Did You Know: Eggs
Although food safety sites recommend refrigerating eggs, eggs in their shells have natural chemical and physical protection from the bacteria whose growth would be inhibited by refrigeration. In many parts of the world, eggs are not routinely refrigerated. Now, from a liability standpoint, I can’t recommend that you store your eggs on the counter, since there is a very small chance (like 1 in 20,000) that an egg with an intact shell might still harbor bacteria inside of it. But I will tell you that you can. And my mom, who spent a decade living on a small sailboat with a tiny
refrigerator would tell you that they’ll stay fresher if you turn them
over daily. Warm eggs will scramble up fluffier (find the same fluffiness by taking them out of the fridge the night before, or soaking them in warm water for a few minutes before cracking them.) And one more thing: older eggs are better for hard-boiled eggs. The moisture loss creates air space between the membrane and the shell that makes them easier to peel.
Crossing the Atlantic, the eggs on our sailboat actually lasted at least five weeks without refrigeration. Turning them keeps the inside of the shell moist by coating it with the membrane. At home, I always refrigerate them out of force of habit. To hard boil them, just put eggs in pot of cold water to cover, bring to a boil, cover pot and turn off heat.
Let stand for at least five minutes before rinsing with cold water. My experience is that organic eggs are fresher and tastier.
Billy:
Try Eggland’s Best Eggs the next time you want great eggs. They taste great and are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol + have more vitamin E and omega 3 than ordinary eggs….enjoy.