TIL you're supposed to scrub chicken poop off eggs before putting them in the fridge

I've been keeping chickens for about 4 years now, and I just found out last week that I've been doing eggs totally wrong. My neighbor Betty, who's had hens since the 90s, saw me wiping an egg with a dry paper towel and laughed. Turns out, washing eggs with water removes the natural bloom that keeps bacteria out. I'd been scrubbing them clean under the tap right after collecting, then sticking them in the fridge. Betty showed me how she keeps her eggs on the counter for weeks without washing them. She said you should only wash them right before you cook, and even then just use a damp cloth, no soap. Now I feel like I've been punishing my poor chickens for nothing. Has anyone else made this mistake or got a better method for handling dirty eggs?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason79819d ago

Wait actually you dont want to use soap even right before cooking, soap can make the shell porous and let bacteria in. Just a dry scrub or a damp paper towel is fine if theyre really nasty.

jamieperez19d ago

America's Test Kitchen did a video testing this, soap really does get into the shell.