Single hen

[susiepoos]

This maybe a silly question but where do you keep your eggs My Mum always kept eggs in the fridge and therefore so do I but I have a friend who keeps hers in a wire basket on the side in the kitchen.

 

What's best - once all the girls start laying I'll be drowning in eggs so if I'm going to give them to friends I want them to be in the best condition.

 

Any thoughts

[moochoo]

I always thought that it was ok to keep eggs out of the fridge as long as they weren't in an obviously warm place like a window sill. I've never had any eggs go rotten prematurely from not refridgerating them.

I don't know if refridgeration will extend an eggs shelf life maybe someone else will know that.

[Egluntyne]

The ones I don't give away I keep on the side in the kitchen.

[BeckyBoo]

we keep ours in a china chicken on the side in the kitchen. Got 7 lovely eggs in there today, haven't looked in there yet this morning but we're averaging 4 a day at the minute, and they're all different! It's lovely

 

Mrs B

[starboyhull]

We always keep ours on the side in the kitchen, ours have always lasted upto the best before date (i'll have to make my own up now)....Which i think is usually about 3 weeks, when you buy them in a shop.....

[xScrunchee]

I always kept shop eggs in the fridge but since my girls have started laying and I've read so much about eggs-I now keep them on the side pointy end down!!

I keep them in egg boxes but would like a basket or something but how do you keep them pointy end down in a basket? Or does it not really matter?

Plus in a box I can easily see the date but egg boxes just look naff lined up on the worktop!

[starboyhull]

I was going to ask why the pointy end should be down, as when you buy them from the shop the pointy end is always up.........

 

You could always buy a date stamp......I saw one yesterday (with food grade ink)

 

http://www.ascott-dairy.co.uk/acatalog/Egg_Boxes__Trays_and_Marking_Systems.html

[Cinnamon]

I have them in a gorgeous wire han shaped egg basket, & I write the date they were laid, & the hens name if I know, on them in pencil.

To be honest they go so quickly that theres no benefit to keeping them in a fridge.............they don't in supermarkets, do they?

Eggs cook better at room temperature too

[xScrunchee]

I was going to ask why the pointy end should be down, as when you buy them from the shop the pointy end is always up.........

 

You could always buy a date stamp......I saw one yesterday (with food grade ink)

 

http://www.ascott-dairy.co.uk/acatalog/Egg_Boxes__Trays_and_Marking_Systems.html

 

From what I have read it's because the air sack in an egg is in the broad end so keeping them broad end up allows the egg to 'breath' I think.

 

I write the date they were laid in pencil but a date stamp sounds like a good idea too.

[Rhapsody]

In a china bowl in the kitchen with date in pencil on blunt end. Eggs cook so much better if not refridgerated (like a lot of other things) or if you have to, leaveout for an hour before using.I want a china egg-rack in white glaze for my supply.

[Helly Welly]

Is it okay to write on the shells in normal pencil?

 

We keep ours in the fridge as our kitchen tends to be quite warm in the Summer, the window is large and south-facing. In the Winter the kitchen is the fridge

[Sue and the Spice Girls]

Its all to do with condensation being formed as the refridgerated eggs come back to room temperature which is the problem.

 

I was looking at a DEFRA consultation re EU regulations re eggs (sad aren't I!) and Class A eggs cannot be stored at less than 5C

 

The use by date would be not more than 28 days from laying; to be 'extra fresh' they must be packaged within 9 days (!) of laying!

[Olly]

gosh no wonder my eggs from the garden taste so different to shop ones!

 

I've always kept eggs OUT of the fridge, as did my mum ... they don't need to be in the fridge, and they're better for cooking with at room temperature.

 

I have a cleaner, and she always puts the egg boxes in the fridge, and lately I've given up trying - I just leave them in there. I'm saving up for a nice china hen or a wire basket though - then she won't put them away!

[craftyhunnypie]

I keep mine in Omlet egg boxes pointy end down, on a shelf in my cool pantry (1930's house)..

 

I write on mine with a Sharpie pen - name of who laid it and the date!

Mine keep for 3 weeks easy. After that I don't think I'd eat them.

 

I've also got a wooden egg cabinet ready for when the cube comes - I'm expecting that to be full.

 

Emma.x

[bronze]

We keep ours in the fridge because its out of reach of children. I grew up keeping them in the larder so when DH isnisted they went in the fridge I found it a little strange. Oh to have a proper larder

[theherd123]

Plus in a box I can easily see the date but egg boxes just look naff lined up on the worktop!

 

 

Mine are all lined up on the worktop in boxes - all 40+ eggs!

 

I really do need to find a nice egg holder

[Lesley]

Its all to do with condensation being formed as the refridgerated eggs come back to room temperature which is the problem.

 

I was looking at a DEFRA consultation re EU regulations re eggs (sad aren't I!) and Class A eggs cannot be stored at less than 5C

 

...and also the action of continually opening the fridge door causes condensation and any bacteria on the shell can be drawn into the egg.

 

I keep mine on the side in the utility room.

[Jules.]

I have them in a gorgeous wire han shaped egg basket, & I write the date they were laid, & the hens name if I know, on them in pencil.

To be honest they go so quickly that theres no benefit to keeping them in a fridge.............they don't in supermarkets, do they?

Eggs cook better at room temperature too

Where did you get your basket from, Cinnamon? It sounds just like the one I am trying to find!

I keep my eggs in some spare egg boxes I managed to get.

[Hen Watch]

There is no law saying supermarket eggs must be chilled. They need to be stored at a constant temperature.

 

Therefore some people put them in the fridge (but not too near smelly garlic etc or the porous shell will take on the smell) and supermarkets will tell you to keep them this way because the fridge temp is constant.

 

You can equally well store them out of the fridge. But the key is to keep the temp constant. So a kitchen which fluctuates in temperature may not be best. Old fashioned larder etc.

[Cinnamon]

I have them in a gorgeous wire han shaped egg basket, & I write the date they were laid, & the hens name if I know, on them in pencil.

To be honest they go so quickly that theres no benefit to keeping them in a fridge.............they don't in supermarkets, do they?

Eggs cook better at room temperature too

Where did you get your basket from, Cinnamon? It sounds just like the one I am trying to find!

I keep my eggs in some spare egg boxes I managed to get.

 

I got it from Cargo......I will try to find a picture for you....it is a year or so old now.

Its really nice & looks aged as its a deep bronze colour.

Have a look on Ebay, as there are bound to be some nice ones on there too.

[Jules.]

I never thought of eBay

[Looney]

I keep eggs in the fridge, never really thought about why I do it! Although there is hardly any space in my kitchen so they would probably get smashed if they were on the side....

 

I like the idea of an egg tray or egg basket though......

[Snowy]

I keep mine in this:

Although I haven't seen the pretty pictures since as it's always full!

 

Also on the windowsill and pointy end up (because they look prettier)

The oldest they get to in my house is 4 days old so I don't worry too much about them going off!

[susiepoos]

Thanks to everyone for getting back to me - I've just got to get one of those posh egg trays - it'll look fab in the kitchen

[Rhapsody]

oooooooooh Snowy- that's exactly what I want!!!! Where did you get it from?