How Long Can Unrefrigerated Eggs Last
The shelf life of eggs is only 2 weeks if left at room temperature. Unrefrigerated eggs can stay good for about 3 weeks if stored in the refrigerator. Eggs can last longer in a cooler temperature than in a warm room. The longer an egg is stored, the more its quality declines.
Washed eggs will keep for at least two months in the fridge, but they do not have as much flavor as eggs that are unwashed and at a similar age. Unwashed eggs can be collected and stored at room temperature on the counter of the kitchen for 2-4 weeks, where they will stay just as edible, if not just as fresh, as they were laid. Although eggs can be kept at room temperature for up to one week, a general rule is to refrigerate them ASAP.
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Fresh eggs have a protective coating which helps them to last for up to five weeks when refrigerated; after boiling, the protection is removed, and eggs only last one week when refrigerated. If eggs are transported and stored correctly, they may last many weeks in the fridge, or even longer in the freezer (8, 9). In fact, fresh eggs can last for up to three weeks without refrigeration as long as they are stored correctly in a cool, dry place.
| Storage | Shelf life |
| In refrigerator | 3-5 weeks |
| At room temperature | 2 weeks |
Once eggs are refrigerated, they can safely remain refrigerated for another three to five weeks past their use-by date. Raw eggs may be refrigerated for up to seven days, but must stay in their cardboard packaging and not in the cooler section. Eggs may be placed in a cooler or freezer beyond that time to prolong their shelf life, but will not last as long as eggs kept in a cooler since they were purchased. As mentioned, washing eggs removes their protective membrane, so you need to store them immediately.
After being washed, the factory eggs are then coated in a thin layer of oil, which provides some protection against contaminants and drying. There is no reason to put mineral coating on eggs purchased at a store, as after an egg has been refrigerated, it should actually remain so until you are ready to use it. If your eggs are really messy and you have to clean them, you can rub them down with a cloth to keep the eggs looking nice (and you can then store it at room temperature anyway). If you have messy eggs that you must clean, please do it with hot water and use it immediately, or at the very least, store them at the back of your refrigerator.
You can keep eggs in their containers for safe keeping, and store them in your refrigerator, towards the back. When it comes to fresh eggs storage, you can keep room-temperature eggs in any container, like a egg crock, but if you want to ensure they remain fresh, put them into a cardboard egg carton. You can leave your newly laid chicken eggs out at room temperature for up to one month before storing them refrigerated.
If your farm-fresh chicken eggs are washed, you will want to store them in the refrigerator to help them stay fresh and delicious. Freshly laid eggs can sit outside at room temperature for at least a month before you have to start thinking about moving them into your refrigerator. If you decide to put eggs into the fridge (either because you have cleaned the eggs and removed the blossoms, or simply because you want them cooler), they may keep up to six months in the fridge–we would not keep them longer than that. You can leave eggs on the counter for around two hours at room temperature, or an hour if it is 90 degrees or warmer, before you begin to worry, according to the Egg Safety Center.
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The refrigerator door experiences the highest level of temperature fluctuations, putting your eggs at greater risk for bacterial contamination. Temperature fluctuations are a risk to eggs, so you are better off throwing them out if you left them overnight in your car. Pre-refrigerated eggs left on a countertop at room temperature will perspire, creating an environment for bacteria growth. Taking them out of the refrigerator for too long will result in the fresh eggs getting a chance at bacterial contamination.
The wash process does, however, destroy the eggs natural protection qualities, so in order to ensure that eggs are protected against future contamination, eggs should always be kept refrigerated. This is done so as to prevent any contaminants that could potentially adversely affect the quality and freshness of other eggs. This means even fresh eggs need to be washed prior to use, and if even a single egg from the batch looks contaminated, throw out the entire batch.
You will need to store farm-fresh eggs differently depending on what selection you make. Unwashed eggs have a protective coating called a shell, also called the husk, and you can store them on your countertop. The pastured eggs that we sell in our online store are unwashed, meaning that the bloom is still intact, and you can store them on your counter or in the fridge. Since the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that commercially produced eggs be washed and disinfected prior to sale, eggs that you purchase in stores are no longer guaranteed to retain most of the shells.
One noticeable difference between Europe and the U.S. is that eggs are not stored in refrigerator cases. Eggs do not have to be refrigerated, but one day sitting out on the counter at room temperature is the equivalent of about one week in the fridge, so if you are not planning on eating your free-range eggs for some time, just put them in the fridge–they will last about seven times longer. Water temperatures rarely rise above 76 degrees in the tropics, and eggs keep naturally at that temperature; without any preservation methods, they will keep well for two to three weeks. I generally use eggs in about a week, so they are not left for an extreme amount of time.
Most containers will have a best-by date stamped on the packaging, but generally, you can count on eggs staying fresh for 4-5 weeks when kept refrigerated at all times. The Incredible Edible Egg says eggs kept refrigerated last for around four to five weeks past their best-by date. You can expect eggs to last for at least one week after reaching your local grocery stores shelves.
Can I bake with eggs left out overnight?
Never leave eggs out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours. It’s advised to either immediately boil raw eggs or quickly cool them and cook them within one day. Eggs must always be cooked through, with the white and yolk set, before eating.
Do farm fresh eggs need to be refrigerated?
Even if the eggs are organic or farm fresh, it is impossible to know for sure where they came from, thus they should always be refrigerated. Those eggs are set if you chose to refrigerate. An egg that has been cooled and then brought back to room temperature may perspire, opening the egg’s pores and exposing it to potential bacteria.
Should I wash farm fresh eggs before cracking them?
After two weeks, eggs start to lose some of their flavor and no longer taste as nice as when they were just laid. Therefore, you can leave your eggs out on the counter for however long you like. Regardless, it’s crucial to always wash your eggs before separating them.