Should eggs be kept in the fridge?

[Taytocrisps]

I've been admiring one of those ceramic chickens they sell for storing eggs. But that would mean storing my eggs on the kitchen counter. Do they keep ok out of the fridge?

And that's the correct answer. So no, in the UK we don't need to store eggs in the fridge. I never have (I'm nearly 70 for reference) and neither did my mother who was from a farming family.

Yes, of course they are - if you are in the UK.
Different in different countries, but in UK, eggs do not go in the fridge.

If that was the reason it would be the same for milk.

i agree it does say on some of them to keep in the fridge but it also says that when you buy Camembert and that's terrible from the fridge.

As above, in the UK they are unwashed therefore fine to keep in the cupboard. Fine to eat well past sell by. If they’re more than a week past I do the float in water check.

I store them in a cupboard. I have a massive, freezing cold kitchen and a tiny fridge. If I put a carton of eggs in the fridge, they inevitably get pushed against the bag of the fridge, and some freeze and crack. If I had a warm kitchen (and sensibly sized fridge) I might keep them in the fridge

They don't need to be refrigerated in the UK, we never did when we had our own hens and I never saw one go off.

I used to keep supermarket eggs in the cupboard until one hot summer I encountered a truly rotten one and it was enough to make me always put them in the fridge from then on.

@soupyspoon Thank you for the ceramic chicken link. I assumed it would be an open topped, basket to store them in- possibly in the shape of a chicken.

I'd use that ceramic thing with a lid to cook a chicken stew in! 😆

I'm in Ireland, not the UK. I wonder if that makes a difference? On the other hand, hot summers are less of an issue here.

Why does the USA wash their eggs?

Now isn’t that the question?!
I believe it’s for 2 reasons:

1. It reduces the risk of bacteria like salmonella. In the US, eggs often travel before they’re packaged whereas in Europe we tend to pack close to or at source. Similarly, we have much higher standards for the chickens themselves so the risk of the bacteria is lower in the first place.
2. Americans will only tolerate ‘perfect’ looking eggs. They have to be white with no feathers attached.

Because there’s a lot of salmonella in US chicken. Which is why eggs are washed and refrigerated there, and raw chicken is chorine washed. In Europe vaccination against salmonella is common practice when rearing chickens, and so they are far less likely to be contaminated.

I use eggs long past their sell by date even though I store in the cupboard (I’m talking weeks), eggs last a long longer than their BB date. You’ll know when it’s off!

I think room temp eggs are meant to be better for baking also?

I don't think it matters, mine aren't on the side as I haven't got room for a ceramic chicken or fancy egg house so mine are in the fridge door. So I would buy your ceramic chicken if you have room.

I have a ceramic chicken. Hate the bloody thing because of where it came from. You are welcome to it.

They had a brown one on ‘Bread’ if anybody remembers that series, it was full of cash. I love the blue one as pictured

I think it depends how often you get through them. If you'll use them in a week or so I think it would be fine to keep them on the counter, but I don't get through many eggs so I keep mine in the fridge because I sometimes have them in for a month.

Wow! I’m an American who has lived in the UK for many years and I never knew I didn’t have to store eggs in the refrigerator…you learn something new every day!

FWIW, according to the Food Standards Agency "Eggs should be stored in a cool, dry place. Ideally, eggs should be stored in the fridge.".

https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/home-food-fact-checker

My mum in Dublin keeps hers on the counter and always has. Same for my aunts, grannies and everyone else I know. DM buys hers at a farm shop and aunts and grannies have/ had hens.

😂😂 totally untrue!

I keep mine in one of these sorts of things when I can be bothered to gettting round to putting them in. Otherwise they sit in front of the egg box, in their.....erm..... egg boxes!!

If I put them in the wooden egg box I tear off the use by label (not that I take any notice of it) and put it in the box so I know how old my eggs are

https://www.amazon.co.uk/APOLLO-HOUSEWARES-BRAND-4936-cabinet/dp/B00AMF9VYE/ref=asc_df_B00AMF9VYE?mcid=ebb133b187553f60b086aa080b8fb1a6&th=1&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697243302897&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4578732924964125221&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045060&hvtargid=pla-421724944521&gad_source=1

There is a weird anomaly with uk eggs. You aren’t allowed to wash them but all the labels must say “keep refrigerated after purchase” which wouldn’t be necessary if they werent washed as pp have pointed out. But then look around and there is openly egg washing equipment (machines) available to buy in the uk. Odd.

whatever, you are unlikely to get ill if you eat an egg. It’s a primary food source, ie. No messing (or at least very minimal) so store them anywhere, fridge or counter and it’ll be fine

in the cupboard in the UK.

in the fridge in the US.

How many eggs do those ceramic chickens hold? I love them but we get through a ridiculous number of eggs per week so I'm thinking I'd need a small flock of them on my kitchen counter...