Saturday, September 12, 2015

How to Store Eggs With Coconut Oil...

In the beginning when I began preparing, storing eggs was one of the first things I tried. That was October, 2012. Look how far I have come. I wanted chickens from the very beginning. Now I have my own chickens and they are laying up a storm. Close to 70 eggs a week. I have had eggs that I have stored for at least 10 months (in the fridge) that are still top notch eggs. 


When you are working with fresh eggs; you want to wipe off the "schmutz", but don't wash the "bloom" off. This bloom actually provides a natural barrier for the egg. With fresh eggs, you are able to wipe them off and they will keep for a long time without refrigeration. Wash them when you use them. Now I have 10 chickens and i get approximately 70 eggs a week & I sell them. So I do wash my eggs and cover them with organic coconut oil. It's amazing.

You may also use eggs from the store. It still works well. The consideration is with store bought eggs is they are already fairly old & the pores on the eggshells have been opened up when they were washed. Those eggs could easily be over a month old before you even get them.

My recommendation if you are using it on store bought eggs is to immediately use the coconut oil on them when you get them home.

How to Store Eggs with Coconut Oil:


1. Ensure you are using only fresh eggs at room temperature. Check your eggs against light for cracks and just use those first, don't store.


2. Take the eggs out of the little cups in the carton. Trust me you will appreciate that later. Otherwise things get a little slippery and it's harder to grasp them.


3. Get out your coconut oil, get a smidge on your hands and rub your hands together to warm up the oil or you may warm the coconut oil up until it is liquid. Several people have asked about using other food grade oils. Sadly, other oils will eventually go rancid.

4. Slather the eggs with a little the coconut oil on your hands. You want to coat the egg evenly and entirely.

5. Place them small tip down in the carton.


6. Afterwards you may want to date the box with the month/year the eggs were prepped. If stored properly in a cool, dry, dark location the eggs should last about 9 months. I used to write 9 months, just in case I forget. But I don't do that any more. Then put it away.

7. Once a month I turn the eggs over (upside down) to keep the yolks from settling.

This is a process for long term storage of eggs on the shelf. As with any long term storage, the shelf life is dependent on keeping things in a dark, dry cool location. The cooler the location, the longer it lasts.  I haven't actually kept them on a shelf yet. I choose to keep them in the fridge, since I have the space. BUT, if we lose power (short term or permanently), I have eggs stored for many meals.


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When you are testing freshness of your eggs there is always the float test. Place the egg in a bowl of water, if it sinks it is really fresh. If the egg is still on the bottom, but is starting to stand up it is still good to use. If the egg floats to the top...do not use it, it isn't fresh.
But, the best test I have found is simply sniffing the egg as you open it. There will be no doubt if your eggs isn't fresh. 
There is one drawback of storing eggs with coconut oil, those egg white may not whip up well because of traces of the oil when cracking the eggs.

Items I have used this week:



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6 comments:

  1. They will not "whip" anymore? As in, you cannot use the whites for meringue? Why would they presence of oil on the outside shell affect the inside white? In my mom's day, they would preserve their eggs by placing them in 'egg glass', I guess it's a form of silica. heard of it? And how old were the oldest eggs you used that were still very good? Thank you.

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    1. Thanks for pointing that out. I will edit this to be more specific.

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  2. Just wondering if maybe you could wash the egg and get rid of the oil before you crack it....maybe then they would "whip up" for meringues?

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. Should the eggs be washed or unwashed-but-clean before oiling?

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  5. I am talking of eggs fresh out of the chicken.

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