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Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs?

nytimes.com

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Re: Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs?

#191

Post by Lordarminius »

haskal wrote: post #171
ZainRiz wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you preserve the egg in lime, ash, and a few other ingredients for long enough, the egg turns into a "Century Egg" with an almost jello like look and consistency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg Tastes kinda gross though (but I might be biased)

Weird that you mentioned it today. I just made one for the first time today after visiting the Chinese supermarket (I am not East Asian). Century egg is definitely one of the weirdest smelling things I have ever eaten. It smells like H2S. Took me back to my chemistry lab sessions.

> It smells like H2S

I cant recall that much of my high school organic chemistry but I would think that H2S would be a degradation product of spoilt eggs

Re: Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs?

#192

Post by Al-Khwarizmi »

BugsJustFindMe wrote: post #19
RandomOpinion wrote: post #15

I think part of the article that's getting glossed over is: " A refrigerated egg, no matter the source, will be good for four or five weeks. Unrefrigerated eggs are best used within a week, though they may be fine for two. " So, one would want to refrigerate eggs (washed or unwashed) anyway if they're not all going to be used immediately.

"may be fine for two" sounds extremely pessimistic. I live in France, and we regularly eat eggs that have been sitting on the shelf for a month and they taste good and nobody gets sick.

I'm from Spain and just use the old tricks transmitted through generations...

For boiling, if the egg sinks in water it's good, if it floats it's bad.

For frying or anything that needs breaking the egg, I break it carefully so that the yolk will not be broken by the hit, then I dip it into a plate. If the yolk keeps tight and nice the egg is good, if it breaks spontaneously or leaks some liquid, not good.

I've never had any problems and yes, usually they keep fine for a month without problems. I suppose the industry just prefers to be on the safe side with their recommendations.

Re: Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs?

#193

Post by mcbits »

ZainRiz wrote: post #164
lloydde wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When my youngest child was a baby and I was binge watching tv while comforting her, I found myself watching a doomsday preppers show. There I learned by oiling eggs they could be stored months. http://www.offthegridnews.com/off-grid-foods/preserving-eggs... looks to have confirmed the reality tv show: "[eggs] will, however, eventually develop an off-flavor, and this off-flavor is especially pronounced in eggs stored…

If you preserve the egg in lime, ash, and a few other ingredients for long enough, the egg turns into a "Century Egg" with an almost jello like look and consistency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg Tastes kinda gross though (but I might be biased)

I can't help but imagine the origins. Long ago, someone either found an egg or tried to preserve an egg this way. They opened it up and found ... that ... and ate it anyway. After not dying, a delicacy was born.

Re: Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs?

#194

Post by rwmj »

lloydde wrote: post #134
RandomOpinion wrote: post #15

I think part of the article that's getting glossed over is: " A refrigerated egg, no matter the source, will be good for four or five weeks. Unrefrigerated eggs are best used within a week, though they may be fine for two. " So, one would want to refrigerate eggs (washed or unwashed) anyway if they're not all going to be used immediately.

When my youngest child was a baby and I was binge watching tv while comforting her, I found myself watching a doomsday preppers show. There I learned by oiling eggs they could be stored months. http://www.offthegridnews.com/off-grid-foods/preserving-eggs... looks to have confirmed the reality tv show: "[eggs] will, however, eventually develop an off-flavor, and this off-flavor is especially pronounced in eggs stored…

Egg shells are amazingly robust. When I throw whole out-of-date eggs into the compost, they will still look exactly the same when I come to use the compost 2 years later. Everything else has turned to "soil", but there's a whole egg sitting there. Inside they look similar to the Chinese preserved "century egg" (although of course not produced in the same way, and I'm not going to try to eat one).

Re: Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs?

#195

Post by Reason077 »

DanBC wrote: post #181
Reason077 wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'good' as in 'still fresh'. Unfortunately it won't tell you if it's full of salmonella, or not! All UK chickens are vaccinated against Salmonella so there should be no chance of getting it from eggs. That's one reason why washing is considered unnecessary here.

> All UK chickens are vaccinated against Salmonella I think it's most, but not all, chickens. Vaccination is part of the red lion quality brand mark, and approx 80% of birds are part of that; and many farmers not part of it vaccinate too. Vaccination isn't mandatory. There are some vigorous testing requirements as part of the National Control Programme for salmonella. Maybe I'm wrong though, has this changed recently…

> I think it's most, but not all, chickens. Vaccination is part of the red lion quality brand mark

Ahh, you're right. But I believe that all (or virtually all) eggs sold into the supermarket supply chain carry the red lion mark. The other 15% are presumably used by commercial customers where they are guaranteed to be pasteurised or cooked enough to prevent any onward contamination.

Re: Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs?

#196

Post by Reason077 »

ksec wrote: post #190
Reason077 wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'good' as in 'still fresh'. Unfortunately it won't tell you if it's full of salmonella, or not! All UK chickens are vaccinated against Salmonella so there should be no chance of getting it from eggs. That's one reason why washing is considered unnecessary here.

But then why does US chicken have the same Vaccine? I am curious.

But then why does US chicken have the same Vaccine? I am curious.

Apparently salmonella vaccine is not typically used in US egg production:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/business/25vaccine.html

Re: Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs?

#197

Post by MatthewWilkes »

RandomOpinion wrote: post #15

I think part of the article that's getting glossed over is: " A refrigerated egg, no matter the source, will be good for four or five weeks. Unrefrigerated eggs are best used within a week, though they may be fine for two. " So, one would want to refrigerate eggs (washed or unwashed) anyway if they're not all going to be used immediately.

I'd always heard that you shouldn't store unwashed eggs in the fridge, as the cold can cause them to contract, which makes it more vulnerable to infection if parts of the cuticle are damaged. It sounds like this isn't actually true?

Re: Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs?

#198

Post by jwdunne »

Reason077 wrote: post #177
jwdunne wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think salmonella from a UK egg is incredibly rare now. Pregnant women are advised not too but they're advised to eat well done steak too: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25154046

All UK chickens are vaccinated against salmonella. Not sure if it's an EU-wide practice but it's universal in the UK.

Yes. The lion stamp means that effectively. I think it was a national initiative: Edwina Curry took the rap. In all the EU stuff slung about lately, eggs never get mentioned.

Unusual action for a conservative, however.

Re: Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs?

#199

Post by pvg »

justincormack wrote: post #188
pvg wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the article overgeneralizes about 'Europeans'. EU regulations may not allow egg washing and I'm sure not all stores refrigerate eggs but I imagine zillions of people all over Europe bring the eggs home from the grocery and stick them in the fridge. just like most Americans.

Generally homes dont have larders or anywhere remotely cool. Or even storage space outside fridges, so yes...

In their German-made fridge with its shelf with convenient egg-shaped indentations.

Re: Why Do Americans Refrigerate Their Eggs?

#200

Post by macca321 »

stordoff wrote: post #97
CM30 wrote: post #83

Wait, this is seen as an American thing? Because I'm from the UK, and most people I know here store boxes of eggs in the fridge. That's how we've done it for decades, and that seems to be the 'norm' where I live. Certainly never seen any eggs laid out in a bowl on a table or worktop. Maybe it's a regional thing here? Edit: Just checked online a bit. Seems like it's a matter of individual opinion here, based on this G…

They may be kept in the fridge at home, but I don't recall ever seeing them refrigerated in a shop

What an individual does in their own home is their own business, no matter how depraved.
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