 3rd I think.
NO don't put your fertilized eggs in the fridge..
I just thought I'd share this.. shocked me to no end!
I've not tried it but many vintage cookbooks describe it for longer egg storage. It is also mentioned in Putting Food By. It also describes the process to preserve them with waterglass. Waterglass is a sodium silicate. It can be found at drugstores or builders supplies. It is described as sirupy and tasting like washing soda. It fills the pores of the eggshells and prevents moisture loss from inside or air damage from out. It is reputed to work adequately for about 3 months. Curious if anyone had ever...
We only wash the ones that need it. We have roll out nests, so the hens can't get them dirty. There are always some on the floor though. We refrigerate our eggs right away now. Years ago we had no way to do it, so just stored them in a cool room in the basement.
We are supposed to put a use by date on our eggs, but have no way of knowing how long it's supposed to be.
Quite a while back I stopped at a factory farm, (the kind your store eggs come from). There was a couple racks of eggs sitting outside in the hot afternoon sun. I asked what was going on with them. I was told they were set out there in the early morning, waiting for the truck to pick them up. This was a whole weeks worth of eggs. They had been in the refrigerator before that. The person said they then were going to the "plant". There they would get cooled again & sized & graded. Then on to the stores. At least 2½ weeks would have passed till they hit the store shelves. The way I figure, they were cooled & warmed at least 3 times. I was told years ago the worst thing for eggs was being cooled, then warmed, then cooled again. They age real fast that way.
My pullets have started laying! We got about 20 eggs today from them. There are 125 in that bunch. Anybody need eggs? LOL!
We need them for Farmers Market this summer, but that is 60 days away.
Bernie
My Mom would keep layers to sell the eggs to the hatchery. I think the eggs were resold for consumption, not hatching. We would use a barely damp cloth to clean any that needed it. We would pack them in the egg crates and keep them in the cool MN basement until she could deliver to the hatchery. I think cool is the primary thing. Even waterglassing recommends cool storage.
Don't need any eggs but would love some pullets. LOL
I have been told that its only in the US are eggs refrigerated. In Europe you buy eggs right off the shelf just like flour or other dry goods - don't know if that's true but I do know it's bad for any perishable item to be cooled then warmed. As for hatching eggs, I have tried refrigerated eggs in the incubator with mixed success. It seems that as long as they don't FREEZE they are still viable, although most hens normally wait until warm weather to go broody. So it stands to reason that cold temps must affect the embryo in a negative way. Sounds like it's time for another round of experiments on some of my barnyard mix eggs!
(muahhhh hahaha- evil scientist laugh) Egor bring me the refrigerated eggs!
I always collect, clean (if needed), size and refrigerate as soon as possible. During the hotter/colder months I collect several times a day. I have always been told that eggs would keep for 2 months but have kept some for 4 months and they were still good. I never sell anything older than a month old and prices are deeply discounted and time fully disclosed on those eggs. Just what I do to keep a good reputation, as that is all you have to work from
Sheila
Thanks for all this info. The waterglassing is something new to me! I should have clarified - when I asked about fertilized eggs, I was referring to eggs that were fertilized that one was going to eat - not hatch out!
So... an old wives tale... Are fertilized eggs lower in cholesterol, therefore healthier?
i have never heard that but I am also not saying that it is untrue, just seems a little far fetched.
Sheila
No, I read in a magizine that there is no indication that that is true. Just a myth. hehehe
The only way I can conceive that that would be possible is if they had started developing. Ugghh.
Ewwwww! That would be....ewwww!!!! hehehe
As promised, I tried a hatching experiment with refrigerated eggs - insert evil laugh - Its a long story why I did this but it was basically because my only white Amer. roo died, and I had pre-sold my next three dozen (two weeks worth) clean Amer. hatching eggs on eggbid. I have one egg customer that insists the green Amer. eggs taste better, and he buys eggs every 2-3 weeks from me. The aforementioned experimental eggs were my dirty eggs that were washed/scrubbed for him, then placed in the fridge, and were at least 3 weeks old, more likely 3-4 weeks old. So it was actually out of necessity that I put the last 12 white Ameraucana eggs in the incubator. 8 out of 12 developed and are due to hatch on Monday! I was shocked when I candled them, but oh-so happy that they were still fertile. I am even more surprised that having been scrubbed, they still maintained enough bloom from the hen to continue healthy development up to this point. Whether or not they hatch remains to be seen, but I am hopeful.
Interesting!!!! Will be awaiting results! :D
Thats incredible!!! I can't wait for the end results. Thanks Maineiac.