The Great Egg Debate
The great egg debate in the American expat forums is a hot topic these days. What is the debate, you ask? To store your eggs in the fridge or not. Those of us who grew up in the US after 1970 and didn’t have our own chickens have only ever known eggs stored in the refrigerations section of the grocery store because shortly after each American egg is produced, it is washed. While the egg shower gets them perfectly clean and removes all chicken residue (think poo and a feather or two) it also removes the thin sheen - known as the cuticle - that is the egg’s natural protection against bacteria. After the egg wash, US eggs are sprayed with oil and stored in the fridge for the duration of the food chain. This egg wash doesn’t happen in most places in the world, including New Zealand. Therefore, the eggs have their cuticle in tact and can be stored safely at room temperature.
The bacteria most associated with “dirty” eggs is salmonella. In Europe, a lot of chickens are vaccinated against it. In the US, they are not. In New Zealand, salmonella isn’t very present. In a report by the Egg Producers Federation of New Zealand, they found no salmonella inside eggs and only present on 1.8% of the shells tested. Cooking should remove the risk of salmonella, but as an extra precaution, some people wash their eggs right before cracking (though this isn’t recommended by the aforementioned Egg Producers Federation of New Zealand).
There are some plusses to keeping eggs in the pantry:
Eggs are always room temperature which is recommended in many recipes.
The fridges in New Zealand are often smaller than in the US so this frees up precious cold storage space.
Eggs stored in the fridge can absorb odours from other food products (i.e. onions) but this is less likely to happen if they are stored on the counter.
But there are also some positives to keeping eggs in the fridge:
Eggs stored below 40°F can last up to 4-5 weeks from the packing date, whereas unrefrigerated eggs will only last about 21 days.
Eggs stored properly in the fridge (meaning in the back, not in the door) will be less susceptible to temperature fluctuations which can help keep eggs fresher, longer.
So where do I stand in the Great Egg Debate?
I keep my eggs in the pantry, not in the fridge. We go though eggs so quickly that I don’t realize the longevity benefits from keeping them in the fridge. Plus, I’m not squeamish if there happens to be a wayward feather sticking to a shell. I try to remember to wash the eggs before cracking, but truthfully I’m not 100% on that either. I’ve had no problems, and the eggs are delicious! The eggs in New Zealand have a much richer taste than your average American egg and have a darker, more colourful yolk. Does this have anything to do with refrigeration? No. But does it add to the overall egg-consuming experience? Yes!
What side of the debate do you fall on? Comment below!
