For most living in the United States, washed, refrigerated eggs are the norm and are actually considered safer by most people. What if I told you that's not how most of the world does it? What if I told you that it's actually safer to leave them unwashed and unchilled?
It's actually unlawful in Europe to wash eggs and there's good reason for it.
I live in Mexico and one of the first things I noticed at the grocery stores here is that they do not refrigerate the eggs. They're sold on a shelf with dry goods generally, like sugar or canned milk products. There are many options from tiny spotted ones to big brown ones, but they're unwashed and unchilled.
There's much less regulation on the egg industry here, even though factory farming exists here as well. The eggs I buy from Walmart are unwashed and unchilled, coming in irregular shapes and sizes with little bits of feather here and there. This is the norm here and it's the better way to do things.
The FDA cites that eggs need to be sterilized and chilled to reduce the chance of salomonella making its way into the eggs. Many sources online will tell you that it actually has to do with the factory farming done in the states.
It has less to do with the factory farming itself but with how they go about it. Europe has placed an emphasis on producing cleaner eggs that just do not need washed, wheras American chicken factory farms are known for being filthy at best.
Much of the world is very similar to Mexico and Europe in that their eggs are not refridgerated either. With the way they farm and process eggs, they really don't have issues with sickness, certainly not anymore than in the states.
After living in Mexico for more than a year, I can't say the eggs are lower quality. They're actually much cheaper and higher quality. There's something charming about opening a dozen of storebought eggs to find a feather stuck to one, in my opinion.
For those living in the states, don't go pulling the eggs out of your refrigerator. Doing that could actually cause problems and make it so you actually get sick. With the cuticle washed off and the egg shocked back to room temperature, it's easy for bacteria to move through the porous shell.
Luckily, you've got options for solutions to this problem:
Find a farmer that doesn't wash or chill their eggs, and keep them that way once they're home. Get some chickens and produce your own, keeping them unwashed and unchilled. Or you could move to a place like Mexico, where keeping eggs au natural is the normal way to do things. Regardless of how you handle it, what's important is that you are aware of the situation. Eggs are not meant to be washed or chilled before storage! If you buy them chilled they need to remain that way, the only way is to find an alternate source.
Thanks for reading and supporting us, until next time!
The chicken leaves a slimy coating on the egg that seals and protects it.
I've noticed in the USA that even the factory farmed organic brands taste horrible, like the chickens are living in filth. The only good brand I've found is Farmer's Hen House organic. They're like $5 US at Whole Foods :/
Unrefrigerated eggs can last a long time in a cool dry place, but if they are in a moist or warm location they will not last long at all.
I had a lady reprimand me for leaving my eggs out of the fridge when she was visiting. I told her, "you do understand that they are straight from the farm and unwashed right?" Her response was disgust. Ignorance is bliss.
How silly. I know that many gringos are put off by the lack of refrigeration here, but it's just that ignorance
People are slowly catching on, but many will die of induced sickness before then...
The FDA is our friend!
They have to make sure everything is sterile and dead.
Dead food is the best for us.
It has just as much calories as living food, so, its just as good, right?
NOT!
Looking at what the FDA does, and how it was formed, you can accurately state they they are out to kill americans.
nice thanks for sharing
I'm lucky in that I can get my eggs from my friend. And unless the chickens had smeared shit all over, those eggs do not get washed, so I save space in my fridge.
Washing eggs just before using is totally fine, it's just not good for storing!
Also, how come you or your neighbours don't have chickens?
The chickens here are anarchist and super free range. They neighbors keep and kill them, some have personal chickens but I don't speak enough spanish to try and get some off of them. Most of them don't produce brown eggs either, just white which really irritates my stomach.
The eggs I get from the store are better than I ever bought in the states from even a farmer. They're a deep brown-red color with rich yolks and they're cheap. All different sizes and shapes, too
"Why did the anarchist chicken cross the street?"
To get away from the statists
"Muh roads"
nice post, thank you for sharing =)
I can't tell anydifference between American eggs and Russian ones to be honest, taste wise anyway haha
Are they refrigerated there? It's not so much that there's a difference in taste, it's just the heathier way to store eggs.
People do refrigerate eggs in stores and homes, but you can buy fresh eggs off people who own chickens and they just sell them out of their houses, I'm not sure how they store them to be honest.
Excellent post and I could not agree more (being a country boy).
We once had visitors who said they could not eat the eggs they were served - they were so bright in golden colour that they thought they must be artificially coloured!
When I get eggs from my grandma's farm, the yolks are rich and dark and the shells are thick. Compare them to the store eggs with nearly translucent shells and pale yolks, and I will choose the farm eggs any day.
Exactly, @redhens. Though, I have never been too sure about the thick shells - when you want them to hatch, you sort of want them to hatch - that little beak has a tough job already. I tend to feed chickens with smashed up shells for the calcium but they have to be well smashed and mixed with other stuff or the hens cotton on ... disaster!!
I have my own fresh chicken eggs from our coop! its wonderful!
I didn't know
Thanks