HS in NZ Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Sorry for this dumb question. But, when I receive/purchase fresh eggs from a farm, am I suppose to wash them, wipe them? If so, what's the best way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Anyway, keeping them dryer the better, you can use sandpaper with fine grit - but most of the time we just use a damp paper towel - literally just enough water to do what is necessary. Incidentally, how much do you pay for eggs, there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Sorry for this dumb question. But, when I receive/purchase fresh eggs from a farm, am I suppose to wash them, wipe them? If so, what's the best way? It's not really a dumb question at all, but I can't give you a definite answer. You should ask the farmer whether or not s/he washes the eggs before they get to you. If the answer is no, you may feel better about washing them first. If they're not very dirty (no visible stuck on goo), you can just swish them in a bowl of warm (20° warmer than the temp. of the egg) water. You can also use a mild, unscented dish soap, or a very dilute bleach solution. Personally, I wouldn't recommend the latter two. Of the thousands of eggs I've washed, I've never once used anything but warm water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamagistra Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 It's not really a dumb question at all, but I can't give you a definite answer... Doran, we need your Chicken Sticky in this forum. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS in NZ Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 Here in NZ, from a farmer it's usually around $NZ 3.50 for a dozen. At the store, about $NZ 3.39-3.99. For 25 eggs, $NZ 6.99. I think the conversion rate right now is about $NZ 1 = $US .76. I guess this is something I should put under the "irrational fear" thread. Eventhough they say that they wipe it with a papertowel, I still see the chicken stuff on a few! Freaks me out. I was always washing the eggs with a bit of soap and water then dry with paper towel. Maybe I will just wipe with damp paper towel, no soap? I didn't know what was best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS in NZ Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 I wanted to thank you and rep you... but I have to spread it around before I give you more! :001_smile: That's frustrating...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 One more message regarding your eggs...We have lots of chickens (75) and we have been selling eggs for several years. When we started, we researched the best way to clean them. If you Google the info, you can find that the best way is the driest way possible, as water will remove a natural protective coating that keeps the egg fresh. Eggs are porous and solutions other than basic water are not recommended for safety of the egg. That being said, if we get an egg that has some extras on the outside - getting the area damp with a damp cloth - letting it sit for a minute or so - it'll wipe right off. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 One more message regarding your eggs...We have lots of chickens (75) and we have been selling eggs for several years. When we started, we researched the best way to clean them. If you Google the info, you can find that the best way is the driest way possible, as water will remove a natural protective coating that keeps the egg fresh. Eggs are porous and solutions other than basic water are not recommended for safety of the egg. That being said, if we get an egg that has some extras on the outside - getting the area damp with a damp cloth - letting it sit for a minute or so - it'll wipe right off. Hope this helps. HS -- Shelly may be correct that in your case dry cleaning the eggs would be the simplest option. However, as far as I know there is no recommendation against a wet wash or such a wash including sanitizers. Here's a site worth referencing, though other US State Extension sites give similar info. I Googled "cleaning eggs" and found plenty of good info. I'd like to add that like Shelly, we kept lots of hens (up to 150) and sold eggs from those birds at farmers' market for almost ten years. The method of washing I described is the method outlined in materials I received from the State of Maryland. While guidelines may have changed a bit since I began, to my knowledge, and from what I gleaned through a bit of reading this morning, wet washing with a "sanitizing solution" is not considered unsafe *as long as the water is kept warmer than the egg*. My training recommended 20° warmer. Passages I've read this morning recommended 10°. If the eggs have been refrigerated before you begin washing them (not sure if folks in NZ are as passionate about refrigerating eggs as we are here in the US :confused:), you can imagine that the water won't have to feel very warm to be warmer than the egg. Warm to the wrist, like baby's milk, was what I always aimed for. So, Shelly, I'm not trying to say that your method isn't absolutely correct. But, I think to imply that any other method is wrong or unsafe is not true. I think maybe it comes down to which method is most comfortable for the washer, and I know for me it was the idea I presented. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I merely pointed out what I had learned in my research - for my sons' business. I was not trying to "imply" anything. I was just trying to be helpful. Maybe it is time for a board break for me..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doran Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I merely pointed out what I had learned in my research - for my sons' business. I was not trying to "imply" anything. I was just trying to be helpful. Maybe it is time for a board break for me..... Well, clearly I have somehow offended you, and I'm so sorry! When I read your most recent post it came across as a "correction" of what I had posted about egg washing...that eggs should not be washed at all, but dry wiped with a damp cloth or abrasive material and that this method was "the best". Since I spent so many years following a different protocol and had similar chicken raising and egg washing experience, I simply wanted to point out that other methods were equally acceptable as far as I knew. Maybe I misread your post as implying (ack, there's that word again!) that washing eggs in water and perhaps with a sanitizing solution (though, again, I never used one) was somehow a less than good choice. My apologies for whatever just happened. :001_unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Gotta love PMS. Plus, I have spent too much time looking at the boards, lately. Idle hands, you know... Have a good day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I have to say that my reading has convinced me of what Shelly wrote. We don't wash our eggs at all- yet we don't sell them either. My understanding- and I admit, I could be wrong- but my understanding is that by washing them, you are removing or damaging the protective cell membrane which protects the egg from bacteria. I thought (maybe an assumption) that the washing of the eggs by stores is why they will not stay fresh as long as my unwashed eggs will. saying all that though, we do not sell our eggs- and I realize it would be upsetting for most people to see some eggs that look a little dirty. If we have one or two that look dirty, I wipe them with a damp cloth and use them sooner then others. Sometimes we have one that looks really yukky, then I do wash it in the sink. just my 2 cents... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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