While most fridges come with a built-in rack on the inside of the door, eggs will be better off elsewhere. The most important thing when it comes to storing them is maintaining their temperature and if eggs are kept in the fridge door, the temperature will fluctuate each time it is opened. They’re best left in the egg box and kept on the middle shelf.
When you’re in the grocery store buying eggs, open the carton to make sure there are no visible cracks. Bacteria like salmonella can sit on eggshells waiting for a crack to open the door. If you get home to find an egg or two has cracked, discard those eggs. Also toss any that are unclean or leaking.
It’s always best to store eggs in the carton they were purchased in rather than taking them out of the carton and placing them in a pre-formed space in your fridge.
As soon as you get home from the supermarket, refrigerate your eggs.
Also, always store your eggs on a middle or lower shelf where the temperature fluctuates less than on the door. “Keeping your eggs intact in their original carton will also prevent cracking and keep your eggs from absorbing refrigerator odors.
Buying Eggs
You can help keep eggs safe by making wise buying decisions at the grocery store.
Buy eggs only if sold from a refrigerator or refrigerated case.
Open the carton and make sure that the eggs are clean and the shells are not cracked.
Store promptly in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40 degrees F. or below. Use a refrigerator thermometer to check.
Store eggs in their original carton and use them within 3 weeks for best quality.
Storing Eggs
Proper storage of eggs can affect both quality and safety.
Use hard-cooked eggs (in the shell or peeled) within 1 week after cooking.
Avoid cross-contamination:
Do not use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Use one cutting board for raw meats, another for fruits and vegetables that will not be cooked.
Use frozen eggs within 1 year. Eggs should not be frozen in their shells. To freeze whole eggs, beat yolks and whites together. Egg whites can also be frozen by themselves.
Refrigerate leftover cooked egg dishes and use within 3 to 4 days. When refrigerating a large amount of a hot egg-containing leftover, divide it into several shallow containers so it will cool quickly.
Keep hot food hot and cold foods cold: COLD
Hot Foods – 140 degrees F. and above
Cold Foods – 40 degrees F. or below
Do not leave food at room temperature longer than 2 hours
(1 hour when summer room temperatures are hot).
Thaw foods in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Also make sure that meat juices can’t drip onto other foods.
To store hot foods, refrigerate immediately in shallow containers to cool them more quickly.
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