To Wash or Not To Wash

Should you wash fresh eggs?

There seems to be a lot of debate on the topic lately.  I've had several folks ask me recently whether I wash my eggs and why.  The assumption seems to be that "good" eggs wouldn't require washing; there seems to be a vague sentiment that washing is strictly for commercial eggs produced under filthy conditions.  This is an understandable perception, but it's not necessarily true.

I do wash my eggs.  I use cool water, a drop of dish soap, and a little scrubby pad, and gently clean the entire surface of the shell.  Usually, the eggs look no different after washing than they did before washing - they rarely have any visible dirt on them.  It's not about making "pretty" eggs; it's strictly about making sure the eggs are safe to eat.

Why would an unwashed egg be unsafe?  Well, it's because a perfectly healthy hen can carry Salmonella and other potentially harmful bacteria in her digestive tract.  For the chicken, this causes no trouble at all.  But as everyone knows, people exposed to Salmonella can get very sick. You might think that if you keep a nice clean coop and nice clean nesting boxes, the eggs should be safe to eat without washing (especially since no one eats the shell anyway).  In most cases, this is true.  It is not always true, however.

And here is why:  Chickens have what's called a "vent."  This vent is the single "exit" from a bird's body.  Both eggs and excrement pass through the vent.  Which means that an egg is potentially exposed to bird waste (and thus, the bacteria in the bird's digestive system) before it ever even sees the light of day!  The egg may look perfectly clean, but is it?

To me, the obvious choice is to take no chances.

We all know that commercial eggs are washed.  They have to be.  But once you wash an egg, you have probably removed some of the protective coating on the surface of the egg, particularly if you use a chemical and or mechanical wash.  The coating is nature's way of preventing a growing chick from drying out during incubation.  But chick or no chick, loss of that coating also means that the egg won't store very long.

Commercially produced eggs have to have an incredibly long shelf life - I've heard estimates that the average age of an egg on the grocery store shelf is measured in months before you even buy it!  If you want an egg to still be even remotely edible at that age, you have to keep it from drying out.

So what to do if you are a commercial producer and you don't want your washed eggs to go bad before they are sold, perhaps months later?  You treat them.  You roll them around in a starchy substance after washing to compensate for the loss of the natural coating the egg once had.  With treatment, the egg will hold onto its moisture content and store for long periods of time.

I'm not saying there is anything inherently evil about the starch used to treat eggs.  For most people, it makes no difference whether it's on an egg shell or not.  But let's back up a moment to the larger question:  

Why would you want to eat an egg that has sat in a refrigerator for months on end? 

Even with washing, treating, and refrigeration, eggs that have been stored for long periods of time are watery and flavorless.  I'd be willing to bet that they've lost a fair portion of their nutritional value by the time you buy them too.  Even if it's safe to eat eggs that have been stored a long time, it's not going to be a culinary experience of any greatness...

The real trouble with commercial eggs isn't the washing.  It isn't even the starch treatment.  It's the age!

If you buy your eggs, I recommend buying them fresh from a local producer, and to ask whether and how they are washed.

If you are raising your own birds, I would definitely encourage you to wash your eggs. 

Here are some other recommendations for producing great eggs:

• For washing, use cool water, not hot water.  Hot water can open the pores in the shell and potentially allow bacteria to penetrate the egg.
• If you use soap, choose a natural, food-safe detergent, preferably phosphate-free and biodegradable.
• Be gentle with the protective coating.  If you are washing by hand, you can generally leave that coating unharmed and your eggs will maintain their moisture and flavor better.
• Wash as soon as possible after collecting the eggs.  There is no point in allowing any bacteria that may be present to sit around on the shells.
• Keep your chickens healthy - provide good food, clean water, and plenty of space for them to run around
• Keep your coops, yards, and nesting areas clean