Leaving eggs out of the fridge

Merlin5 · 23 Sep 2019 at 16:17

I took 3 eggs out of the fridge last night to get to room temperature for some baking, but never used them. I read it's dangerous and a nono to use eggs that have been out of the fridge for more than 2 hours. What say ye, throw them?

They're also dated best before 19th September. That doesn't normally worry me, I use eggs until they float to the top of a glass of water. But being left out of the fridge adds to the riskiness.

inogen · 23 Sep 2019 at 16:23

There's no need to keep eggs in the fridge. I don't. Ever.

If the float they're off. You can also tell how far they're gone by shaking them. The more you can feel the yolk move, if at all, the less fresh they are.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 23 Sep 2019 at 16:23

The float test is all you need.

Where do supermarkets keep eggs?
Are free range chickens all kept in massive refrigerated warehouses?
What did people do before fridges?

cheesyboy · 23 Sep 2019 at 16:26

Keep them in or out of the fridge. You do reduce the life by keeping changing temperatures, though, they like it kept stable.

We keep ours in the fridge only because we've quite a small kitchen but quite a large fridge. And we get them by the tray (30) as my father in law farms them.

something daft already!! · 23 Sep 2019 at 16:39

You will die after eating them.

ttaskmaster · 23 Sep 2019 at 16:50

Merlin5 · 23 Sep 2019 at 18:45

Thanks for the replies. What I'm concerned about is that they've been refrigerated, not bought and kept at room temperature without ever going in the fridge. I found this,

'After an egg is refrigerated, it must be kept at that temperature. "A cold egg left out at room temperature can sweat, facilitating the growth of bacteria that could contaminate the egg," according to the United Egg Producers association. "Refrigerated eggs should not be left out more than two hours."

So even if the eggs don't float to give me a clue that they're off, maybe they're still bad to eat?

Merlin5 · 23 Sep 2019 at 18:48

This is how they are in water. Not floated to the top, but big end up.

robfosters · 23 Sep 2019 at 18:52

Merlin5 said:
This is how they are in water. Not floated to the top, but big end up.

Big end up means they’re not totally fresh, but perfectly safe to eat. When they’re on their side is when they’re fresh.

something daft already!! · 23 Sep 2019 at 19:08

This is an eggscellent thread. Laid out very well. I cant wait until the albumin is released.

Write that down in your copy book now.

Merlin5 · 23 Sep 2019 at 19:11

robfosters said:
Big end up means they’re not totally fresh, but perfectly safe to eat. When they’re on their side is when they’re fresh.

Indeed. But the thing that makes eggs change how they sit in water or completely float to the top is simply air getting into the porous shell. Given that the BB on that egg is 19th September, i.e, 4 days past it, that's exactly how I'd expect that egg to sit. But what that quote I linked says is that from cold to warm can cause sweating and contamination, which I take to be different criteria from just air getting in.

robfosters · 23 Sep 2019 at 19:21

This is all getting very technical for an egg.

Just have beans on toast instead

bjorkiii · 23 Sep 2019 at 19:25

Eggsactly just eat them if your poorly learn next time.

robfosters · 23 Sep 2019 at 19:41

bjorkiii said:
Eggsactly just eat them if your poorly learn next time.

Eggcelent punnery, but food poisonings no yolk.

cheesyboy · 23 Sep 2019 at 19:45

Remember that thread where someone asked how to tell if an egg was fresh, took the advice to see if it floated in water.... And cracked the egg into water

Merlin5 · 23 Sep 2019 at 19:50

So what I'm getting from the replies is that I have free range to eat them and don't need to shell out some poultry amount for new eggs, yes?

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 23 Sep 2019 at 19:58

Maybe, but we could all be talking **** (male bird)

PapaLazaru · 23 Sep 2019 at 22:13

robfosters said:
This is all getting very technical for an egg.

Just have beans on toast instead

You've never tried the float test on your beans?

NickK · 24 Sep 2019 at 19:21

My wife (French) never puts eggs in the fridge. I have managed to get her putting ketchup/sauces in the fridge.

cheesyboy · 24 Sep 2019 at 19:39

When on holiday with another family, I had a running battle over keeping the butter out of the fridge.

Butter needs to be room temp, or it's basically useless. He was concerned that it would go rancid, I was concerned I couldn't make my sandwiches

I know I was right, but it amazes me that someone would make their life so difficult as to be having to use solid, refrigerated butter all the time.