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I live in UK and never keep eggs the fridge. They easily keep for a couple of weeks or more. So I think the "use within a week" advice is over-cautious. Handy

I live in UK and never keep eggs the fridge. They easily keep for a couple of weeks or more. So I think the "use within a week" advice is over-cautious. Handy tip, if you want to know if an egg's good* or not, without breaking it: pop it in a tall glass of cold water. If it sinks, it's fine. If it floats it's gone off. [*'good' as in 'still fresh'. Unfortunately it won't tell you if it's full of salmonella, or not!]

helthanatos 10y ago
I refrigerator eggs and keep them for months.
to3m 10y ago
I live in the UK too... it's not that unusual to buy unrefigerated eggs with a use-by date of a month hence. You can leave them out, then hard boil them on that date, and they'll keep in the fridge for at least another week. I've always ended up eating them by that point though. (I generally buy duck eggs rather than chicken eggs, though. Don't know if they last longer.) FUN FACT: a couple of years ago I saw a Twitter thread between two British comedians/columnists/something/etc. trying to out-mock one another, and "I bet you refrigerate your eggs" was one of the lines.
- fencepost 10y ago
  As a side note on boiling eggs: older eggs are sometimes preferred for boiling because they're easier to peel, but if you're working with fresh eggs consider steaming them instead. Get the pan or steamer up to temperature, add eggs with a slotted spoon, cover, steam ~12 minutes, transfer to an ice bath to chill at least 5 minutes, peel. For extra large or jumbo eggs, probably add a minute. Adjust to taste for future batches, 11-12 minutes should be cooked but still a bit darker in the center of the yolk.
  - kranner 10y ago
    Or get one of these egg cookers: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=egg+boiler https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Da... They make perfect steamed eggs every time. Easy to peel too.
  - zhte415 10y ago
    Boiling or steaming eggs for 12 minutes results in a tough white and dry yolk. Just put them in a pot, not large, with enough water to cover the eggs and no more. Cold water. Add heat, high, and heat to boil for no more than a minute. Remove and put in cool/running water. Results in non-plastic whites and soft yolks. Though, I prefer poached or scrambled. For boiled, quail eggs are great (and, where I live, also cheaper).
    - to3m 10y ago
      That's for soft boiling, surely? Hard-boiled eggs are usually left in for longer. What I do for mine: put in cold water, place on medium heat until water begins to boil (~9 mins), deactivate hob and leave for 12 mins, rinse with cold water, dry and place in fridge, leave for 12-18 hours at least. When ready to eat: peel off shell, remove skin that's left near the air pocket, stuff in piehole. (They're fine to eat immediately after boiling, of course, with the warmth making them actually quite tasty - but it's risky. Until they've done their time in the fridge, they're often difficult to peel and/or they'll have a lot of hard-to-remove skin left on them once peeled.)
      - anonfunction 10y ago
        Try peeling it under water or with flowing water on the egg. It makes the shell / skin peel off super good for me and doesn't cool the inside of the egg down either.
      - X86BSD 10y ago
        Use white vinegar in your water to help make the shell easier to peel.
      - zhte415 10y ago
        A little more than soft-boiled, but far from green-tinged yolks; this way the egg isn't runny but still soft and golden butter-like, not yet chalky. Water takes about 2-3 minutes to boil (gas). Cooking room-temperature eggs, not refrigerated, room temperature is about 20-22C. Why on earth do you put them in a fridge for 12-18 hours? Serious. Are you at a catering company that does these in mass?
- Reason077 10y ago
  That's right. The "best before" date on U.K. eggs is 28 days after the production date - and that assumes they won't be refrigerated.
DamnYuppie 10y ago
Please keep in mind that the weather in the UK is nothing like the south, midwest, and southwest of the US. It is way hotter and far more humid.
- Pxtl 10y ago
  Most middle-class Americans have air conditioning for that.
desdiv 10y ago
Isn't this covered in the article? >In Europe and Britain, the opposite is true. European Union regulations prohibit the washing of eggs. The idea is that preserving the protective cuticle is more important than washing the gunk off. UK eggs are unwashed, thus still have their protective cuticles and thus can last much longer unrefrigerated. GP's quote only applies to American eggs, which are washed.
- adevine 10y ago
  No, I understood the article to state that washed eggs shouldn't be stored unrefrigerated at all (except to bring up to room temp just before cooking). The "1 week for unrefrigerated eggs" referred to eggs that still had their cuticle.
- roryisok 10y ago
  I live in Ireland, in the EU, and I'm fairly sure all the eggs in supermarkets here are washed. There's never a spot of dirt on them. And we always refrigerate, as does everyone I know
  - webignition 10y ago
    My brother in law is a small-scale farmer in Wales and produces chicken and duck eggs. I've previously discussed egg washing with him. My understanding from such conversations is that eggs in the EU are definitely not washed. Supermarket caged-hen eggs are generally clean in appearance due to the lack of items that might otherwise stick to the them. I have found free range supermarket eggs, on the other hand, to sometimes have small features stuck to them. I'm not sure what accounts for the generally clean appearance of supermarket eggs. Maybe eggs are brushed in some manner to remove obvious dirt. But the washing of eggs is certainly not a legal practice in the EU.
    - jon-wood 10y ago
      It wouldn't surprise me if supermarket eggs are just selected, with any that aren't clean being thrown out.
Reason077 10y ago
'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.
- DanBC 10y ago
  > 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? https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/183077/salmonella-layers.pdf https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm... > 1.1.3 The Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food (an expert independent group which advises the Food Standards Agency) considered Salmonella in eggs and reported on its findings in May 20011 and considered that the widespread vaccination of egg laying flocks against S. Enteritidis combined with improved flock hygiene measures had had a significant effect on the prevalence of Salmonella contamination of eggs and on salmonellosis in humans. In the UK a voluntary industry operated scheme (British Egg Industry Council) Lion Quality requires its members to vaccinate their layer flocks and to operate to specified hygiene standards. About 85% of egg production belongs to the Lion Quality scheme. In addition many producers who are not members of the scheme also vaccinate their flocks on a voluntary basis.
  - Reason077 10y ago
    > 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.
- ksec 10y ago
  But then why does US chicken have the same Vaccine? I am curious.

helthanatos 10y ago

I refrigerator eggs and keep them for months.

to3m 10y ago

I live in the UK too... it's not that unusual to buy unrefigerated eggs with a use-by date of a month hence. You can leave them out, then hard boil them on that date, and they'll keep in the fridge for at least another week. I've always ended up eating them by that point though. (I generally buy duck eggs rather than chicken eggs, though. Don't know if they last longer.) FUN FACT: a couple of years ago I saw a Twitter thread between two British comedians/columnists/something/etc. trying to out-mock one another, and "I bet you refrigerate your eggs" was one of the lines.

fencepost 10y ago
As a side note on boiling eggs: older eggs are sometimes preferred for boiling because they're easier to peel, but if you're working with fresh eggs consider steaming them instead. Get the pan or steamer up to temperature, add eggs with a slotted spoon, cover, steam ~12 minutes, transfer to an ice bath to chill at least 5 minutes, peel. For extra large or jumbo eggs, probably add a minute. Adjust to taste for future batches, 11-12 minutes should be cooked but still a bit darker in the center of the yolk.
- kranner 10y ago
  Or get one of these egg cookers: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=egg+boiler https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Da... They make perfect steamed eggs every time. Easy to peel too.
- zhte415 10y ago
  Boiling or steaming eggs for 12 minutes results in a tough white and dry yolk. Just put them in a pot, not large, with enough water to cover the eggs and no more. Cold water. Add heat, high, and heat to boil for no more than a minute. Remove and put in cool/running water. Results in non-plastic whites and soft yolks. Though, I prefer poached or scrambled. For boiled, quail eggs are great (and, where I live, also cheaper).
  - to3m 10y ago
    That's for soft boiling, surely? Hard-boiled eggs are usually left in for longer. What I do for mine: put in cold water, place on medium heat until water begins to boil (~9 mins), deactivate hob and leave for 12 mins, rinse with cold water, dry and place in fridge, leave for 12-18 hours at least. When ready to eat: peel off shell, remove skin that's left near the air pocket, stuff in piehole. (They're fine to eat immediately after boiling, of course, with the warmth making them actually quite tasty - but it's risky. Until they've done their time in the fridge, they're often difficult to peel and/or they'll have a lot of hard-to-remove skin left on them once peeled.)
    - anonfunction 10y ago
      Try peeling it under water or with flowing water on the egg. It makes the shell / skin peel off super good for me and doesn't cool the inside of the egg down either.
    - X86BSD 10y ago
      Use white vinegar in your water to help make the shell easier to peel.
    - zhte415 10y ago
      A little more than soft-boiled, but far from green-tinged yolks; this way the egg isn't runny but still soft and golden butter-like, not yet chalky. Water takes about 2-3 minutes to boil (gas). Cooking room-temperature eggs, not refrigerated, room temperature is about 20-22C. Why on earth do you put them in a fridge for 12-18 hours? Serious. Are you at a catering company that does these in mass?
Reason077 10y ago
That's right. The "best before" date on U.K. eggs is 28 days after the production date - and that assumes they won't be refrigerated.

DamnYuppie 10y ago

Please keep in mind that the weather in the UK is nothing like the south, midwest, and southwest of the US. It is way hotter and far more humid.

Pxtl 10y ago
Most middle-class Americans have air conditioning for that.

desdiv 10y ago

Isn't this covered in the article? >In Europe and Britain, the opposite is true. European Union regulations prohibit the washing of eggs. The idea is that preserving the protective cuticle is more important than washing the gunk off. UK eggs are unwashed, thus still have their protective cuticles and thus can last much longer unrefrigerated. GP's quote only applies to American eggs, which are washed.

adevine 10y ago
No, I understood the article to state that washed eggs shouldn't be stored unrefrigerated at all (except to bring up to room temp just before cooking). The "1 week for unrefrigerated eggs" referred to eggs that still had their cuticle.
roryisok 10y ago
I live in Ireland, in the EU, and I'm fairly sure all the eggs in supermarkets here are washed. There's never a spot of dirt on them. And we always refrigerate, as does everyone I know
- webignition 10y ago
  My brother in law is a small-scale farmer in Wales and produces chicken and duck eggs. I've previously discussed egg washing with him. My understanding from such conversations is that eggs in the EU are definitely not washed. Supermarket caged-hen eggs are generally clean in appearance due to the lack of items that might otherwise stick to the them. I have found free range supermarket eggs, on the other hand, to sometimes have small features stuck to them. I'm not sure what accounts for the generally clean appearance of supermarket eggs. Maybe eggs are brushed in some manner to remove obvious dirt. But the washing of eggs is certainly not a legal practice in the EU.
  - jon-wood 10y ago
    It wouldn't surprise me if supermarket eggs are just selected, with any that aren't clean being thrown out.

Reason077 10y ago

'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.

DanBC 10y ago
> 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? https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/183077/salmonella-layers.pdf https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm... > 1.1.3 The Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food (an expert independent group which advises the Food Standards Agency) considered Salmonella in eggs and reported on its findings in May 20011 and considered that the widespread vaccination of egg laying flocks against S. Enteritidis combined with improved flock hygiene measures had had a significant effect on the prevalence of Salmonella contamination of eggs and on salmonellosis in humans. In the UK a voluntary industry operated scheme (British Egg Industry Council) Lion Quality requires its members to vaccinate their layer flocks and to operate to specified hygiene standards. About 85% of egg production belongs to the Lion Quality scheme. In addition many producers who are not members of the scheme also vaccinate their flocks on a voluntary basis.
- Reason077 10y ago
  > 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.
ksec 10y ago
But then why does US chicken have the same Vaccine? I am curious.