Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: Sarah J on November 19, 2008, 14:24
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hey all!!
jsut wondering about washing eggs... since the weather is so wet and cold my girlies have been sleeping in their nest boxes from time to time which seems to result in dirty eggies. is it ok to give them a wash before i pass them on the friends etc??
thanks!
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Top Tips
1. You should not wash them (though I do sponge them off if poo present)
2. Do not refrigerate them before selling/giving away. (As condensation can occur on the inside of the egg and bacteria can grow)
3.You should mark each egg with the date of laying
4.You should advise the customer to refrigerate after purchase and that the egg must be consumed no later than 28 days after the date on the individual egg.
I have found this info on a defra website and I will endeavour to place the link on here as soon as I have found it.
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Use cold water to wash them if you must. Hot water opens the pores ( if thats the right word) and allows the germs in.
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thank you, thank you. very helpful!!
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i dont wash mine but it does make me laugh when i sell them to ppl at work , i did so last week an this guy's daughter kept asking him what all the brown stuff was on the shell :lol: he politly replied' the stuff that comes out of thier bums ' as for me i call it what it is and u know what that is :lol: :lol:
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Have a read of this article:
http://www.pekinbantams.com/cleaning_eggs.asp
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we have covered this topic before, listen to Aunty, she's absolutely right, i had my own views on washing eggs (one's i'd been familiar with for years) i was wrong, read the article and do what it say's.
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I've read this piece before, but now feel compelled to reply. Folks, please don't believe everything you read and take it as gospel.
First of all, who amongst us has the time and or opportunity to "collect eggs at least three times a day" ? Now, down to the nitty gritty and an obvious flaw in the theory of washing eggs in hot water and to me, this is plain common sense.
The author argues that by washing eggs in hot water, the contents swell and virtually seal the egg. If this actually happens, which IMO is unlikely, then surely, from there on in, you are dealing with a par boiled product, but here comes the common sense bit. Ask yourself this? Which part of an egg is going to be affected by the hot water first ? Answer the shell ! Are you beginning to get my drift ? Any early expansion of the egg, is going to be seen on the exterior. The pores in the shell expand and in go the germs long before any imaginary defence by the expansion of the yolk and egg white can take place.
Nice article, its a shame its not correct. The Pekin what ? (http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Thinking/thinking-017.GIF)
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would rates of expansion not also be down to density and thermal conducvity.
i.e liquids less dense expand more readily than solids, does the shell conduct heat particularly well hence transmiting it to the yolk etc.
way i think of it would be a bit like putting water in a red hot pan, the pan though red hot wont have expanded that much but when you pore in the water some will evaporate almost imediately.
though i will say i know nothing about thermal properties of eggs, but it was just a thought.
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I too know nothing about the thermal properties of eggs, but I do question the need for disinfectant and / or sanitisers for a little bit of poo, as that article suggests. We will be in danger of losing our immune systems completely!
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EH??
Surely chicken poo adds to the flavour :D
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I don't do physics but stick your finger in boiling water and see which bit gets hot first. :roll:
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I don't do physics but stick your finger in boiling water and see which bit gets hot first. :roll:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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I've just done a thorough internet search and found no one recommending cold water for washing eggs !! They all recommend warm :
http://www.plamondon.com/faq_eggwashing.html
Wet cleaning is more complicated. The basic issue is that dirty eggs are covered with bacteria, which have trouble getting through the shell so long as it's dry. As soon as the shell is wet, they pass through the shell more easily. Also, if you cool the egg, the contents shrink a little, causing a partial vacuum inside that tends to suck foreign matter into the egg.
The upshot is that you should always wash eggs in water that's warmer than the egg is, and you should sanitize the eggshells to kill any bacteria on the shell.
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=AD009EDB2CB582D0FF25B196ECC91DE6.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=623960
To determine if cool washing temperatures could cause water to taken up by egg contents, eggs were warmed to 37°C, 30°C, 25°C or 20°C and were submerged in aqueous protein stain at 15°C forup to 7 minutes. We did not observe take up of the stain solution unless its temperature was 15°C cooler than the egg contents and the eggs were immersed forat least 3 minutes.
http://www.food.gov.uk/science/research/researchinfo/foodborneillness/eggsresearch/b15programme/b15projects/b03017/
The most important factor in reducing salmonella levels on the shell surface was maintenance of a temperature of >40°C in the wash and rinse waters.
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/9.html
Wash eggs with water 10 degrees warmer than the egg. This will make the egg contents swell and push the dirt away from the pores of the egg. If you have extremely dirty eggs, a mild detergent approved for washing eggs can be used.
Never let eggs sit in water. Once the temperature equalizes the egg can absorb contaminants out of the water.
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Perhaps common sense doesn't rain then.
I know that i've read in several books that cold water washing is best, but can I remember where ? :lol:
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Same as with gardening eh Bodger
5 gardeners give 8 opinions :lol:
Let us know if you find any references :D
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I've had a look on the internet and eventually found someone who tends to support my ideas on this subject. I admit that most of the literature supports the theory that eggs should be washed in warm to hot water. One piece says that cold water causes the pores in the egg shell to contract. Does this action draw germs in or does it close the door to them ?
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=008fgt
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I still have not found my link (the one I want) but I and going to give you two links that contradict each other. :D
Firstly we have an document from the state of Nebraska about home production.
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1724/build/g1724.pdf
Secondly and the one I would adhere to (if industry us it then we should), is from the UK.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/poultry/faq/marketing.htm#eggwash
"Is egg washing permitted?
EC egg marketing legislation does not permit Class 'A' eggs to be washed. These are the class of egg most commonly found at retail level, as Class 'A' is the highest quality of egg. Such eggs may not be washed because it is considered preferable to produce a clean, quality egg in the first place reflecting high production management."
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Just to add my tuppenyworth, when eggs are laid they have an antibacterial coating, that helps prevent bacteria from entering the egg. If you wash eggs, this coating will be removed, regardless of the temperature of the water. For the same reason I don't sponge or rub dirty eggs until I actually want to use them.
If I am ever in the situation that someone wants eggs from me, but I don't have naturally clean eggs to give them, I would offer them dirty eggs (possibly at a discount) with the above information/explaination of why I haven't cleaned them and the advice to leave cleaing them until they want to use them.
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..............when eggs are laid they have an antibacterial coating, that helps prevent bacteria from entering the egg. ........................
Where is your evidence? Or is this an old wives tail?
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No Stu, it is actually a fact, that eggs have what is called a 'natural bloom' on the exterior of the shell when they are first layed. This natural bloom acts as a protective shield and washing in any temperature removes it.
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when I give eggs to our friends I get a pencil and if there's any poo on it I draw a wee arrow to it and write 'Poo, courtesy of Maude x x"
or something like that!! If on the odd occasion there's a bigger bit I wipe it off on the grass! :oops:
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I won't be washing my eggs any time soon. I wipe them clean with straw if they're a bit mucky. Keeping the nesting box clean (as clean as is possible cos don't they always go and dodo in it as soon as you add clean straw :lol: )
I don't see the problem, it's not like you eat the shell :D
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Nothing wrong with a bit of c**p on your eggs, after all you only use the middle. Most of the eggs have it still on them.
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you have to eat a lick of dirt before you die. Isn't that the old saying :D
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Just found another article which seems to sum it all up, but a bit lengthy.
Settle down and enjoy....
http://www.foodanddrinkeurope.com/Products-Marketing/Eggs-washed-or-unwashed
basically, unwashed remain protected naturally.
Washed must be in warm water and can be protected using mineral oil.
Rob 8)
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Just found THIS (http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/159080084.html) which may be what Bodger had seen. The water to clean the egg MUST be hotter than the egg. But you can use cool water to cool it down afterwards to inhibit regrowth of bacteria,etc.
Rob 8)
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Give me common sense and experience over scientific theory anytime :wink: . Over many years, I've been washing the occasional dirty egg (free-range, of course) with a sponge and cold water, and I haven't poisoned anyone yet! :)
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I'll stick with the scientists. :wink:
They've kept me alive for 30 of my 43 years. :D
Rob 8)
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For what it's worth: Last spring I had a hen sitting on a dozen eggs. She turned out to be a bad hatcher, because the second day, she dunged in the nest and broke one of the eggs - the remaining eggs were in a right mess! I took them out and washed them with a sponge (in cold water) and put them down under a different hatcher. Now I didn't fancy their chances much, because I thought the "natural coating" must have been compromised. Ten of those eleven hatched out fine!
I'm only guessing, but I don't think gentle sponging with cold water does an egg any harm.
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I agree.
The tests were done for a commercial environment and were based on immersion, I think.
The science is sound though. It's just that, on our scales, we can get away with it. By the same token, you'e unlikely to die of infection if you clean a cut finger with an old dishcloth. But not recommended in a hospital :)
I think the common sense comes into applying the sceince appropriately, rather than ignoring it.
Rob 8)