Always Keep Eggs In Their Carton
Statistically it is a proven habit that most poultry farmers in Uganda are used to storing their eggs in an egg carton. We know a lot of people like to throw away the egg carton when they get home and store their eggs in the little egg caddy that comes with your fridge or in a separate bowl. This may look pretty, but we recommend always storing your eggs in their original carton.
Storing eggs in an original egg carton is the best and most effective way to do so. Why? Firstly, the carton protects the eggs and prevents them from absorbing strong odours and flavours of other foods in your fridge through the thousands of tiny pores in the egg shell. Secondly, the Best Before Date is always visible to you so you can guarantee freshness. Lastly, eggs should always be stored with the large end up, the same way they are packaged in the carton. This helps the yolk remain centered.
Other Tips;
- Keep your eggs away from cooking heat; do not store eggs in a kitchen where it is hot.
Heat might partially incubate your eggs and kill the embryos in them. - Do not store them on top of a cupboard where heat from the roof can reach your eggs and incubate them.
- Keep your eggs in a cool secure dry place.
- Do not wash your eggs with water
Other tips for storing raw and cooked eggs
- Eggs should not be stored on the refrigerator door, but in the main body of the refrigerator to ensure that they keep a consistent and cool temperature.
- Leftover raw egg whites and yolks should be put in airtight containers and stored in the refrigerator immediately. To prevent yolks from drying out, cover them with a little cold water. Drain the water before using.
- When storing hard boiled eggs, you may notice a “gassy” odour in your refrigerator. The odour is caused by hydrogen sulphide, which forms when eggs are cooked. It’s harmless and usually dissipates in a few hours.
Recommended Storage Times for Eggs
| Fresh shell eggs | By best before date |
| Leftover yolks or whites | Within 2 to 4 days |
| Hard Boiled eggs | Within 1 week |
| Prepared egg dishes | Within 3 to 4 days |
| Pickled eggs | Within 1 month |
| Frozen whole eggs (blended) | Within 4 months |
How to Freeze Eggs
Did you know that you can freeze eggs? Certain kinds of raw and prepared eggs (not in their shells) can easily be frozen following these simple instructions:
- Whole eggs: Beat eggs just until blended, pour into freezer containers and seal tightly. Label the container with the number of eggs and the date, and freeze.
- Whites: Break and separate the eggs one at a time, making sure that no yolk is mixed in with the whites. Pour them into freezer containers, seal tightly, label with the number of egg whites and the date, and freeze. For faster thawing and easier measuring, first freeze each white in an ice cube tray and then transfer to a freezer container.
- Yolks: Egg yolks require special treatment. The gelation property of yolk causes it to thicken or gel when frozen. If frozen as-is, egg yolks eventually become so gelatinous they are almost impossible to use in a recipe. To help slow this process, beat in either ⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) salt or 1½ tsp (7mL) sugar or corn syrup per ¼ cup (50 mL) egg yolks (4 yolks). Label the container with the number of yolks, the date, and whether you’ve added salt (for main dishes) or sweetener (for baking or desserts)
- Hard boiled: Hard boiled yolks can be frozen to use later for toppings or garnishes. Carefully place the yolks in a single layer in a saucepan and add enough water to come at least 1 inch above the yolks. Cover and quickly bring just to boil. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, in the hot water for about 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain well and package for freezing. Hard boiled whole eggs and whites become tough and watery when frozen, so don’t freeze them.
How to tell if eggs are fresh;
The easiest way to tell if your eggs are fresh is by the Best Before Date on your egg carton, so it’s best to always keep your eggs stored in their original carton. Here are a few more simple ways to determine the freshness of your eggs:
- Grade A eggs have a firm white, a small air cell at the wide end and a centered yolk.
- A fresh egg will sink in water while an older egg will float. As an egg ages, the size of the air cell inside increases, causing it to float.
- In a fresh egg, the yolk sits up high, and the white is thick and closely surrounds the yolk. An older egg has a flat yolk that breaks easily and a thin, watery white.
- To differentiate between hard boiled eggs and raw eggs, simply spin it. A hard–boiled egg will spin longer than a raw egg. The liquid centre in a raw egg prevents it from building up enough momentum to keep turning.
- A cloudy egg white is a sign of freshness, not age: the cloudiness is the result of the high carbon dioxide content when the egg is laid.
