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Sometimes, to give the product an attractive appearance, chicken eggs are washed. In this case, the shelf life is reduced to 12 days.
This may seem strange, but there are a dozen different ideas about how long you can store raw chicken eggs. This is due to different storage methods. After all, some people put them straight into the refrigerator, while others use traditional methods. How can you store chicken eggs?
How long can chicken eggs be stored: diet and table eggs?
If we talk about the standards for storing raw eggs in stores, then it all depends on the type of product:
- Table eggs can be stored at temperatures from 0 to 25 degrees for up to 25 days;
- at the same temperature, dietary eggs can be stored for only 7 days;
- raw eggs at temperatures from -2 to 0 degrees can be stored for up to 90 days.
However, it should be noted that the last point can only be accomplished if you have special industrial refrigerators that can withstand not only the specified temperature, but also other parameters, in particular humidity.
At home, it is recommended to store eggs in the refrigerator for no more than 25 days.
What is a dietary egg and a table egg? How to distinguish them?
Diet eggs are those whose shelf life does not exceed 7 days. After this, they lose their beneficial properties, and the taste of the product deteriorates significantly. Table eggs can be stored for up to 25 days. But it is important to understand that these are the same eggs, laid by the same chicken. The only difference is the shelf life. The manufacturer, as a rule, guarantees in this case the maximum quality of the product.
How to distinguish dietary and table eggs?
Surely you have seen markings like C1 or D3 on price tags more than once. So, the letter indicates the type of eggs, while the number indicates their size.
Diet eggs should not be thrown away on the eighth day of storage. They do not spoil, but only move into the canteen category. It’s just that their beneficial properties declared by the manufacturer will no longer work.
How long can washed chicken eggs be stored?
Sometimes, to give the product an attractive appearance, chicken eggs are washed. In this case, the shelf life is reduced to 12 days. This is explained by the presence of a thin film on the egg shell, which prevents air and microorganisms from getting inside. When an egg is washed, this film is destroyed. That is, if you still want to wash the egg, it is better to do it immediately before use.
Is it possible to store raw chicken eggs without refrigeration?
It’s possible, but everything depends on the temperature in the apartment. It should not exceed +20 degrees. Therefore, on hot summer days it is better to store eggs in the refrigerator.
What to do if you are going to a dacha where there may not be a refrigerator? In hot weather, raw eggs can stay fresh for about 3 days, but it’s better not to risk it and eat them as soon as possible.
How to store chicken eggs: basic rules
- The key factor is the integrity of the shell. If the egg is cracked, you should not rely on the usual shelf life. Bacteria could have entered through the crack, causing the egg to spoil faster.
- Egg white is considered an ideal medium for the development of microorganisms. Therefore, it is better to eat a cracked egg within 2 days and only if it was in the refrigerator.
- Where is the best place to store eggs? The refrigerator has a special compartment for eggs, but it is not best to store them there. After all, the door is constantly opening, which causes temperature changes and increases the risk of mechanical damage to the shell. Therefore, it is recommended to store eggs in the vegetable compartment.
- It is better not to take the product out of the factory container, because carpenter cardboard perfectly protects against possible damage.
- At low temperatures (from 0 to 5 degrees) you can store eggs even longer than the stated time. They may lose moisture and dry out, but not deteriorate. However, it is still better not to take risks.
- Please note that eggs easily absorb odors, so it is better not to store them near strong-smelling foods (fish, etc.).
How to tell if an egg has gone bad
If a chicken egg is no longer suitable, it is impossible to make a mistake. The characteristic rotten hydrogen sulfide smell will be so obvious that it will not raise any doubts. It is more difficult to do this if the spoilage process has just begun. What to pay attention to:
- the presence of any foreign odor that should not exist;
- the older the egg, the more transparent the white; in young ones it should be slightly cloudy;
- In a boiled egg, the white, blue or gray color indicates staleness.
How to increase the shelf life of eggs
There are many ways to store raw eggs. For example, the product can be frozen. If you place them in a jar of lime mortar, they will definitely stay fresh for months, even without refrigeration.
Another interesting way that our grandmothers knew is to store eggs in salt. At the bottom of an enamel bucket you need to pour 1 cm of table salt, lay out a layer of eggs, and again cover with salt, which should cover the eggs. So lay out layer by layer, the last should be salt. The bucket must be placed in a dry place so that the salt does not harden. This method allows you to store eggs all winter. The product may dry out a little, but it will not deteriorate.
