Never Wash Eggs Until Ready to Use

## Why It Works A freshly laid egg is coated with a thin protein layer called the bloom or cuticle. It seals approximately 7,500 pores in the shell, blocking moisture from escaping and bacteria from entering. Once you wash an egg, the bloom is gone. The pores are open. The egg now loses moisture faster, absorbs refrigerator odors more readily, and is more vulnerable to salmonella and other surface bacteria migrating through the shell. The USDA requires commercial American eggs to be washed — which is why they also require refrigeration, and why American eggs have shorter shelf lives than unwashed European eggs. If you get eggs from a farmers market or backyard flock and they haven't been washed, the bloom is intact and you have a more shelf-stable egg. ## How to Apply This 1. If eggs are visibly dirty: spot-clean with a dry cloth or fine sandpaper rather than water, if possible. 2. If they must be washed: use water warmer than the egg (not cold — cold water creates a vacuum that pulls bacteria through the shell), wash quickly, and refrigerate immediately. Use these eggs first. 3. Store all eggs unwashed until you're ready to crack them. 4. Rinse just before use if desired. ## Pro Tips - Once you refrigerate a washed egg, keep it refrigerated. Condensation on a chilled egg moved to room temp creates a bacterial highway through the shell. - Blood spots and minor surface dirt do not indicate spoilage. They're cosmetic and safe to eat. - Farm-fresh eggs with intact blooms can last 2 to 4 weeks at room temperature, or 3 to 6 months refrigerated. ## When to Use This Always, but especially when sourcing farm-fresh or farmers market eggs. If you're buying standard supermarket eggs in the US, they've already been washed, so refrigeration is required regardless.