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Supermarket deliveries to the towpath?


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21 minutes ago, WotEver said:

My point was about the egg absorbing flavours from other foods. Something which is unlikely to happen outside of a fridge. 

Probably because the official advice is confusing and they all copy one another. 

 

Here’s a long discussion with arguments on both sides: https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-26086,00.html

 

One of the best contributions imho is this: ”one day I was talking to a farmer about it and he said, you should never keep eggs in the fridge, the reason being the humidity of the fridge causes a break down of the shell membrane which allows the bacteria which is found on the outside of almost every egg to penetrate into the egg. Coincidentally, within a matter of days, I watched a documentary on TV on this very subject, a microbiologist ran a series of test - x-raying eggs stored outside and inside the fridge, sure enough, like cracks in marble - the eggs in the fridge broke down with bacteria following the marble like cracks into the core of the eggs.

Interesting.  When incubating eggs if the atmosphere isn't kept damp enough the chick has difficulty breaking through the membrane as it becomes tough and leathery .   I wonder why the opposite happens in a fridge.

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1 hour ago, Jerra said:

I am still waiting for somebody to explain how and why storing eggs in the fridge is wrong.   Every web site I have looked at (world wide) says eggs are best stored in their cardboard box broad end up in a steady temperature.  They also say for domestic purposes this is the middle shelf of the fridge not the door.

 

How is it that virtually every website seems to have got the information wrong because as we know CWDF are always totally correct.

 

Any explanations.

 

 

N.B.   The key word here is domestic a super market isn't domestic.

 

Until I bought my boat 3 years ago I kept chickens in the back garden for a few years. A surplus of eggs often gave me storage probles, not helped by all the conflicting advice. I ended up keeping some eggs out of the fridge and some in the fridge. I never had any eggs go off, whether in or out of the fridge, even when they were 3 or 4 weeks old. They were always nicer than shop-bought ones. I could easily tell the difference between shop-bought eggs and eggs from my hens. On the other hand, I could never tell the difference between those kept in the fridge and those kept out.

 

Regarding shops not selling eggs from a fridge I don't think this is an indicator that they are any better kept out of the fridge. It's probably more to do with the fact that keeping something in an expensive-to-run fridge when you don't HAVE to makes less sense than keeping them on a shelf, particularly if you expect to sell them reasonably quickly. The shop can then use the fridge space for something else that really does need to be kept cold.

 

 

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2 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

Regarding shops not selling eggs from a fridge I don't think this is an indicator that they are any better kept out of the fridge. It's probably more to do with the fact that keeping something in an expensive-to-run fridge when you don't HAVE to makes less sense than keeping them on a shelf, particularly if you expect to sell them reasonably quickly. The shop can then use the fridge space for something else that really does need to be kept cold.

This is what I suspect hence my continued mentioning of domestic.

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44 minutes ago, WotEver said:

My point was about the egg absorbing flavours from other foods. Something which is unlikely to happen outside of a fridge. 

Probably because the official advice is confusing and they all copy one another. 

 

Here’s a long discussion with arguments on both sides: https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-26086,00.html

 

One of the best contributions imho is this: ”one day I was talking to a farmer about it and he said, you should never keep eggs in the fridge, the reason being the humidity of the fridge causes a break down of the shell membrane which allows the bacteria which is found on the outside of almost every egg to penetrate into the egg. Coincidentally, within a matter of days, I watched a documentary on TV on this very subject, a microbiologist ran a series of test - x-raying eggs stored outside and inside the fridge, sure enough, like cracks in marble - the eggs in the fridge broke down with bacteria following the marble like cracks into the core of the eggs.

 

I would have thought that the humidity level in a fridge would be low, as cooling air causes the moisture stored in it to condense out.

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48 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

I would have thought that the humidity level in a fridge would be low, as cooling air causes the moisture stored in it to condense out.

So would I. Perhaps he got that bit inverted in his mind and it’s the drying out of the egg which causes the micro-cracks (which seems on the face of it to be more logical). 

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From https://www.egginfo.co.uk/british-lion-eggs/eggs-in-foodservice/egg-handling-guidelines

 

Quote

Eggs should therefore be kept at a constant temperature below 20oC to prevent deterioration in yolk membrane permeability and to minimise growth of any micro-organisms that may be present.

 

I buy 4 doz eggs at a time (we have 2 each for breakfast most days), they're stored at the back of a galley cupboard in their egg boxes. Even during the hot summer, all the eggs were perfect. 

 

 

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4 minutes ago, Jennifer McM said:

From https://www.egginfo.co.uk/british-lion-eggs/eggs-in-foodservice/egg-handling-guidelines

 

 

I buy 4 doz eggs at a time (we have 2 each for breakfast most days), they're stored at the back of a galley cupboard in their egg boxes. Even during the hot summer, all the eggs were perfect. 

 

 

Would the water temperature on the other side of the hull be helping to keep the temperature down?   Couple that with 4 eggs a day so the eggs last 12 days, not exactly a very long time to remain OK.

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The conclusion I came to as a back-yard chicken owner for several years was that it didn't make any significant/noticeable difference whether I stored eggs for several weeks in the fridge, in a cupboard or out in the open. In my experience it really didn't matter, if one option was better than the other then the difference was so marginal as to be insignificant.

 

Ever since, whether at home or on the boat, I now just store eggs where there is space. This is particularly useful on the boat as sometimes I have more free space in the fridge and at other times I have more space elsewhere. Today, for example (at home), I did my main shop of the week and bought two boxes of 10 eggs. One box has gone into the fridge where there was room for one but not two. The other just sits on the countertop but not in the way, although two probably would have been. I don't expect I will notice any difference between them.

 

I have never had any eggs go off and I have never had eggs tainted by the smell from an uncovered onion/curry/whatever. Probably because I don't tend to leave such things uncovered.

 

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I have just checked the box of eggs I got in my Tesco delivery a week or so ago (use by date 9th Oct.). The eggs in the supermarket are stored on shelves, not in a fridge. In the delivery van they are transported in the unrefrigerated part. On the box it states that for home use they should be stored in the fridge. That's what I've always done. I suspect this has something to do with supermarkets tending to be a cool environment - no central heating - unlike houses.

When I need them, I get the number of eggs I'm going to use out of the fridge about 20 minutes before, so they've "warmed up" slightly. I've never had an egg crack when boiling, I've never had an egg go off - as long as I keep an eye on the use by date. 

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28 minutes ago, Jerra said:

Would the water temperature on the other side of the hull be helping to keep the temperature down?   Couple that with 4 eggs a day so the eggs last 12 days, not exactly a very long time to remain OK.

Yes, tucked under the gunnel is a coolish place, though it got very hot where we were on the Ouse. Think it'll be fair to say, eggs could be 2/3 weeks old before they're used. I can always tell by how far I'm 'stretching' it, by the way the white of the egg spreads in the frying pan. 

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Just now, Jennifer McM said:

Yes, tucked under the gunnel is a coolish place, though it got very hot where we were on the Ouse. Think it'll be fair to say, eggs could be 2/3 weeks old before they're used. I can always tell by how far I'm 'stretching' it, by the way the white of the egg spreads in the frying pan. 

The water temperature would also help to keep the temperature stable which seems to be an important point.

 

I would agree about the whites although our eggs never last more than a week and the milk man lady delivers any morning we leave a note.

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6 minutes ago, Jennifer McM said:

. I can always tell by how far I'm 'stretching' it, by the way the white of the egg spreads in the frying pan. 

That's interesting. How does the longevity of the egg affect the way its white spreads?

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29 minutes ago, DaveandDebby said:

I have just checked the box of eggs I got in my Tesco delivery a week or so ago (use by date 9th Oct.). The eggs in the supermarket are stored on shelves, not in a fridge. In the delivery van they are transported in the unrefrigerated part. On the box it states that for home use they should be stored in the fridge. That's what I've always done. I suspect this has something to do with supermarkets tending to be a cool environment - no central heating - unlike houses.

When I need them, I get the number of eggs I'm going to use out of the fridge about 20 minutes before, so they've "warmed up" slightly. I've never had an egg crack when boiling, I've never had an egg go off - as long as I keep an eye on the use by date. 

If I buy eggs in a supermarket  I buy those with longest use by date.

As they probably have about 20 days at the packing station, I'd not buy any with 7 days left, they could well be four weeks old. They won't kill you, but they are not fresh, in my opinion [four days=fresh]

I also look at the shells, when fresh they have a nice "bloom" which they lose over the first week. When we had hens we made a lot of money by "trading", ie holding on to eggs when we expected prices to rise the following week.

Edited by LadyG
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5 minutes ago, Athy said:

That's interesting. How does the longevity of the egg affect the way its white spreads?

A nice fresh egg sits up very proudly in the pan. Funnily enough though, you can't make a Yorkshire pud rise if the eggs are less than a day old... I don't know why?

 

Should imagine it's the structure of the egg white (albumen) starting to break down (?).

Edited by Jennifer McM
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11 minutes ago, Athy said:

I wouldn't leave a naked onion in the fridge either, no.

When did eggs go metric?

 

They are almost always in boxes of 6 or 12 but there are a few brands that sell in 10s.

 

7 minutes ago, Jennifer McM said:

I can always tell by how far I'm 'stretching' it, by the way the white of the egg spreads in the frying pan. 

Me too. Again, I can't say I've ever noticed whether this visible sign of freshness loss happens faster in or out of the fridge.

 

 

 

 

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9 minutes ago, Athy said:

That's interesting. How does the longevity of the egg affect the way its white spreads?

The egg white contains about 4 grams of protein, 55 mg of sodium and only 17 calories. 

White is protein, the molecules spread out / relax with age.

 

Egg white is the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg

 

 

Now that has been clarified, do you really enjoy food which is processed by these mother cluckers?

Edited by LadyG
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4 minutes ago, LadyG said:

White is protein, the molecules spread out / relax with age.

Egg white is the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg

 

Do you really enjoy food which is processed by these mother cluckers?

Cornflakes for me tomorrow! You've just put me right of me runny egg with soldiers for brekky

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2 minutes ago, Jennifer McM said:

A nice fresh egg sits up very proudly in the pan. Funnily enough though, you can't make a Yorkshire pud rise if the eggs are less than a day old... I don't know why?

 

My grandmother used to test eggs by placing them in a pan of cold water.

 

If the egg lays on its side at the bottom it is very fresh. 

 

If it stands upright but doesn't float it is not fresh but still OK to eat, so should be eaten quite soon.

 

If it floats then it has gone off and shouldn't be eaten.

 

I'm still here so this method is proven to work ?

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2 minutes ago, Jennifer McM said:

A nice fresh egg sits up very proudly in the pan. Funnily enough though, you can't make a Yorkshire pud rise if the eggs are less than a day old... I don't know why?

 

I prefer them to be a little less fresh when making fried egg sandwiches as the white spreads out more and thus fills the sandwich better (if using supermarket bread, matters less with the smaller slices of homemade bread).

 

Oh, and thanks for the silicone kneading bag tip, I ordered one for £3.99 on EBay yesterday and look forward to trying it out. Unfortunately I may have to wait a while as it is forecast to arrive at the end of next week, just after we head off to the boat next Wednesday.

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5 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

 

My grandmother used to test eggs by placing them in a pan of cold water.

 

If the egg lays on its side at the bottom it is very fresh. 

 

If it stands upright but doesn't float it is not fresh but still OK to eat, so should be eaten quite soon.

 

If it floats then it has gone off and shouldn't be eaten.

 

And if it jumps out of the pan and runs away....

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10 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

 

My grandmother used to test eggs by placing them in a pan of cold water.

 

If the egg lays on its side at the bottom it is very fresh. 

 

If it stands upright but doesn't float it is not fresh but still OK to eat, so should be eaten quite soon.

 

If it floats then it has gone off and shouldn't be eaten.

 

I'm still here so this method is proven to work ?

I hard-boiled 6 yesterday,  2 days before their best before date.

 

5 lay on the bottom, one stood up but did not float. There was no difference in taste although the large air bubble in the standy-uppy one caused the shell to crack enough for about 20% of the egg to ooze out before it solidified enough to heal itself.

 

I do miss the eggs from my own chickens, always in the "very large" category and always with disproportionately large deep orange yolks. I don't miss the crap all over the garden though. Unfortunately the local wood pigeons are doing their best to cover the manure shortfall.

 

 

Edited by Lily Rose
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