What to do if the refrigerator breaks down: modern methods and proven methods from our grandmothers. Storing chicken eggs

Chicken eggs have long become an indispensable product on our table. They are very easily digestible, contain almost no fat, and are not inferior in nutritional value to meat and dairy products.

In some of its properties, this animal product is comparable to red caviar. It also contains a complex of vitamins necessary for humans, balanced by nature itself. However, in order for eggs to retain the maximum amount of nutrients, storage conditions must be observed.

The egg is the only product that is produced in livestock farming in a natural shell - “packaging”. This has both advantages and disadvantages:

  • The egg is completely safe and sterile only for 2 hours after it was laid: if the chicken is completely healthy and the chicken coop is kept clean, it is safe for children and adults, both raw and after heat treatment.
  • Once cooled, the shell becomes permeable to viruses and pathogens. Easily penetrating through the pores of the shell, they can provoke dangerous ones.
  • When washing eggs, a thin film is removed that protects the contents from the penetration of microorganisms, so it is better to remove adhering debris and straw and hay from them using a dry, clean cloth rather than water. Eggs should be washed immediately before cooking.

There are some other subtleties that help keep the product fresh.

Conditions

In a dry room where the air temperature does not rise above 10 degrees, eggs can be stored for up to 3 weeks.

You can extend the shelf life in the refrigerator. But it should be remembered that in the door, where there are special containers for this product, the conditions are still far from optimal: this is the warmest place, air movements when opening and closing the refrigerator create temperature changes that are detrimental to the product.

It is coldest in the compartments for vegetables and fruits; in the baskets for them a constant temperature is maintained, which is most acceptable for eggs.

Special packaging and a separate container will help not only protect the egg from damage, but also other products from contamination by bacteria and viruses from the natural shell of the egg.

Our ancestors always tried to place eggs with the sharp end down when storing them, and this is still recommended to do now. In this case, the yolk moves to the center, the egg “breathes”, remaining fresh longer. The air gap under the blunt end can be destroyed and microorganisms that can provoke putrefactive processes enter the contents.

Deadlines

Fresh eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 weeks. Boiled (hard-boiled) eggs are edible for 7 days. But it is better to eat a fresh product; it is much healthier for the body and safer in a situation where the eggs were purchased in a store or from unscrupulous suppliers who hide the real date of “release” of the product.

At room temperature, eggs remain usable for no longer than 3 days. The period can be calculated if you remember that a day of storage in a warm place is equal to a week of storage in the refrigerator.

If the egg shell is damaged during cooking, it should not be stored for more than 5 days. After this, the product becomes hazardous to health.

Conditions for long-term egg storage

Refrigerators have appeared in our lives quite recently, but people have been eating eggs for thousands of years. So, many methods of long-term storage both in the cold and at room temperature have been invented:

  • Vegetable oil will help extend the shelf life: each egg should be carefully greased with it, and then placed in special compartments with the sharp ends down so that they do not touch each other.
  • Housewives often make a calcium permanganate solution into which eggs are placed for 15-20 seconds. The solution should be bright pink or even red. These eggs are safe to eat for 14-16 days.
  • Egg white can also increase the shelf life to 1 month. Each egg is smeared with it, allowed to dry and a second layer is applied. After drying, a fairly strong and air-tight shell is formed on the egg. All that remains is to wrap the product (each egg separately) in dry paper, so as not to damage this shell, and place it in a dark and cool place.
  • Grandmothers stored eggs with wood ash, bran, oats: they poured the filler into wooden boxes, put the eggs in it with their sharp tips down, and sprinkled the same filler on top.
  • Regular table salt, which is used to sprinkle eggs, can also be an ideal composition for long-term storage.

How to recognize that an egg was stored incorrectly or the shelf life has expired?

The color of the protein is a reliable indicator of freshness. An old egg's whites are noticeably darker than a fresh one. If the color is pink or resembles a rainbow, the egg should be discarded. It is unsuitable for food if there is even a barely noticeable unpleasant odor.

There are several ways to check the freshness of eggs. The most common is in water.

A raw egg must be placed in a glass filled with liquid. The fresh one will immediately sink to the bottom, the one taken down a few days ago will hang in the middle. If an egg floats on the surface, it is not suitable for food.

A useful product can cause serious poisoning and cause irreparable harm to the body if the conditions or terms of its storage are violated. Therefore, eggs that cause the slightest suspicion should be thrown away without regret.

Cage housing is considered not the best solution for breeding laying hens. But if you decide on this method of keeping, you will need to make bird cages. There are detailed instructions.

Conditions and periods of storage of hatching eggs

In private farms, it is often necessary to accumulate a certain number of eggs in order to place them in or under. There are several ways to collect and store such eggs.

Conditions

Only fresh eggs should be selected for breeding; they should be warm. Therefore, they are collected twice a day.

Store such eggs in a dry, dark and cool place, selecting only undamaged, regular shape, with a strong shell.

Do not place hatching eggs in the refrigerator; low temperatures will damage the embryo.

Deadlines

It is best to use eggs that have been stored for no longer than 7 days for hatching chickens.

This period can be extended by placing them in an incubator at a temperature of 38 degrees and 70% humidity. After 5 hours in such conditions, the eggs are moved to a cool room - this increases their shelf life by another 3-5 days.

The influence of timing on the hatching of young animals

If the eggs are no more than 5 days old, out of 100 placed in the incubator, 91 to 96 chickens will hatch. The longer the period, the lower the percentage of offspring:

  • Up to 10 days – 82%.
  • Up to 15 days – 70%.
  • Up to 20 days – 23%.
  • More than 20 days – no more than 15%.

That is why it is best to use fresh eggs to ensure that you get healthy offspring from each egg left for this purpose.

Conditions for long-term storage

Advice from experienced poultry farmers will help you preserve hatching eggs for longer than 1 week:

  • A cool, dark and well-ventilated room is an indispensable condition for maintaining normal embryos.
  • Periodic heating of eggs to 37-38 degrees also helps to increase shelf life.
  • The aging of an egg can be delayed by storing it in a modified gas environment, that is, without access to oxygen. But this method has not yet been confirmed.
  • Placing them in special boxes with oats, sawdust, and ash in well-ventilated areas without lighting also increases shelf life.

There are many methods for preserving a healthy product suitable for consumption and for breeding. It is important to remember that violation of even one of the conditions can negate all the efforts of poultry farmers, and if consumed, can cause serious illnesses. Therefore, you need to take very seriously how and where to store poultry products: this will help to avoid serious problems.

0

Eggs are a healthy, nutritious product that adults and children love. They are used in preparing a wide variety of dishes: pastries, salads, desserts, sauces and others.

Many housewives stock up in large quantities for future use, especially if a festive feast is planned. Therefore, it is important to know how long eggs will stay fresh at home.

Egg shells are designed by nature to protect their contents. Therefore, they are well preserved for a long time even at room temperature. The following conditions are considered optimal:

  • temperature 2°-4°C;
  • humidity 75-80%;
  • darkness;
  • Fresh air.

Eggs should be stored with the pointed end down. Then the air bubble inside the shell is at the top, and the yolk does not come into contact with it, but remains surrounded on all sides by the white.

If you buy one or two dozen per family at the store, this amount is used quickly enough, and there is no need to track the shelf life. When purchasing large quantities, it is worth remembering the purchase date and estimating the sales time. When calculating the expiration date, you need to remember that the packaging date of the product is stamped on the container. The egg itself was laid 2-5 days earlier.

If you come across a specimen with a cracked shell, the general rules do not apply to it, and the shelf life is reduced to 1-2 days.

Egg categories

According to GOST, categories such as dietary and dining are distinguished. The first 7 days after birth an egg is considered dietary. The white is thick and tightly envelops the yolk, and the air gap is minimal and amounts to no more than 4 mm. After the end of the week, the egg goes to the canteen group. It is also a completely fresh and healthy product that can be used for food without hesitation. After about a month it is already considered refrigerated and can be stored for some more time.

How long can raw eggs be stored depending on the category? At temperatures from 0° to 20°C:

  • dietary: up to 7 days;
  • fresh tableware: up to 25 days;
  • refrigerated: more than 25 days.

Freezing is also allowed. At temperatures from −2°C to zero, table eggs can be stored without loss of quality for up to 3 months.

Storing raw chicken eggs

In addition to the traditional approach using a refrigerator or just a kitchen cabinet, there are a variety of folk techniques. The most extreme of them promise to keep eggs fresh for a whole year. Under normal circumstances, even in the refrigerator, it is not recommended to store the product for longer than three months.

In a refrigerator

To meet conditions that require cool temperatures and certain humidity, it is better to choose a place at the bottom of the refrigerator. The fruit and vegetable compartment usually works well. You can put a special container there or just carefully lay the eggs in two or three layers. Do not fill the box to the top, because the shells at the bottom rows may crack.

It is best to use a store-bought product within one month. Newly laid eggs from their hens will last significantly longer - up to three months.

At room temperature

Compared to other perishable products, eggs tolerate being in a cool room well. Recently demolished, they will not deteriorate even in 3 weeks if the temperature in the room does not rise above 20°C. Store-bought packages will last 7-10 days without additional refrigeration. In this case, it is desirable that the relative humidity is at least 75%. In a dry atmosphere, the shell quickly dries out and loses its protective properties.

Wrapped in paper

You can improve storage conditions by wrapping each egg individually with a sheet of paper. The type of paper is not important in this case. The most budget-friendly option is old newspapers, but kitchen parchment or napkins will also work. The product packaged in this way is placed in a box or basket and placed in a cool place.

Immersed in salt solution

The preservative and disinfecting properties of salt are used when stored in saline solution. The eggs are simply dipped into prepared cold water, where there is 1 tablespoon of salt per liter of liquid. The container and contents are stored in the dark and cool for about 4 weeks.

In a cool, dry room

The ability to organize storage in a cool room, at a temperature of 8-10°C, increases shelf life. Even industrially produced eggs purchased in a regular store will last up to 3 weeks in such conditions. Cleanliness, coolness and air humidity of 60 to 80% have a positive effect on the product. The nutritional value remains unchanged, and the low temperature limits the spread of microorganisms.

You can watch the video in more detail about four ways to store raw eggs at home.

Traditional methods

Where it is impossible to connect a refrigerator, housewives have to be creative and use the experience of village residents. Many traditional methods are based on the fact that the shell is covered with a substance that protects it from pathogenic bacteria.

Grease

The surface of the shell is smeared with fat and the eggs are placed in a box with their sharp ends down so that there is a small distance between them. Bonus tip: Place a thick layer of oats in the bottom of the box and on top.

Brush with egg white

You can use the internal contents of the eggs themselves and coat the shell with white. First, the first layer is applied and dried, then the second. To be safe, you can also wrap the eggs in paper and place the tray in a cool, dark place.

Lubrication with paraffin or wax

Long-term storage is facilitated by coating with softened wax or paraffin. The wax is melted in a water bath, the egg is quickly dipped into it and cooled so that a film forms on the surface. Sometimes vegetable oil is added to the composition.

Potassium permanganate solution

Potassium permanganate effectively disinfects shells. The eggs are briefly dipped into the bright pink solution, then dried and used within 2-3 weeks. You can also store them directly in the solution by placing the container in a cool corner.

Sweet water

Instead of salt, a sugar solution is sometimes used. Mix water and sugar in a ratio of liter per kilogram, boil the liquid until the crystals are completely dissolved, then cool to a warm state. The eggs are dipped in sweet water, dried and placed in a tray.

Dry salt

You don’t have to dissolve the salt, but simply sprinkle it evenly when placing it in the box. Place chicken eggs on a thick layer of salt with the blunt end up, but so that they do not touch each other. Coarse table salt is also generously poured into the spaces and on top. If necessary, place another layer of product on top and also add salt.

Lime solution

The most exotic known method is storage in liquid lime. A glass or ceramic container is filled with a solution and eggs pre-coated with paraffin are lowered into it. The vessel is closed with a lid, which is hermetically sealed with the same paraffin. Popular rumor promises that even after a year such eggs will remain edible.

Storing quail eggs

Quail and guinea fowl eggs are small in size, but they are stored better than chicken eggs. This is due to the content of amino acids that resist bacteria.

At room temperature, quail eggs can be safely used for 3 months, and in the refrigerator they will stay fresh and retain their nutritional value for up to six months. Since their shell is very thin, the moisture evaporates relatively quickly. Therefore, storage in a closed container is recommended.

How long do boiled eggs last?

Boiled eggs do not last as long as raw eggs. Hard-boiled ones remain edible the longest - they do not spoil in the refrigerator for two weeks, in the room for 5-7 days. Boiled “in a bag” or soft-boiled, even in the cold, will last no more than two days.

If during the cooking process the shell bursts and cracks appear, then even the “cool ones” can only be stored for 1-2 days.

In terms of shelf life, eggs dyed for Easter do not differ from ordinary boiled ones if natural dyes were used. When decorated with decorative shells made of thermal film, the period is reduced, since the film does not allow the shell to breathe.

Is it possible to store eggs without shells?

To save space, a certain number of eggs can be broken in advance and their contents poured into a sealable container. This mixture - melange - is stored in its raw form in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. To prevent the surface from drying out, close the container tightly or pour a little water on top.. Boiled eggs without shells will remain fresh for 1-2 days if they are placed in a container and placed in the refrigerator.

Useful facts

Due to the variety of methods, it is not so easy to choose the best possible storage location. There are some subtleties that will help preserve the original quality of eggs longer.

Is it possible to store eggs in the refrigerator door?

Refrigerator manufacturers who place egg compartments on the inside of the door are doing everyone a disservice. The stability of storage conditions affects the quality of the product, and the door, along with its contents, when opened, continually enters the heat of the room. Constant temperature changes violate the protective properties of the shell.

The proper place to store eggs is at the back of the refrigerator or in the vegetable drawer.

Is it possible to store eggs together with other products?

The porous structure of the shell allows odors to penetrate inside. Therefore, when stored together with strong-smelling foods, eggs absorb extraneous aromas, for example, onions or fish. In addition, infection enters through the pores, for example, if raw meat is stored nearby.

The permeability of the shell can be reduced by wiping it with vegetable oil, but it is better to keep odorous products in closed containers.

How long do washed eggs last?

Why is it not recommended to wash eggs immediately after purchasing? During the washing process, the shell loses its protective properties, and the permissible storage time decreases: about a week without refrigeration and twice as long in the cold. If you prefer to wash the product, it is better to do this immediately before cooking.

How to store eggs in the freezer

You can significantly extend the shelf life of eggs if you freeze them, of course, without shells. The contents are poured into containers for freezing. Nutrients are retained in full after thawing. At temperatures below zero, the mixture becomes grainy. To avoid this, add a little salt or sugar to it. The main thing is not to mix it up and not use the salted mixture for a sweet dish and vice versa.

It is better to freeze the yolks of boiled eggs. They are first quickly boiled in boiling water. Boiled protein can also be put in the freezer, but its structure does not change for the better.

Eggs are an easy to store product that retains its beneficial properties for a long time. In almost any situation, you can choose the appropriate method to use them as food for as long as possible. The high content of protein, vitamins and microelements makes it possible to use them in sports, dietary and baby food.

Since this is one of the favorite and most frequently used products in cooking, many housewives are concerned with the question: how long do eggs last? According to GOSTs, the shelf life of chicken eggs for food is 25 days from the time of sorting (the main condition is storage temperature from 0 to +20 ° C). Those that were stored in special refrigerators from the manufacturer (from -2 to 0 ° C) are stored for up to 90 days (humidity - 85-88%). Implementation deadlines do not change throughout the year.

The optimal method for preparing them depends on how long the eggs are stored. During the first 7 days, they are suitable for use raw, for preparing “fried eggs”, boiled eggs “soft-boiled” or “in a bag”. If this product is stored for a longer period using these preparation methods, there is a risk of salmonellosis infection.

How long can eggs be stored at home? It is allowed to keep the raw product in the refrigerator at a temperature of -2 to 0 °C for up to 3 months, but this is provided that these are just laid eggs. And since this situation is quite rare, it is better to store them for no more than 30 days. Also, do not leave them without refrigeration for a long time. Although it is allowed to keep eggs indoors for up to 25 days, without knowing the date of their production, you risk eating a spoiled or germ-contaminated egg. They can be stored in room conditions for no more than a week. The ideal way to determine the production date of eggs is to buy those that have the date they were laid on the shell. But even in this case, you should not be too sure of how they were stored before the moment of purchase. And why buy such an accessible and inexpensive product for future use? Don’t forget that the healthiest eggs are dietary eggs (good for up to 7 days).

Boiled eggs can be kept in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. Further storage increases the risk of microbial contamination and poisoning. In room conditions, such a product is stored for no more than 12 hours. Some sources indicate that boiled eggs can be left in the refrigerator for up to 20 days, and at room temperature for up to 10. You should not trust this information too much, since only a product that contains antibiotics can actually be preserved for such a period. Eggs are perishable, so many unscrupulous producers often add antibiotics to chickens' food (or inject them). Thus, they protect them from diseases and prolong the life of poultry products. Also, eggs that do not have a production date on them often reach us at the end of their shelf life, so they spoil faster. A boiled egg with a cracked shell can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 4 days.

In addition to chicken, duck and goose are available for sale. Their expiration dates vary quite a bit. How long do duck eggs last? You can leave them in the refrigerator for no more than a week. This product is more likely to harbor a variety of bacteria.

Stored in the refrigerator for no more than a week.

There are much more quail eggs than chicken eggs. They can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. At room temperature, they last for about a month (with the shell intact).

Egg poisoning has become very common recently. Moisture, heat and length of storage contribute to the deterioration of this product. If you doubt the quality of an egg, break it into a separate bowl before cooking. If it has an unpleasant odor and looks suspicious, it is better to throw it away. To determine the freshness of an egg, you can lower it into water; if it is immersed horizontally or on an incline, it is quite fresh. The freshest ones sink to the bottom. If the egg floats on the surface or sinks slightly into the water vertically, it is rotten. It is better not to use such a product.

The most sensitive to poisoning from expired or stale eggs are the elderly, children and adolescents, and pregnant women. Do not use heavily soiled, old or stored with cracked shells. Eating raw or poorly processed eggs increases the risk of salmonellosis and common food poisoning. In this case, a person experiences nausea, vomiting, fever or chills, headache, loss of strength, and muscle weakness. Symptoms of the disease appear 12-48 hours after infection. If they occur, you should immediately consult a doctor.

It is no secret that the key to the health and well-being of our body is proper nutrition, namely the consumption of high-quality and fresh foods. But even with the most careful selection of food products, they can turn out to be useless or even harmful if you do not know how to store them correctly. As you know, natural products often have a short shelf life. They spoil quickly, and we have to buy fresh goods again and again. Therefore, knowing the basic rules for storing food, you take care of your health and protect your finances.

So, the shelf life of products can be extended in the following way: by cooling or one of the processing methods (cooking, smoking, pickling, etc.). It is necessary to remember that not only food can change, but also its taste. After processing, the composition of the products, as well as their smell and appearance, change.

It is important to know that the shelf life depends on the conditions under which the product was placed. For example, chicken eggs. This is a natural product recommended for nutrition by both healthy and sick people. Eggs must be included in the daily diet. This will ensure the normal development and growth of children. In addition, chicken eggs are known as an invariable participant in dietary nutrition. Proper storage of the product will not only help keep it fresh, but will also save all the value of the eggs.

In the refrigerator it reaches up to 5 weeks at a temperature of +1 C. This applies to raw chicken eggs. Moreover, it is important to know when they were demolished and not when they were packaged or purchased in a store. It turns out that before the eggs get into our refrigerator, they may already be about two weeks old. For this reason, it is worth paying attention to the date of production of the product, not packaging. By the way, manufacturers themselves often indicate on egg packages a shelf life of up to 25 days.

If you want to purchase eggs from private individuals yourself, then you need to know the following. It will take about a week to collect 30-40 eggs in a household. All this time, the first of them are most likely not in the refrigerator, but simply in a cool and dark place. Take into account the temperature when transporting them to the city, because they are not sent there in a refrigerated truck, but usually at natural temperature. When storing such a product, it is very important to avoid temperature changes. To transport a bucket of eggs yourself, it is recommended to layer them with newspaper or paper. Keep in mind that the shelf life of eggs is reduced to one week.

For long-term storage, the integrity of the eggs is also important. If the shell has cracks, there is a chance that salmonella bacteria can get inside.

In addition, dirty eggs should not be stored, since eggshells can allow germs to pass through their pores over time.

As for storing eggs without shells, the yolks can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and the whites for up to 5 (of course, tightly closing the container).

The favorite way to eat chicken eggs is boiled. These are not only tasty, but also practical: you can take them on the road. In addition, boiled eggs are the safest (long-term heat treatment kills all bacteria and microbes) compared to scrambled or soft-boiled eggs. The shelf life of boiled eggs is about seven days (in the refrigerator), and if the egg bursts during cooking, then 4 days. At the same time, foreign odors can penetrate through the pores in the shell. Therefore, it is worth wrapping the eggs. At room temperature, boiled eggs are good for only 12 hours.

Eggs occupy a special niche in our food basket. With their help, the supply of protein necessary for growth and proper cell structure is replenished. In terms of vitamin D content, eggs are second only to fish oil. They contain macro- and microelements such as calcium, phosphorus, iodine, iron, copper, cobalt, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, manganese and other minerals, and are also rich in amino acids necessary for the human body.

Chicken eggs can not only benefit the body, but also diversify our diet, which is why it is important to know the rules for storing them. After all If stored and consumed incorrectly, eggs pose a mortal danger.

For consumer safety, there is GOST, which determines the shelf life (it starts from the moment of transportation). The permissible storage time for chicken eggs is 25 days, for quail eggs – 30.

General rules

How to properly store eggs?

To increase the shelf life indicated in GOST, eggs for home use should be stored in a container– its walls will not allow moisture and light to pass through, and will protect against the penetration of odors.

  1. Keep in a dry and cool place.
  2. Place the sharp end down.
  3. If cracks or chips are present, use immediately.
  4. When storing without a refrigerator nearby, turn on the fan and direct a cold stream of air onto the eggs.

Video about storing hatching eggs:

Industrial egg storage

As mentioned above, eggs are a relatively small product. In today's market conditions, it is simply necessary to increase this period.

On an industrial scale, the following methods are used for this::

  • storage at low temperatures and refrigerated;
  • in lime mortar;
  • in thin synthetic films;
  • using special oil coating.

All of the above methods require certain conditions to be met..