Where do you keep your eggs?

2

Replies

  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    I asked on another forum if raw eggs would go bad having been in the fridge all night when it wasn't working. I was basically bombarded with "never keep eggs in the fridge" like it was a rule or something, though no one could answer why. I've always kept (raw) eggs in the fridge. What's everyone's opinion on this?

    We get eggs from the supermarket and keep them in the refrigerator. Nothing bad has ever happened as a result. They have not made us sick. They don't taste bad. They have never exploded or started glowing. Baked goods turn out okay.
    My parents born in 1930's and 40's refrigerated eggs as long as I knew them. I don't know what my grandparents did but I don't remember eggs sitting out in my grandmother's kitchen.
    I'd probably refrigerate farm fresh eggs too as I don't like food sitting out.
  • Rosemary7391
    Rosemary7391 Posts: 232 Member
    fr33sia12 wrote: »
    But why is it BAD to keep them in the refrigerator? Why would the OP be told
    never keep eggs in the fridge

    No idea why, it must be a British thing. But again I asked why shouldn't I keep them in the fridge and no one could answer, I think they just believe it's wrong for no good reason.

    I think once they've been kept in the fridge you shouldn't take them out until you're using them, because the change in temperature can cause bacteria to get through the shell. Obviously if they're chilled in the shop then they need that at home too, but in the UK they're never chilled in the shop because they're not washed and don't need it. Some baking recipes work better with the eggs at room temperature so keeping them out is convenient in that regard. Mine mostly end up in the fridge anyway since that's the only place I've room!
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    apullum wrote: »

    well I never knew that.

    Here in the UK our eggs are not refrigerated in the store, and not refrigerated at home. Mine sit on TOP of the fridge. As said elsewhere many recipes call for room temperature eggs, and in fact that goes for many things, meat, fruit, vegetables etc. Chilling things tends to remove the flavour, and warming them up increases the flavour - just try it with strawberries - cold strawberries are dull, leave them in the sun for a bit, mmmmm.

  • obi1cannoli
    obi1cannoli Posts: 11 Member
    We keep ours in the door of the fridge!
  • SarahLascelles1
    SarahLascelles1 Posts: 95 Member
    I'm British and have always refrigerated my eggs.

    I would imagine leaving them out is a hangover from before everyone had fridges.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    I keep them in the fridge but take them out before using as I heard it increases the volume (eg when whisking for cakes)
  • liftorgohome
    liftorgohome Posts: 25,455 Member
    In my nest
  • Rosemary7391
    Rosemary7391 Posts: 232 Member
    I'm British and have always refrigerated my eggs.

    I would imagine leaving them out is a hangover from before everyone had fridges.

    Eh? It's just food that doesn't need chilling to remain safe to eat for a sensible amount of time. Like sweets , cakes or dry pasta.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    I'm British and have always refrigerated my eggs.

    I would imagine leaving them out is a hangover from before everyone had fridges.

    Eh? It's just food that doesn't need chilling to remain safe to eat for a sensible amount of time. Like sweets , cakes or dry pasta.

    I think we refrigerate too much. I've actually started keeping most vegetables on a rack outside the fridge (and am now thinking I should put tomatoes there too); butter is in a butter dish on top of the fridge, and I NEVER put bread in the fridge (it causes the gluten to shrink and makes it go stale faster).

    Obviously it does really depend on the ambient temperature of your kitchen though, and how quickly you plan to eat things.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I keep them mostly in the fridge but the ones I'm going to use for breakfast or to bake with are left out of the fridge the day before - the temperature of them definately affects baking.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    commercially bought eggs need to be refrigerated. fresh eggs (like from my neighbor who has chickens) that haven't been washed can be kept at room temperature for up to a month. If you wash them, it's best to refrigerate because you will have removed the bloom.

    but again, if you're using commercially bought eggs, they need to be refrigerated.

    ETA: while not necessary to refrigerate fresh eggs, there's also nothing harmful about doing so and there shelf life will just be that much longer...not that I really need a long shelf life for eggs, we easily go through a couple dozen per week.

    this is accurate. I only put mien in the fridge because well- they've BEEN in there- and they keep longer that way- you could leave them out- but they will go bad faster.
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I've always kept them in the refrigerator and understood the rule to be as cwolfman says (but even for farm fresh eggs I've always kept them in the refrigerator because that's what we did when I grew up and it's what I'm used to and anyway I'd probably manage to break them if I kept them on the counter).

    I can't imagine why putting them in the refrigerator would be wrong, maybe they mixed them up with tomatoes. ;-)

    I keep my tomatoes in the fridge too.


    I'm doing everything wrong. Gaah. I can't do life.

    If they are store bought it's unlikely to make much difference.

    This is true. They've almost certainly been refrigerated already, among other things.

    (And I had a feeling someone would make that point.)

    I don't put my tomato's in the fridge- I had to train husband out of it- I buy from a chain and I have notice it DOES make a difference.

    ="obi1cannoli;c-41344703"]We keep ours in the door of the fridge![/quote]
    That is the only place I would 't keep eggs- the constant temperature variation will help them go bad faster.

  • JillianRumrill
    JillianRumrill Posts: 335 Member
    We've always kept them in the fridge. Never thought otherwise.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    jesslla wrote: »
    We keep ours on the counter but there is nothing wrong with putting them in the fridge, or freezer if you find a good deal and want to stock up. This time of year a lot of our eggs are frozen before we gather them.

    I had no idea you can freeze eggs. Shell and all, I assume? That's a fantastic idea!

    Yes, shell and all. Ours often freeze in the coop this time of year unless we get a broody hen.
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 1,049 Member
    who doesn't keep them in the fridge? They are in the refrigerated section at the store so I just assumed they should go in the fridge. I also have cats who like to push stuff off of counter tops, so my bread goes int he fridge too.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    who doesn't keep them in the fridge? They are in the refrigerated section at the store so I just assumed they should go in the fridge. I also have cats who like to push stuff off of counter tops, so my bread goes int he fridge too.

    why do you put your bread in the fridge? how quickly do you eat it!!! it goes stale so fast in there! I keep it on top of the fridge- or just in the freezer- because I don't go through bread that quickly at all.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    who doesn't keep them in the fridge? They are in the refrigerated section at the store so I just assumed they should go in the fridge. I also have cats who like to push stuff off of counter tops, so my bread goes int he fridge too.

    They should if you buy them refrigerated at the store. But not all eggs come from a store refrigerator.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited February 2018
    In the fridge when there is space, on the counter when there isn't. It doesn't matter, really.

    ETA: this goes for both store bought and farm and we've never had either go bad when they were on the counter.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited February 2018
    repeated post.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    who doesn't keep them in the fridge? They are in the refrigerated section at the store so I just assumed they should go in the fridge. I also have cats who like to push stuff off of counter tops, so my bread goes int he fridge too.
    1. People who don't get their eggs in a store.
    2. People who live in countries where eggs aren't washed and are sold at room temp.
  • dsboohead
    dsboohead Posts: 1,899 Member
    We keep ours in the door of the fridge!
    We keep ours in the door of the fridge!

    Yes. Couldnt imagine doing anything different! :s
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,086 Member
    jesslla wrote: »
    We keep ours on the counter but there is nothing wrong with putting them in the fridge, or freezer if you find a good deal and want to stock up. This time of year a lot of our eggs are frozen before we gather them.

    I had no idea you can freeze eggs. Shell and all, I assume? That's a fantastic idea!

    I always heard you should break them, beat them lightly and add a little salt (I think it was salt).

    But human eggs can be frozen whole, so why not chicken eggs?
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,086 Member
    We keep ours in the door of the fridge!

    Don't do that.

    "Refrigerator Storage: Refrigerate eggs at 40°F or less. Store them in their original carton on an inside shelf and away from pungent foods. The temperature on an inside shelf remains more constant than one on the door, which is opened and closed frequently. The carton keeps the eggs from picking up odors or flavors from other foods and helps prevent moisture loss."

    https://www.incredibleegg.org/cooking-school/tips-tricks/egg-storage/


    "Refrigeration — After the shell eggs reach home, it is very important to refrigerate them at a temperature of 45 °F or below. Keep the eggs in their carton and place them in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not in the door. Storing eggs in the refrigerator door could lead to temperature fluctuations that can lead to bacteria growth."

    https://eggsafety.org/egg-safety/

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,086 Member
    jesslla wrote: »
    We keep ours on the counter but there is nothing wrong with putting them in the fridge, or freezer if you find a good deal and want to stock up. This time of year a lot of our eggs are frozen before we gather them.

    I had no idea you can freeze eggs. Shell and all, I assume? That's a fantastic idea!

    Yes, shell and all. Ours often freeze in the coop this time of year unless we get a broody hen.

    The Egg Safety Center says not to, but frustratingly, they don't say why.

    "Freezing — Fresh shell eggs can be frozen, however, NOT IN THE SHELL. For whole eggs, yolks and egg whites, remove egg from shell and place in tightly sealed container. Label with the date. Refrigerated liquid eggs can be placed unopened in the freezer. Both fresh shell eggs and refrigerated egg products can be stored in the freezer up to a year."

    https://eggsafety.org/egg-safety/
  • SarahLascelles1
    SarahLascelles1 Posts: 95 Member
    I'm British and have always refrigerated my eggs.

    I would imagine leaving them out is a hangover from before everyone had fridges.

    Eh? It's just food that doesn't need chilling to remain safe to eat for a sensible amount of time. Like sweets , cakes or dry pasta.

    They keep a lot longer in the fridge.
  • SarahLascelles1
    SarahLascelles1 Posts: 95 Member
    girlinahat wrote: »
    I'm British and have always refrigerated my eggs.

    I would imagine leaving them out is a hangover from before everyone had fridges.

    Eh? It's just food that doesn't need chilling to remain safe to eat for a sensible amount of time. Like sweets , cakes or dry pasta.

    I think we refrigerate too much. I've actually started keeping most vegetables on a rack outside the fridge (and am now thinking I should put tomatoes there too); butter is in a butter dish on top of the fridge, and I NEVER put bread in the fridge (it causes the gluten to shrink and makes it go stale faster).

    Obviously it does really depend on the ambient temperature of your kitchen though, and how quickly you plan to eat things.

    Food waste is a massive problem. Advocating storing perishable food outside the fridge just encourages more waste.

    Before everyone had fridges and heating, kitchens were cold and had even colder larders. A lot of the food that is now kept in the fridge went in that larder.

    Room temperature now is far warmer than before heating.
  • Ebony_Kitty
    Ebony_Kitty Posts: 41 Member
    I had no idea you could freeze eggs either. Thanks for the tip!
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    I have chickens, I keep their eggs on the counter. If I had to buy from a store they'd go in the fridge.
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    I always keep them at room temperature no matter where they are bought. Personal preference more than anything.
  • ilfaith
    ilfaith Posts: 16,769 Member
    I keep my eggs in the fridge. But I remember when I spent a college semester in London, being shocked to see the egg cartons kept at room temperature in the supermarket. But I still put them in the fridge when I got back to my "flat".

    Tomatoes always remain on the counter...unless they are getting overripe and I don't plan to use them that minute. Then I might stick them in the fridge for a day or two. They might lose some of their flavor, but they won't turn to slime.