Why Do We Refrigerate Our Eggs and Europeans Don't?

I don't remember seeing eggs in a fridge anytime during my service in Europe – but I never really thought about it. They tasted exactly the same as here.


As it turns out, it all boils down to a disagreement about the best way to keep consumers from getting sick — specifically, from getting salmonella.


Here, the USDA requires egg producers to thoroughly machine-wash all eggs before they can be sold.


Officials in the U.S. believe that, by rinsing freshly-laid eggs with a combination of hot water and a chlorine mix, they are minimizing the chance that the eggs will become contaminated with bacteria.


Story @ http://ijr.com/2016/09/703585-most-...res-why-the-same-move-is-dangerous-in-the-us/

 

Yes, but here is the complete story.

A chicken egg is a single macro egg cell that can be seen with the naked eye.
Intact, unbroken, the inside is in theory, disease free, salmonella is present, not internally, but externally on the surface of the egg shell, a 7% bleach solution with Lysol added, will eliminate any pathogens present on the eggshell preventing any crossover of pathogens to the sterile inside of the egg.

It is important to understand that eating uncooked or improperly cooked eggs, while in and of itself not particularly dangerous, could prove Dangerous, If Salmonella is present, proper cooking does destroy any pathogens present.

Consult modern cook books with temperature ranges and use a graduated cooking thermometer.

 

That’s strange because keeping eggs in the fridge seems to be normal practice in the UK actually – our fridges even come with dedicated egg-racks. I suspect different individuals do it differently and it does seem to be one of those oft-disputed questions but I’m not sure either option would be considered especially weird here.

 

I figured it was because Europeans have those tiny refrigerators.

 

Europeans eat their eggs faster than we do in the States.

 

It's because they are dirty ignorant people, especially the Belgians.

 

Belgians have a secret weapon though - waffles. Nothing goes with eggs like a nice waffle.

 

i think cause theirs are Pasteurized

http://www.safeeggs.com/eggs/safest-choice-eggs

.

 

I actually don't really know why. Eggs don't actually need to be refrigerated at all. I mean, being an American, shopping for eggs in an Indian market out on the street kind of put me off of the fact that the eggs weren't refrigerated. But they were all fine, I didn't get sick, and so I did some research and found that they dont need to be refrigerated

 

My mom always sent me to find the eggs when I was a kid. Our chickens laid them in all kinda weird places. If we were in need of eggs, I tracked them down. If we were having chicken for dinner, I had to chase it and pluck it. No fridge was involved with chickens or eggs for me as a kid. We always cracked our eggs into a bowl first, so we could make sure there were no feathers or feet in them. Feathers and feet ruin a recipe, so you crack them into a bowl first and have a look. I can appreciate picking up a dozen eggs now out of the refrigerated section of the grocery store, now that I take care of my own groceries.

 

It is because the cleaning process for store bought eggs removes the protective film from around the egg. If they are eggs that have not been cleaned, they can be kept out of the fridge. Some people in europe have been known to also butter the egg shells which extend their counter top life and adds flavor to the eggs. US store-bought eggs need to be refrigerated. Wherever they come from, you can usually get an extra week of freshness out of refrigerated eggs. To figure out if your egg is safe to eat, drop it in a bowl of water. If it sinks, you are fine. If it floats to the surface, toss it immediately. If it hovers in between, it is okay for baking but that is about it.

 

FWIW if you have a Sous Vide cooker you can pasteurize your eggs and ensure they are disease free. 130 degrees for 75 minutes does the trick. The whites are slightly cloudy but other than that they are unchanged.

 

Never really thought about this. Here in Sweden, most big grocery stores do not keep their eggs in the cold although some smaller ones do. At home everyone keeps their eggs in the refrigerator though.

Speaking off eggs, is there any more disgusting food? Both considering what it actually is and how it tastes, I find it highly icky. Especially boiled eggs make me gag and as a kid I just could not stand the taste of it in any form at all. Today, I still dislike it but I am able to force it down if I have to.

 

I never knew they did not put eggs in the Ice box.

 

Refrigerating eggs usually comes a close second to defending your country from Germans or Russians. If you have a working refrigerator why wouldn't you put you're eggs in it? You trying to prove some kind of point?

 

I am more curious why Americans do not know the fork goes in your left hand and knife in your right.

Holding your fork in your right hand is a serious etiquette-crime!

 

I am more annoyed by people who switch when using a knife, but most people hold a fork improperly regardless because they turn the tines up instead of down when eating. The proper way is to eat off the bottom as you do not have to lift your hands as high.

 

Exactly!

The thing is that the fork should be in your right hand when only using a fork (which is acceptable for certain dishes). If you are having bread on the side here, the bread goes in your left hand.

 

That was a worthy education. Thank you.

 

It may depend upon what part of Europe you are talking about. I am from Sweden where you normally do not find them in the fridge in the shops . My wife is from Slovakia where eggs are sold in the fridge. In any case, we put them in the fridge when we get home anyway.

 

I don't think that i understand where this disagreement with the fork is going so I am putting my two-cents in. From a right-handed person's perspective:

FORK, always in the left hand.
KNIFE, always in the right hand.

And yes, the fork is curving downwards towards the plate (food), not pointing upwards like a shovel.


Of course, you can use it any way you want really and only snobs are going to criticize you. This especially true in Sweden. We are Vikings. You can pick up your food in your fist if you want to.

 

THANK YOU!

Gah. Don't be a prole now!

 

I can feel for you. I was given a soft boiled egg at the age of about six months, I think, and promptly vomited. I haven't been able to eat runny egg yolk since but am fine with a hard boiled egg.

 

It just occurred to me.
The only egg I've seen in America was the egg in my Egg McMuffin® in New Jersey one morning...
I got told their white as a fun fact, but, now we're on the subject - I don't believe I noticed eggs in the US.

 

zomg!
I learned how to do this in America! (Random, and kind of embarrassing).. I'm right handed. I was 14 - was out to dinner one night and, my brother-in-law noticed that I was struggling with my steak or whatever, so he says 'try holding the knife in your right hand' and sure enough, it worked.

I'm going to go and hide now.