Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
3. Never cool eggs rapidly before they are cleaned. The eggshell will contract and pull any
dirt or bacteria on the surface deep into the pores when cooled. Try to keep the temperature
relatively constant until they are washed.
4. Wash eggs as soon as you collect them. This helps limit the opportunity of contamination
and loss of interior quality.
5. Wash eggs with water 10 degrees warmer than the egg. This will make the egg contents
swell and push the dirt away from the pores of the egg. If you have extremely dirty eggs, a
mild detergent approved for washing eggs can be used. Never let eggs sit in water. Once the
temperature equalizes the egg can absorb contaminants out of the water.
6. Cool and dry eggs quickly after washing. Store eggs, large end up, at 50-55 degrees and
at 75 percent relative humidity. If eggs sit at room temperature (75 degrees F), they can drop
as much as one grade per day. If fertile eggs are kept at a temperature above 85 degrees F
for more than a few hours, the germinal disc (embryo) can start to develop. If fertile eggs are
kept above 85 degrees F over two days, the blood vessels of the embryo may become vis-
ible.
If eggs are stored properly in their own carton or other stable environment, they should hold
a quality of Grade A for at least four weeks.
C. SORTING AND GRADING EGGS
It is best that you sort the eggs before you store, sell, or consume them. The easiest way to
sort eggs is to candle them with a bright light. This process can help you eliminate cracked
eggs or eggs with foreign matter inside like blood spots.
1. How to candle eggs: Hold the egg up to the candling light in a slanting position (see figure
1). You can see the air cell, the yolk, and the white. The air cell is usually in the large end of
the egg. Therefore, put the large end next to the candling light.
Figure 1.
Hold the egg between your thumb and first two fingers. Then by turning your wrist quickly,
you can cause the inside of the egg to whirl. This will tell you a great deal about the yolk and
