Chicken keeper owners must understand the best ways to store the eggs and how long can fresh eggs stay fresh. This article has covered all you need to know about fresh eggs.
During summertime, when there are longer days with much sunlight, egg production is at its ascendancy.
Chicken owners who might not have plans to eat the eggs anytime soon must store the eggs properly.
They then eat the eggs mid-winter when the chicken stops laying eggs.
When the egg-laying schedule is at its prime, refrigeration is the best way to store eggs. Typically, unwashed fresh eggs last about two outside a refrigerator.
They’ll last about three weeks to a month when refrigerated. On the other hand, washed eggs last around two weeks in a fridge.
Remember that fresh eggs in your backyard are never the same as store-bought eggs. You’ll realize that the eggs in your backyard have a golden yolk ad a unique array of eggshell colors.
Also, the eggs have unmatched flavor and texture. Since the chickens receive good care and a balanced diet, they lay eggs with thick egg shells.
It’s also okay to wash and store fresh eggs from your backyard chickens. This is because eggs are processed differently than commercial eggs.
How To Wash Your Fresh Eggs
Follow the steps below to wash your fresh eggs properly.
- Wash the eggs gently and quickly with warm water only.
- Remove the foreign material with a soft brush or your fingers.
- Get rid of any signs of manure from the shell– faces can foster bacteria that can get into the egg.
- Dry and cool the eggs quickly.
- Put them in a freezer between 32-40 degrees Fahrenheit.
We advise not to wash fresh eggs unless necessary–washing them removes the bloom.
This protective layer seals the shell’s pores, preventing the entry of bacteria into the eggs and contaminating them.
Can Fresh Eggs Be Stored At Room Temperature?
The answer is simple, yes. You can store unwashed freshly-laid eggs from your backyard chickens at room temperature.
However, they/’ll only last for two weeks. If you wash the eggs obtained in your backyard or the nearest store, put them in a refrigerator to extend their lifespan.
In case you buy eggs from the counter, confirm if they were washed. This way, you’ll get to know whether to refrigerate or not. When in doubt about the eggs, simply refrigerate them.
The Right Time To Wash Fresh Backyard Chicken Eggs
The appropriate time to wash your eggs is right before eating them. If the eggs are soiled with mud or poop or require proper cleaning, go head to clean.
But again, avoid using harsh soaps, bleaching substances, or vinegar while washing them.
Immediately after you finish washing the eggs, put them in a refrigerator. In short, don’t wash the eggs after collecting them– to last longer.
How To Keep Fresh Backyard Chicken Eggs Clean
First, the hen’s nesting boxes must stay clean all the time. Your eggs will never be sullied. Also, ensure your hens neither sleep in the nesting boxes nor sleep inside the boxes.
We recommend setting a sleeping roost close to or above the height of the nest box.
Additionally, regularly and routinely collect the eggs from the nesting boxes– three times a day and two times during winter.
It’s also essential to master the behavior of your hens since some have a habit of laying eggs in random places. Take the initiative of training the hens where to lay eggs.
They love laying eggs in areas where some eggs already are. They love laying eggs in places where some eggs already are.
To effectively manage hens’ habits, place wood dummy eggs in the nest boxes to effectively manage hens’ behaviors.
For the soiled nest box bedding materials, change them regularly. The nest box pads with topped hay are the best ones to use.
Storing Fresh Eggs At Room Temperature
Store your freshly-laid eggs from backyard chickens for about 2-3 weeks to maintain the eggs’ quality, texture, and flavor.
The eggs become more liquified and stand less tall and round within this period.
Stored eggs at room temperature distort faster than eggs stored in a freezer. Distortion even fastens when the eggs are in a hot room.
Keeping the eggs at room temperature for only a week is way better, or even for 3-4 days alone. If you reside in a hot area, it is good enough only to store the eggs for two days or less.
Storing Fresh Eggs in a Refrigerator
Fresh eggs have an increased life span when placed in a refrigerator.
Most chicken owners store unwashed eggs because they do not lose moisture and quality, unlike washed eggs which become so porous. However, these washed eggs are still safe to eat.
To store the eggs in a refrigerator, place them in a container, close correctly, then put the container in a fridge.
Refrigeration slows down the rate of moisture loss and absorption of bacteria simultaneously.
You should not remove refrigerated eggs for more than two hours nor store those eggs at room temperature.
A left-out cold egg at room temperature will sweat, allowing the movement of bacteria inside the egg. The bacteria can also get a conducive environment to grow.
While placing the eggs in an enclosed container, ensure the round end faces upwards. The rounded end has an air sac that serves as a balloon insulator, regulating moisture loss.
How Can You Know The Eggs are Fresh
The most common method to test egg freshness is the float test. First, fill a glass with cool water and gently place it in the eggs.
You simply mix up eggs in cold water. The freshest egg will lay on the bottom of the glass. Such eggs are only a few weeks old.
Middle-aged eggs will float slightly but stay submerged. Full-blown floaters are considered harmful to consume. In short, the higher the egg floats, the older it is.
Can Older Eggs be Peeled Easily?
Raw eggs get older as time goes by. An enlarged air sac makes the eggs more buoyant. Their air sacs also enlarge gradually, making a tiny void between the eggshell membranes.
When you hard cook such eggs, they become a walk in the park to peel the shells. This is just another reason why these eggs become buoyant.
Methods to Store Fresh Backyard Chicken Eggs
Is your collection basket full of eggs? Still, you’re thinking about where else to store the eggs? Don’t worry anymore! Below are ways to keep your fresh eggs alongside refrigeration.
Cold Storage
Cold storage helps to keep your eggs fresh at 50 degrees Fahrenheit for about three months.
If you want to preserve the eggs for longer, crack them into a freezer-safe container and keep them frozen for a year or more.
Remember, cold areas for egg storage should always remain dry.
Freezer
Egg freezing is another excellent method to store eggs for more weeks. Here, you must mix or separate the yolks from the whites.
Then, pour the egg into ice cube trays and place them in a freezer. By so doing, your eggs will remain fresh for a year.
It’s important to note that egg yolks aren’t free as favorably as egg whites, but they are still usable in sauces.
Pickling
Pickling involves boiling the eggs and making powder out of them. Bantam or pullet eggs are the best to pickle. Pickled eggs will last up to four months in a refrigerator once opened.
Dehydration
Dehydrating the eggs and making a powder from them is another best alternative preservative method for your eggs.
Mix the eggs and cook as you would scramble them. Add only oil to the skillet. Let the eggs cool, break them into pieces and grind using a food processor.
Water Glassing
It’s the cheapest and most successful egg preservation method, only if done correctly.
Make sure to use clean, fresh eggs with the bloom still intact. You can use sodium silicate or calcium hydroxide and preserve your eggs for up to a year.
Mineral Oil
Coat the eggs with warm oil. Cover the entire eggs with a layer of fats. Then, place the eggs into a storage box with the pointed end facing down.
Keep the eggs in a dark and cool place. The eggs will then last for a year or more.
Conclusion
You can store unwashed fresh chicken eggs from backyard chickens for about two weeks outside a refrigerator.
However, they can last for about three weeks to a month when stored in a fridge. Also, washed eggs can stay up to two weeks in a refrigerator.
Don’t wash your eggs before storage unless it’s essential. But, if you do so, quickly put the eggs in a refrigerator. We recommend only washing the eggs when it’s time to eat them.
Use the above ways to preserve your eggs–mostly during summertime when the egg-laying schedule is at its peak.
If you mix up the eggs during collection, use the float test method to separate freshly laid eggs from the aged ones.
Also, remember the proper egg cleaning process if you come across dirtied eggs. For real, you’ll never waste your eggs anymore!
