egg preservation

How long do eggs keep with out preservation (being kept in a fridge, etc.) A day ago we almost ate scrambled chicken. What a horrible surprise. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

Tell us more of the situation. Where had the egg been?

Why wasn't the egg refrigerated?

Curious, as well as need more info to give an answer.

We were letting a chicken sit on eggs. We must have picked up some eggs that had been sat on for a while. Just curious as to how long an egg can sit in the koop or on the counter before they are bad.

"Bad" would need some definition. If the chicken has been sitting on the eggs, then she is trying to incubate them and will keep the temp. high enough to do that. If there is an embryo developing, then as far as the chicken goes, the egg is not 'bad'.

Picking or gathering eggs from nests with several eggs that are partially incubated, possibly (as you apparently found out) renders the egg 'bad' for the frying pan. It is a good idea to break an egg in a saucer or small dish to look for blood spots (early signs of a fertilized egg with a growing embryo) or embryos that look like chickens.

But at room temperature, an egg can last a while, but I don't know what that time period is, as it depends on the temperature, I am sure.

Search for some information on egg incubation as well as egg storage. An egg is a pretty remarkable thing. If it isn't fertilized (no rooster around) then the time frame is different.

We use to keep the hens in a coop with egg laying box's and no roosters, plus gather the eggs once a day. Then there is no danger of getting a 'bad' one.

My Aunt didn't like it when I visited the farm as a young boy. I would find nests with a dozen eggs and bring them in with all the other eggs. She came flying out of the house screaming and muttering my name (probably in vain) after breaking a 'bad' egg in the hot frying pan. It wasn't far enough along to fly yet. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

You can break eggs one at a time into a bowl so you can discard any too far along without wasting the good ones.

Preserving eggs sans a cooler... Imerse the eggs (as fresh as possible) in sodium silicate solution, AKA "water glass" and they will keep up to 90 days or so.

In the Philipines eggs that are just short of hatching are "stopped" and later eaten with great dellight by the natives (and a few drunken sailors.) They prefer duck eggs.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

A simple test for freshness is to immerse the egg in water. If it floats it is not fresh, if it sits still it is fresh. I can't tell you the science, but it works.

I believe it's called bilut, or something like that. Yuck. I recall eating one, in my drunken sailor days, but I'm not sure that "delight" adequately describes my feelings at that time...shudder...

Balute is an accepted spelling. I haven't had the "pleasure" of being a drunken sailor or even eating an unhatched rotten duckling but I worked with naval personnel who had been in the Philipines and the delicacy got mixed reviews, at best.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

"Balute" is correct. It is an unhatched duckling basically. They are complete with bill, pin feathers and feet. Now ask me how I know!! [img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img] Wrong, USAF!! [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] Their brothers, salt cured eggs are absolutely spectacular with a San Miguel served over ice! Now as to fress eggs. The USDA says fresh means out of the chicken for less than 30 days. Of course unfertilized eggs will keep longer because fertilized eggs will simply hatch. The sealing thing mentioned above will extend the shelf life of an egg as will immersion in mineral oil or coating with bees wax. Bees wax, historically, was a popular method. Refrigeration in a Spring House or Ice box extends the life of the egg as well. I have personally kept store bought unfertilized eggs for up to 3 weeks in a hotel room dresser drawer with no problems of degredation in freshness. They may have been as much as seven weeks old total before they were used. Bear in mind that store bought eggs are washed and coated with a sealant similar to as described above. Rotten eggs float because the decomposition of the chick or embryo produces gasses which are lighter than air causing the egg to become bouyant and rise in the heavier liquid. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Phil Foreman
aka Paws or
CPL Kass Irons, CSA
Quartermaster and Company Cook Mosby's Raiders
www.ohiocampcooks.org