Would you eat these eggs?

[walking burp cloth]

I went to the grocery store at about noon the other day and at about 9pm realised that I forgot to put the eggs in the fridge. I thought "no biggie" and stuck them in the fridge. But now, I am afraid to eat them! Would you do it?

[ollyoxenfree]

Fill up a deep bowl or measuring cup or glass with water.

Take each egg and gently place it in the water. If it floats, it's rotten. Toss it. If it doesn't float, but submerges to sit on the bottom, it's fine.

As eggs age and go rotten, they fill with gas - that's what makes them stink! - and that's what makes them float in water.

In some countries, you'll find eggs in the non-refrigerated aisles of the supermarket, near boxed breakfast cereals!

[Sayward]

Eggs do not need to be refrigerated. I promise. We keep chickens and keep our eggs on the counter. In some areas in the south, you get eggs off the shelves at grocery stores. This is common in other countries.

It's just an American paranoia thing, haha. We think everything has to be refrigerated and sterilized! But seriously, don't worry about it.

(and I'm pretty sure the floating/sinking thing is an urban legend, but I could be wrong. I was taught that's how you tell if they are fertilized or not, but again I don't think that's true either)

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by Sayward

(and I'm pretty sure the floating/sinking thing is an urban legend, but I could be wrong. I was taught that's how you tell if they are fertilized or not, but again I don't think that's true either)

Hmmm....better tell the University of York...just one of many sites that pops up if you Google "Eggs freshness test"

How to test fresh eggs

[h@ppy mama]

I would use them

[HollyBearsMom]

Refridgerating eggs is a fairly new concept. Eggs are hermetically sealed and take a long time rot unless they are cracked.

Grocery store eggs I keep cold but my neighbors eggs? They stay on the counter. From the chicken to my belly! yum!!

[Mirzam]

I would definitely use them. I never refrigerate eggs.

[gardenmommy]

Absolutely! There's nothing wrong with them. If you really don't want to eat them plain, use them for baking.

[robugmum]

Another non fridger here! I stopped putting eggs in there a few months ago. I now have extra room in my fridge and the eggs are fine. Actually, they're better for baking when they are at room temp.

[Sayward]

Originally Posted by ollyoxenfree

Hmmm....better tell the University of York...just one of many sites that pops up if you Google "Eggs freshness test"

How to test fresh eggs

I stand corrected!

[Chicky2]

Another chicken owner (and guineas for that matter), and if I run outta room in the fridge before we eat/sell the TONS of eggs we have, I just keep them in an egg basket my dd made. They look very pretty on the counter! Besides, I can boil them DAYS sooner than I could if I refrigerated all of them (yk, 'cause the membrane needs to be older to separate so you can peel them).

[Arduinna]

Used to have chickens too I'd eat them, no problem.

[Pepper44]

Think of it this way....if you crack open a rotten egg you'll know it! I would definitely still eat them.

I always refrigerate store bought eggs because they have been washed. Washing rinses off the safe bacterial bloom that seals them. (I think most commercial eggs are resealed with some kind of wax, which I find a little concerning since eggs are porous...)

Fresh eggs from our chickens I usually leave out unless it's going to be more than a week or two before using them.

You can tell if an egg is fertile by looking on the yolk for the white disc. If it's fertile you'll find a small distinct, obvious white bull's eye. If it's not fertile you'll just see a tiny white dot.

[AnnieNimIty]

*off topic sigh* Oh I wish we lived where we could have chickens.

[Gentle~Mommy :)]

I keep my eggs in the fridge, but my Mom and Grandma always just had them in a bowl on the counter. We all survived

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by Pepper44

I think most commercial eggs are resealed with some kind of wax, which I find a little concerning since eggs are porous...)

Don't be too worried, coating washed eggs in wax to keep them fresh is a technique that was used back in medieval times.

[LaughingHyena]

I never keep eggs in the fridge so I'd use them.

About the freshness testing in water, I would only do that just before I used them, not test then put in the fridge.

[treemom2]

Here in Japan eggs aren't refrigerated. Even in the grocery stores, eggs sit on shelves in an aisle. Granted, a lot of eggs here are irradiated or very fresh from the farm. We have our eggs delivered weekly from a farm and we keep them on the counter all week (then my DS and DH eat them raw on rice in the mornings). I was worried about doing this at first, then I read that many countries don't refrigerate their eggs. My MIL said when she was little no one refrigerated eggs, but now she thinks because of the huge farms and the cleansing process they go through (to remove the protective outer coating from the eggs) that eggs are refrigerated. I honestly would still eat the eggs. I might smell them first though (when I crack them open) just to be sure.

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by ObliviousAnnette

*off topic sigh* Oh I wish we lived where we could have chickens.

OT too, but Me Too! There's some lobbying now to change our city's bylaws. If they don't change, I'm thinking of going rogue with a small backyard coop and 2 or 3 hens.

[Ola_]

I'd use them too. Though if you're unsure about it you can always break the egg into a separate little bowl when you're using it just in case (so that if it doesn't smell/look good it doesn't ruin whatever you're putting it into).

I think keeping eggs at room temp is not something I'd try with commercial eggs. Homegrown I'd feel safer with, though I'd still probably store them in the fridge.