Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
it has a special coating that, as long as it is kept dry, protects
the interior of the egg from being contaminated by anything
on the shell. But once the shell becomes wet, the
semipermeable membrane of the shell can be compromised,
and a temperature differential can cause a partial vacuum
inside the egg that sucks all of the bacteria on the shell
inside—thus creating an egg that is unsafe.
Nevertheless, the techniques and technology for properly
water washing an egg are very mature and well understood.
Special egg-washing machines exist, but on the scale of a
mini-farm, they are so expensive (about $6,000) they don't
make sense economically. One alternative that I haven't tried
yet is a product called “The Incredible Egg Washer” that sells
for less than $120. But let me tell you about the safe and
low-cost technique that I use for our small-scale operation.
First, clean your sink and work area thoroughly, and get a roll
of paper towels so they are handy. Next, make a sanitizing
solution from the hottest tap water by mixing two tablespoons
of bleach with one gallon of water. You can multiply this by
adding four tablespoons of bleach to two gallons of water,
and so on. Put the sanitizer in a cleaned watering can and the
eggs in a wire basket. Pour the sanitizing solution over the
eggs very generously, making certain to wet all surfaces
thoroughly. Wait a couple of minutes, and then use a paper
towel that has been dipped in sanitizer to clean the egg. Use a
fresh paper towel for each egg. Then, rinse them very
thoroughly with sanitizing solution and then set them aside to
dry on a wire rack. It's important to let them dry before
putting them in egg cartons, because wet eggs tend to stick to
egg carton materials.
