Eggs are a staple and one of the most relished food items in most households in the world. Moreover, it is one of the cost-effective and, at the same time, the healthiest food items one can buy and consume daily.
Cooking eggs is also relatively easy, and they can be made in numerous ways; hence, one cannot get bored by eating eggs every day. However, despite eggs being a regular food item in the house, most of us do not know how to store them and maintain high quality eggs. In this article, you will learn more about the right way to store the shell eggs so that the eggs have a longer shelf life.
Store it in the Carton
It is preferable to store the eggs in the original carton as these cartons are not only an excellent way to protect the eggs, but it also shows the expiry date that can be referred to whenever you want to. Furthermore, the original carton also helps keep the eggs fresh for a longer time. The eggshells have tiny pores through which bacteria and smells from other food items can seep over time. Hence, it is always advisable not to transfer the eggs into another box and keep it in the original carton they came in.
Store it on the Lower Shelf
Even though eggs come in a sealed carton, they should be kept on the lower shelf and should not be kept over any other food product other than eggs. The reason for doing this is that it is kept on a higher shelf or over any other food product; in case of breaking of any egg, it will drip down on other eggs or onto the other food items or on the shelf below. This will cause cross contamination which is harmful to the health.
Temperature to Store
As per federal regulations, shell eggs must be stored at an ambient temperature lower than 20°C. The shell eggs stored at 20°C with a relative humidity of 70-80% will have a shelf life of two-three weeks. In case you want it to be stored for a more extended period of five-six months, then 29-30°F with a relative humidity of 85-92% is the preferred temperature it has to be stored. At home, the thumb rule is to keep the eggs in the refrigerator where the temperature is the coldest and it does not fluctuate. In other words, one has to adopt cold chain management to store the eggs for a longer time frame without any contamination.
Eggs are one of the tastiest and healthiest food items one can find, but at the same time, if it is not stored correctly, they may cause Salmonella, which is dangerous to health. Some people prefer storing it at room temperature but that does not keep eggs fresh and increases the risk of contamination. Eating eggs that are transported via cold chain system that helps them keep it uncontaminated and also increases the shelf life as it is difficult for the bacteria to breed in a colder temperature.
