Eggs, why do we refrigerate them here but not in Europe?
It may be something you have not thought of, but you know me.. I am always wondering why people do what they do. They don’t refrigerate eggs in Europe… they leave them in baskets or on the counter! I started to research and ask questions. Don’t we all have the same eggs? Why do we refrigerate and they don’t and who is right?
I found some interesting articles on this. In Europe, they dont wash Grade A eggs because they think it can transfer harmful bacteria from the outside of the egg to the inside. One article says it is illegal to wash eggs! The farmers actually vaccinate the chickens against salmonella.
When I asked someone years ago, on one of my many trips to Europe to work, they said we, Americans, wash the eggs which changes the protective barrier so therefore we have to refrigerate our eggs. I just cant see how not washing an egg and then leaving it out on the counter is good for anyone.. I have seen what those chickens do in their nests with or without eggs around, then the egg drops into it! YUCK.
Apparently this washing changes the “cuticle” of the egg. If you don’t wash eggs and then refrigerate, then you could cause the egg to develop mildew..Also, if you do refrigerate eggs and then leave them out for too long, they can sweat.. meaning form condensation on the outside of the egg. This is bad also. A sweating egg means that it can form salmonella faster and spread. The sweating means that there is movement of bacteria from the outside to the inside So don’t leave eggs out if they have been refrigerated already for more than 2 hours to reduce this chance of sweating.
If you read tis and don’t want to refrigerate your eggs or your chicken dropped some eggs for you, you can store them safely in a solution of slaked lime and water. Slaked lime is calcium hydroxide which is very alkaline at 12.5 and has low toxicity. It is used in pickling, as a substitute for baking soda and can even be found in orange juice and baby formula.
I would suggest because we dont know here in America what kind of washing that has been done on your eggs and that they are already cold in the refrigerator when we buy them, to not let them get too warm and get them back to your house and put them back in the refrigerator. Use them up as quickly as you can even though some say they can still be good after 2-4 weeks. I confess that when I buy eggs, I only look to make sure none are broken. I have not looked at expiration dates. From now on, I will look at both and keep them cold! How about you?