Some of life’s finest pleasures consist of acquiring your chickens’ freshly laid eggs. There is great excitement that comes from knowing you have that special ingredient for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even for your baked goods. But what do you do if you receive too many at a time? The answers that surround that famous question can be found here at the Meyer Hatchery blog; to give you ideas from others, just like you, on how to properly store your eggs.

 Cleaning Eggs

You’ll need to clean your eggs, especially if you’re selling them, or showing them off on Instagram! 

• You can just use a dry scrub pad if the eggs appear to be relatively clean.
• If you have a few eggs that are particularly soiled, you can use warm water and a scrub pad or dishcloth. Egg Wipes are also a great option! Luckily, we know where to find those.
• Cleaning is not always necessary, as freshly laid eggs have a protective layer called the “bloom”, that seals out bacteria and allows the eggs to last longer outside of the refrigerator. Consider this when deciding where you’ll be storing them.
• Always try to provide fresh bedding for your hens to help keep eggs cleaner (and keep your girls happier also!)  Fresh bedding will not always guarantee cleanliness but will give you a better probability.
• Once you clean your eggs underwater, they need to be placed in the refrigerator immediately. Eggs that have only been cleansed with a scrub pad can be left out at room temperature for up to a month.
• If you choose to store them at room temperature, eating your eggs within the first two weeks will provide a better quality taste.

Storing Eggs

You can store your eggs in any dish, but storing them in a sealed container, in the fridge, such as a lunch box, or egg carton, will guarantee them to stay fresher.

• Eggs typically last longer once refrigerated, even if you remove the bloom.
• Always make sure to date your eggs! Washed eggs in a sealed container can last up to 6 months and still remain fresh and dating them will ensure you won’t lose track.
• Eggs sitting out in room temperature typically only last 1 month without the bloom removed, but if you’d like to show them off, like every proud chicken person does, it’s worth it! (plus, it’s a great way to get company interested in leaving with a dozen or two)
• Egg skelters make great holders, and look beautiful on your kitchen table, or countertop! As an added bonus, they ensure you use your eggs in the order you collected them by putting your freshest eggs at the top.

Interesting fact – Supermarket eggs can sit for up to a month before being placed on the shelf for sale. By collecting your own eggs, this ensures their quality and longevity for consumption!

Other Storing Options

Do you have too many eggs and have tried everything possible to get rid of them? You can look into freezing them. Although they don’t taste as fresh once they are thawed, it is an option if you do not want to waste your eggs. Separating the egg white from the yolk is the most crucial part, as the egg itself will not properly freeze without doing so.

Egg Freshness Check!

Now, what if one of my hens goes rogue and I find a beautiful brown egg up the street and around the corner? How do I know if this egg was laid yesterday or last March? Use this simple trick to determine the freshness of your egg in question!

• Fill a bowl of water, and gently drop the egg inside. That’s it!
• If the egg drops to the bottom? It’s a winner. ( Enjoy!)
• Does it float back to the top? Sorry, it’s a dud.
• Floats somewhere in the middle? Use it quick if you must, but we recommend that you cut your losses.

But, one last thing! The fresher the egg, the harder it peels. But, but, but… They are sooooo good! There are plenty of tips and tricks to peel a stubborn egg, but we want to hear YOUR peeling hacks! Post them in the comments.