I’ve just bought a new fridge and it comes with a section to hold eggs. I’ve never stored them in the fridge since salmonella isn’t really a problem here because our chickens are vaccinated. Does anybody in the UK actually refrigerate their eggs?

As an aside, I tend to decide what goes into the fridge based on where it was in the supermarket. If they don’t refrigerate it, neither do I. So for eggs, I don’t.

Secondary question - what am I gonna use the egg holder in the fridge for now, other than maybe briefly cooling my balls?

  • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months ago

    It’s not just vaccination - European eggs aren’t pressure washed like American ones to remove the protective coating.

    I’ve honestly never understood why America does that to their eggs.

    • Stovetop@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Salmonella. It’s carried in chicken dung, sometimes eggs get a bit of feces on them, so the US washes them to attempt to reduce exposure.

      Problem is that without the protective coating, the eggs are more permeable and susceptible to bacterial infection, hence the refrigeration.

      So it’s a question of whether it’s better to reduce bacteria exposure or susceptibility. I am sure there’s research out there with numbers indicating one works better than the other, but it’s been such a long-standing thing at this point that I don’t think Americans would trust unrefrigerated eggs.

      • protist@mander.xyz
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        2 months ago

        The research shows both methods are equally effective at controlling salmonella, afaik

      • cynar@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Both work for protecting humans. However, I believe vaccination is better overall. It also improves the quality of life of the chickens. Unfortunately, it’s also (very slightly) more expensive, so America went the cheap route. The EU mandated to reduce animal cruelty, by vaccination.

    • flubba86@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      In Australia our eggs are kept in the refrigerated section in the supermarket (usually near the cheese and butter, because everyone knows eggs are dairy), and we’ve always put them in the fridge at home, so I guess they wash the protective coating off here too.

  • Vanth@reddthat.com
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    2 months ago

    Refrigerating eggs also roughly doubles their shelf life.

    Is salmonella vaccination required in the UK now? It’s been a few years but last I knew it was voluntary and roughly 3/4 of egg farmers did do it.

    Egg farmers? Chicken ranchers? Poultry producer? Idk what they’re called.

    • Quicky@lemmy.worldOP
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      2 months ago

      Refrigerating eggs also roughly doubles their shelf life.

      Yeah that’s fair enough, although they already last for ages. “Can’t wait to eat these eggs in a month”.

      • evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Do yourself a favor and find a local small farmer to buy eggs directly from. They are much better than supermarket eggs. It’s not necessarily a matter of keeping eggs from going bad, it’s more about preserving them at that peak flavor/texture. I have no clue where this picture is from, so I don’t know if the data are sound, but you get the idea. https://digitaleggtester.com/wordpress/wp-content/themes/nabel/files/images/egg/img_yi02.png

        • Quicky@lemmy.worldOP
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          2 months ago

          To be honest, I live rurally and there’s no shortage of roadside eggs available from nearby farms. A lot of them actually stock local shops, including the bigger chains where I live, because there’s an overall community preference to buy local where possible.

          In terms of flavour, that’s actually something that’s recommended by at least one celebrity chef here, who suggests not putting them in the fridge so that they don’t absorb tastes and smells from other foods within.

          James Martin’s egg opinion

  • menemen@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    We don’t have to in Germany, but they last longer and sometimes we don’t eat a lot of eggs. Putting them in the fridge ensures that we can safely eat them even quite some time after the expiration date (then we cook them fully though).

    • dingus@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I’m in the US, so I do have to store eggs in the fridge. BUT I do what you do for a lot of foods that don’t need to be refrigerated. I refrigerate them anyway because they last longer. I live alone, so my groceries don’t deplete as fast as people with large families, and so it makes sense for me to try to stave off food spoilage as long as possible.

  • Nighed@feddit.uk
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    2 months ago

    I put them in the fridge… On top of the egg holder … In their box 😈

    I don’t get through many, so putting them there means I know they are probably still good after a couple of months. The box has the best before date to let me know if I need to float test then.

    • Quicky@lemmy.worldOP
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      2 months ago

      I put them in the fridge… On top of the egg holder … In their box

      Absolute madman

  • Lucy :3@feddit.org
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    2 months ago

    I’ve always done that, here in germany. They are supposed to last at least ~2 weeks (or so, idk) at room temperature, after all they are stored like that in stores. But the eggs I have right now are more like 3-4 weeks old, so I prefer to put them in the fridge, because why not? They don’t take much space and last for double as long, so 6 weeks.

  • whaleross@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I do here in Sweden despite there is no need. Mostly because it is the convenient place in my kitchen.

  • evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    When I buy supermarket eggs, I refrigerate them because they are washed (in the US). When I get unwashed eggs (from a farm or a friend), I still refrigerate them and just wash them prior to use. I don’t have to refrigerate them since they have the cuticle intact, but refrigerating them still makes them stay fresher longer, so if I have the space for them, why would I not?

    That said, the eggs already come in a carton, so I’m not going to transfer them into a separate container in my fridge for no reason.

  • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    In the US, eggs are washed, which significantly decreases their shelf life.

  • Thavron@lemmy.ca
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    2 months ago

    As an aside, I tend to decide what goes into the fridge based on where it was in the supermarket. If they don’t refrigerate it, neither do I.

    There are quite a few items that are fine to store unrefrigerated until opened, but need to stay cold afterwards. Jam comes to mind.

    • Quicky@lemmy.worldOP
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      2 months ago

      Yeah that doesn’t really apply to eggs though, their “container” is unopened. Otherwise your fridge will get messy.

      But yeah, obviously I’m gonna put stuff in the fridge that would go off once the seal has been broken.

        • Quicky@lemmy.worldOP
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          2 months ago

          It’s what’s going in the appliance I’m asking about, not the appliance itself.

          • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
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            2 months ago

            I apologize. I truly was just trying to explain the likely reason his fridge had an egg holder. My bad apparently. I actually felt I was helping in my commentary but sorry as I apparently missinterpreted the post as being about why a fridge has an egg container.

  • bstix@feddit.dk
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    2 months ago

    It’s detachable in my fridge.

    I use the egg holder on the door shelf for small bottles that would otherwise fall over when the door is opened. Medicine or nail polish, that sort of thing.

    I also the egg holder to … hold the eggs … after they’re boiled, so I can fill the egg cooker instead of boiling just a few at a time. I use cold boiled eggs for sandwiches or salats.

    I do not use it for holding raw eggs as those already come in an egg shaped carton.

  • Eiri@lemmy.ca
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    2 months ago

    I live in Canada, where eggs need to be refrigerated, and yet I’ve never seen a fridge with an egg holder. I already have an egg holder. The box they came in.

    • Quicky@lemmy.worldOP
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      2 months ago

      Still one too many pieces of packaging for my liking. Put the OG egg holder in the fridge. The chicken.

  • craseng@lemmy.mlB
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    2 months ago

    US have to store eggs in the fridge because they mandatory wash them before selling, brushing away the natural protection layer that enhance durability.

  • protist@mander.xyz
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    2 months ago

    The methods of salmonella mitigation, storing eggs from vaccinated chickens unwashed at room temp or storing washed eggs in the refrigerator, have roughly equal outcomes. There are still many egg-related salmonella outbreaks across Europe each year, roughly equivalent to the US. One method is not superior to another as far as outcomes, they’re just two different systems that already exist and therefore are unlikely to change without a good reason