How long leave eggs out

By Margaret Eby Updated February 13, Save Pin FB More. Credit: Photo by Unsplash user Brina Blum. View Series. All rights reserved.

Close Sign in. Room-temperature eggs gave much better results than cold eggs. It is easy to warm eggs; just place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.

Refrigerated eggs should not be left out more than two hours. No, after eggs are refrigerated, it is important they stay that way. Maintaining a consistent, cool temperature is critical to safety. A cold egg left out at room temperature can sweat, facilitating bacteria growth. Refrigerated eggs should not be left out more than two hours before re-refrigeration. This fluctuation in temperature is very risky for eggs.

Bacteria is much more likely to develop. There is a great debate over storing fresh eggs, which is especially common in households with European family members.

In Britain and many other countries within Europe and Asia, eggs are not refrigerated. The difference in safety regulations is determined by the chickens and the egg production facilities. In the US and certain other countries, eggs are removed as soon as they are laid and washed to reduce bacterial contamination. The washing process damages the natural protective qualities of the eggshell, however, so to keep them safe from future contamination, the eggs must be refrigerated at all times.

They are not washed and their shells remain highly protective against all other contaminants. Eggs that are marked as having been laid by chickens with the salmonella vaccine should not be refrigerated, as this can actually make them more susceptible to bacterial growth. If you live in North America, Japan, Australia, Sweden, or the Netherlands, commercially produced eggs will need to be refrigerated. Look into the eggs you are purchasing to see whether they are from vaccinated hens to decide how best to store your eggs.

What about freshly laid eggs from your own chickens? This is a more difficult question to answer. Unless your chickens have been vaccinated, they and their eggs are still susceptible to Salmonella. As soon as they are washed, however, they should be refrigerated. You can actually freeze shelled eggs to extend their shelf life for up to a year. You can keep your eggs in their container for safety, and store them in your fridge, toward the back.

Your eggs will stay fresh much longer if you use a container like this one from Amazon. By , the U. The only catch was that, after washing, these eggs had to be refrigerated. The trade-off for beautifully spotless and bacteria-free eggs is that washing also removes a thin, filmy, protective outer layer called the cuticle. This cuticle is the magical natural shield that keeps bacteria out of an egg while letting oxygen circulate.

Without a cuticle, eggs need to be kept cold—not for the product itself, but to discourage bacterial growth in and on it.

But there are other practical reasons why certain countries prepare and sell eggs the ways they do.