How Should Eggs Be Stored in the Fridge?
For many of us, the egg holder that comes with our refrigerators is second nature. Because it’s so useful, why wouldn’t they include it?
Despite how easy it is, keeping your eggs in the refrigerator door is not the greatest way to keep them fresh.
For the greatest results, keep your eggs in their original packaging and on the middle shelf of your refrigerator.
As many others have discovered, following these five simple guidelines will help you avoid common egg storage blunders and raise your level of food safety awareness.
Don’t get rid of the carton you got at the store.
Whatever the case may be, it is preferable to store your eggs in the Styrofoam or cardboard container that you got them in rather than using fancy ceramic egg cartons or a plastic egg-holder insert in your fridge. The eggs will be less likely to break when packaged in this way because of the extra padding provided by these materials. In addition, the “best by” date is prominently displayed.
If you have a door refrigerator, don’t put eggs in it.
Eggs should be kept in the main part of your refrigerator on the middle shelf, ideally toward the rear, despite how easy it is to put them in the refrigerator door. Your fridge’s coldest and most steady temperature can be found here, compared to your refrigerator’s front door, which can fluctuate frequently due to opening and closing. Eggs, according to EggSafety.com, should be stored at a temperature of 45 degrees F or lower, thus any temperature changes could constitute a food safety risk.
A closed egg carton should always be used to store eggs.
Sanitizing eggshells before they are packed and sold is a legal requirement for USDA-grade eggs, among other things. Aside from making your fridge smell bad, this technique removes the eggshells’ natural oils, making them more vulnerable to powerful scents hiding there. Keep in mind that this will help to keep the freshness of your eggs by preventing the infiltration of other foodstuff smells.
Do not re-use or return used eggshells to the carton.
You should never put used eggs back in a carton if you don’t plan to discard them right away since the bacteria that forms on the shells can rapidly spread to the rest of your eggs and make them unfit for human consumption. For the same reason, the Food Safety and Inspection Service advises against reusing an old egg carton.
Store the eggs in the carton with the shells facing up.
The smaller, more rounded end of the egg is often thought of as the bottom, while the larger, more pointed end is commonly thought of as the top. Check the orientation of the eggs next time you buy a carton – round side up, pointed side down. Eggs with rounded sides have an inherent air bubble in them that helps keep the yolk more centrally located within the egg, thereby extending the freshness of your eggs.
