Posted by BigBird on 11/11/2009, 12:49 am, in reply to "rinse? "
The bloom is the oily coating that is the first line of defense against moisture loss as well preventing a fair amount of bacterial attack.
The egg breaths!
washing the egg will remove much of the bloom exposing the myriad of micropores on the shell to increased bacterial attack.
Refrigeration slows down the bacterial activity if any. But the simple process (defrost cycle)of refrigeration also draws moisture out of the egg faster. So the big question is....
wash em or not?
I wash em for consumption and refrigerate em as soon as possible after collection (whether it for me a customer or the doggy) Only time I ever store eggs outside the fridge is hatching eggs or duds that chuck on the oak tree.
That being said...a clean unwashed egg can easily sit around on the counter (out of direct sunlight) for a few days and still be safely consumed without ill effect. However, the fridge is right there so I still would prefer refrigeration.
I tend to not wanna eat poopy on eggs....I wait for the cleanest ones. But if cleaned in warm water I don't gag. The inside is still quite safe I would say. Just avoid eating the shells i guess.
Never wash an egg in cold water!
The inners rapidly contract in cold water...and thru laws of physics the rapid retraction will suck in microbes thru the now freely accdessible pores and the water only puts the bad buugards in solution making transport across the eggshell and thru the inner set of membranes even easier!
Use warm water and if you insist a mild solution of NONTOXIC handsoap. But usualy just a lil bit of luke warm water is all that is needed.
For hatching eggs...use only a dry rag or a toothbrush to knock off the majority of crud. For hatching eggs avoid the totally poopified eggs.
The poopified eggs are perfect for twacking the oak tree
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