h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I know the original entry is yonks old but I've only just tripped over it. In the first line and in subsequent conversations I notice several mentions to keeping eggs in the fridge. I have researched amongst the family to confirm what I had thought. It is a bad move to keep eggs in a fridge. Process them somehow and keep them in a freezer yes, but not whole in a fridge.

The shell of an egg is porous and can allow bacteria through. The moist atmosphere in a fridge, permits the transfer through the shell of any bacteria growing on the outside. This is why it is unwise to accept dirty eggs and even worse to wash them if they are.

I have lived on this planet for many years and even as a child when my parents kept chickens, I can never remember one going off. In the last forty odd yeasr I can only remember a couple of bad eggs and they had been found broken in a bought carton.

When we moved to this smallholding a couple of years ago there had been about a half a dozen hens allowed free range and they had laid eggs all over the place. I kept finding clutches of them and not wanting to be near the nauseous smell if they had gone off, I broke them from a distance to let pets and wildlife eat them. None had gone bad.

We keep eggs at room temperature and sometimes they have not all been used in a month and have yet to have one go off. A cool dry place is best for storage but not the fridge.

The reason you want to keep eggs cold is salmonella. It will multiply at room temperature. Don't keep eggs in the egg compartment in the door of your refrigerator, however; it's too warm. Keep them in the coldest part of your shelves.

A minor correction, but the air in fridges is quite dry. This is because the coldness of the refrigerant act like a condenser, attracting water.
The reason it *appears* moist is that one sees the condensed water and subconciously draws conclusions about it being a damp environment. And because the cold air inside mixes with warmer, moister air when one opens the door, and condenses the moisture into mist.

This is one reason why eggs should *not* be stored in a fridge - it dries them out and makes the shell and the inside membrane (which I can not think of the name for) stick together. Mind you, the salmonella argument is quite strong!

My mother and my fathers mother had an arguement about this when my grandma bought a new fridge and wanted one of those egg-racks in them. My mom being brought up on a farm didn't believe in putting them in a fridge, my grandma did. I don't know if a fridge is dry or wet, or how this influences bacteria, but I think refrigeration is not necessary. If you proces the egg further (bake, boil, fry etc.) any salmonella should be killed anyway.

Personally, I don't beleive in refrigerating eggs, but, if you do, don't try to boil them straight from the fridge - the shell almost always bursts, and, unless you have salted the water you are cooking them in, the contents leak out into the water. The other problem with boiling eggs is peeling them. Really fresh eggs (those fresh enough to perform the Rite af Ashkente with)are difficult to peel. The point about salmonella is well made, and relevant for soft-boiling, soft poaching, or using eggs raw (mayonnaise etc.) but normal cooking will kill any salmonella or campylobacter in eggs.

I don't believe in keeping eggs in the refridgerator either. The point about Salmonella is well made, but I have to say that I don't really consider it a risk.

I don't honestly know why people keep eggs in the fridge. I suspect it's simply because the fridge manufacturers build egg racks inside their fridges. But why? How many people, when they buy eggs from their local supermarket, corner shop, farm, find the eggs they purchase stored in the fridge? Where do Tesco/Asda store their eggs? If eggs are to be kept in a fridge to reduce the risk of Salmonella, surely the supermarkets would be under some legal obligation to keep eggs refridgerated at all times, even on the shop floor?

I have it on good authority (my wife) that keeping eggs in the fridge is actually a bad idea. My wife is a Public Health Nutritionist and advises government and is responsible for policy in Schools, hospitals and the like. Apparently, keeping eggs in the fridge actually causes the protein in them to break down, hence reducing the nutritional benefits one might gain from eating eggs in the first place.

Much of what has been written on this topic seems to be perfectly
reasonable; if one accepts the scientific theories proposed and
the consumer lives in a temperate climate.
However, if you live in Madrid as I do, the high temperatures (sometimes lasting weeks - day & night) encourage you neither to risk your XL Free Range nor your health.
And so, regretably, the eggs join the cheeses (most regretably)
in the fridge.
Or am I wrong?

warned as i have been that the elderly should beware, at 83 i come into that bracket so, as i like eggs i will eat them as soon as I get them. but i do like my soldiers in a soft boiled egg, which, of course, is not cooked!

The best way to store an egg is in hen.
The thing is cool dark dry is best for lots of stuff but does anyone have a larder anymore?
Boxers seem quite fit and they eat raw eggs. Though they can be stupid.
So it goes.

Just joined up from another site and saw this thread.
During the war we had our own hens as did most Village people. Mother put the eggs down in Isin-glass, a clear type of gelatine made from fishes air bladders.
Hens in those days laid in season so we put the eggs down as it was called in a huge stone chatty in the cold larder. The eggs came out tasting just as good as new laid, sometimes months later. The result was we were never short of eggs during the war.
Frank.