# Eggs at room temp?



## iamafoodie

Here is another question for the group....

When baking do you set out your eggs on the counter and let them come to room temperature before adding them to your other ingredients?

I think it was the Barefoot Contessa on one of her older shows that said she does this. I don''t remember the reasoning.....maybe it makes the batter lighter and again it may have been for the particular dessert she was making too. I don't remember what she was making at the time. 
She also said that if you didn't have time you could set them out on your counter the night before.

What is everyones opinion on this?.....come on...I know you have one


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## menumaker

I prefer to use my eggs at room temperature when I know I'm going to need them. They are much better this way especially when I am making Meringues. They seem to whip up far more. We used to keep them in the pantry when I was a kid. It may just be a matter of choice but I believe you get better results when used at room temperature


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## Andy M.

One of the 'rules' of baking is that all your ingredients should be at the same temperature.  If I remember, I take things out in advance.


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## kadesma

Andy M. said:


> One of the 'rules' of baking is that all your ingredients should be at the same temperature. If I remember, I take things out in advance.


 Me too Andy. Works better that way
kades/ma


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## Dawgluver

Lots of places, Mexico comes to mind, leave their eggs out at room temp all the time.


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## MrsLMB

I will bring mine to room temperature for recipes but store them in the fridge.  It must be because that's what my parents did and also because they are refrigerated when I purchase them.  However, I knew a lady who had her own chickens and she never chilled her eggs.  

I wonder when it began to be the norm to chill the eggs?


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## bakechef

Ingredients incorporate much more evenly when they are all at room temperature, especially in cakes.  It improves the end result.

When I need to get them up to room temp fast because I forgot to take them out, I put them in a small bowl and fill the bowl with very warm tap water, they will be ready to use in about 10 minutes.


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## tinlizzie

Dawgluver said:


> Lots of places, Mexico comes to mind, leave their eggs out at room temp all the time.



I've heard that in places where there's lack of refrigeration, people coat the eggs with something like Crisco to seal the pores and protect the insides.

I, too, try to set eggs out on the counter early for whatever recipe.


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## Aunt Bea

I never remember to pull them out of the refrigerator ahead of time!

I like bakechef's tip, that would work for me!

When I was little my Grandmother did not refrigerate eggs and we seldom had a problem with bad eggs.  The eggs were fresh and we had a new batch every day or so.  Any that were left after a couple of days went into the dog's food dish or the pig's bucket.  I have been told that it is not safe to take eggs that have been refrigerated and then leave them on the counter for extended periods of time.  Now days I see no reason to take the risk.

If you think about it eggs were designed to be held at room temperature!


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## Dawgluver

tinlizzie said:


> I've heard that in places where there's lack of refrigeration, people coat the eggs with something like Crisco to seal the pores and protect the insides.
> 
> I, too, try to set eggs out on the counter early for whatever recipe.



I don't think where we've been in Mexico coats them with anything, they sit on huge pallets in the middle of the grocery stores.  Fresh from the chickens.  Or not, so far so good.


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## Andy M.

MrsLMB said:


> I will bring mine to room temperature for recipes but store them in the fridge.  It must be because that's what my parents did and also because they are refrigerated when I purchase them.  However, I knew a lady who had her own chickens and she never chilled her eggs.
> 
> I wonder when it began to be the norm to chill the eggs?



When eggs started coming from giant egg farms and not the farmer down the road.  Refrigeration became necessary because eggs had to travel farther.

Eggs last seven times longer under refrigeration than at room temperature.

The American Egg Board has a great website with lots of information about eggs.  It's worth looking at.

Incredible Edible Egg | Eggs | Egg Recipes, Egg Nutrition & Egg Facts


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## bakechef

Dawgluver said:


> I don't think where we've been in Mexico coats them with anything, they sit on huge pallets in the middle of the grocery stores.  Fresh from the chickens.  Or not, so far so good.



Went into a Super Walmart in Puerto Vallarta and it was interesting seeing how food is handled differently, eggs out at room temp, most milk sold was shelf stable in aseptic containers, with only a small section for refrigerated milk.






Oh and they had Philadelphia cream cheese singles, ready to lay on a bagel or sandwich, why don't we have that here? 





I've heard that fresh eggs are good for 2 weeks at room temp.


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## Dawgluver

bakechef said:


> Went into a Super Walmart in Puerto Vallarta and it was interesting seeing how food is handled differently, eggs out at room temp, most milk sold was shelf stable in aseptic containers, with only a small section for refrigerated milk.
> 
> Oh and they had Philadelphia cream cheese singles, ready to lay on a bagel or sandwich, why don't we have that here?
> 
> I've heard that fresh eggs are good for 2 weeks at room temp.



Yes!  We frequent Cozumel.  Eggs are in abundance, sitting unrefrigerated in the middle of the store on huge pallets.  No fresh milk to be found, it's all in cartons on the shelf that are good for 2 years or more.  Not too bad if it's chilled.


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## bakechef

Dawgluver said:


> Yes!  We frequent Cozumel.  Eggs are in abundance, sitting unrefrigerated in the middle of the store on huge pallets.  No fresh milk to be found, it's all in cartons on the shelf that are good for 2 years or more.  Not too bad if it's chilled.



I like Cozumel, good vibe.  I've visited via cruise ship many times, I would love to stay longer sometime.


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## powerplantop

Dawgluver said:


> I don't think where we've been in Mexico coats them with anything, they sit on huge pallets in the middle of the grocery stores.  Fresh from the chickens.  Or not, so far so good.



I saw the same in Colombia and Chile. Even in the big modern markets (even the ones owned by Wall-Mart)


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## jusnikki

I do set my eggs out to room temp but if I don't have time, I also place them in warm water.

For meringue, it's easier to separate yokes from whites while they're cold and then let them get to room temp.


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## Andy M.

We go to Aruba every winter.  12-13 years ago, when eggs arrived at the supermarket, the cartons were stacked on the floor in front of the refrigerated cases!?  As time went by, they started putting the eggs into the refrigerated cases to appease tourists' sensibilities.

Now they are refrigerated but you still have to open the cartons and do some shuffling to get a full dozen unbroken eggs.


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## Dawgluver

bakechef said:


> I like Cozumel, good vibe.  I've visited via cruise ship many times, I would love to stay longer sometime.



You have to stay longer.  It's my favorite place in the world!


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## bakechef

jusnikki said:


> I do set my eggs out to room temp but if I don't have time, I also place them in warm water.
> 
> For meringue, it's easier to separate yokes from whites while they're cold and then let them get to room temp.



I've experienced the opposite, for me they separate easier and cleaner when room temp.  I use my hand to separate (let the whites slip through my fingers) and when room temp, it seems like the white separates cleanly from the yolk, so when I place the yolk in the bowl there is no white around the yolk.


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## Claire

Even for making pasta (I don't bake), my husband prefers the eggs to be at room temperature.


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## Mad Cook

iamafoodie said:


> Here is another question for the group....
> 
> When baking do you set out your eggs on the counter and let them come to room temperature before adding them to your other ingredients?
> 
> I think it was the Barefoot Contessa on one of her older shows that said she does this. I don''t remember the reasoning.....maybe it makes the batter lighter and again it may have been for the particular dessert she was making too. I don't remember what she was making at the time.
> She also said that if you didn't have time you could set them out on your counter the night before.
> 
> What is everyones opinion on this?.....come on...I know you have one


Not just BC who advocates this. It's an essential for anything that involves beating air into the accompanying mix. Leave them out over night to come to room temp if you absolutely _must_ keep them in the 'fridge. 

Actually, I don't refridgerate eggs at all. I only buy what I can use in a few days and keep them in a basket on the counter out of direct sunlight. I'm also careful what I buy. I only buy UK marked eggs from the producer rather than the supermarket and reject any that are cracked, dirty or in a stained box. Obviously if you live in a very hot country or state then my system may not work as eggs shouldn't be stored above 20 degrees centigrade/68  degrees fahrenheit.

If you notice, they aren't refridgerated when they are on display in the shops.


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## Mad Cook

Andy M. said:


> When eggs started coming from giant egg farms and not the farmer down the road. Refrigeration became necessary because eggs had to travel farther.
> 
> *Eggs last seven times longer under refrigeration than at room temperature.*
> 
> The American Egg Board has a great website with lots of information about eggs. It's worth looking at.
> 
> Incredible Edible Egg | Eggs | Egg Recipes, Egg Nutrition & Egg Facts


But do you actually _want_ your eggs to be that old? Much better to buy in small quantities according to your usage weekly not monthly in bulk.


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## Andy M.

Mad Cook said:


> But do you actually _want_ your eggs to be that old? Much better to buy in small quantities according to your usage weekly not monthly in bulk.



Who said anything about buying in bulk?  I buy a dozen at a time and they last one to two weeks.  I see no reason to leave them out and have them potentially spoil before I use them.  And, No, I don't plan to go to the store more frequently.


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## Mad Cook

tinlizzie said:


> I've heard that in places where there's lack of refrigeration, people coat the eggs with something like Crisco to seal the pores and protect the insides.
> 
> I, too, try to set eggs out on the counter early for whatever recipe.


In the past that was indeed the case. Another method involved putting them up in isinglass.

During the second world war dried egg from America came to Britain in the food and weapons convoys. Some people thought them disgusting but my mother said that if they were rehydrated properly they made a delicious omelette. She used to say that the thought of the "American" omelette in the morning was what made the night shift in the munitions factory bearable!


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## sparrowgrass

Eggs right out of the chicken don't need to be refrigerated--a coating on the egg (supplied by the hen) keeps the egg from drying out.

Commercial eggs in the US are washed--that coating is gone, so those need to be refrigerated.

Eggs are designed to remain fresh for at least 3 weeks--it takes 3 weeks for the chick to hatch.  If unfertilized eggs in the nest spoiled before the chicks hatched, it would cause disease and attract predators.

So--if you have farm eggs, leave 'em on the counter, and use them in a week or two. Grocery store eggs should be refrigerated.

(I am an eggspert--used to work for USDA as a grader, and I have had my own chickens for a dozen years.)


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## Andy M.

sparrowgrass said:


> Eggs right out of the chicken don't need to be refrigerated--a coating on the egg (supplied by the hen) keeps the egg from drying out.
> 
> Commercial eggs in the US are washed--that coating is gone, so those need to be refrigerated.
> 
> Eggs are designed to remain fresh for at least 3 weeks--it takes 3 weeks for the chick to hatch.  If unfertilized eggs in the nest spoiled before the chicks hatched, it would cause disease and attract predators.
> 
> So--if you have farm eggs, leave 'em on the counter, and use them in a week or two. Grocery store eggs should be refrigerated.
> 
> (I am an eggspert--used to work for USDA as a grader, and I have had my own chickens for a dozen years.)




Sadly, the vast majority of the population does not have warm from the hen eggs available to them.


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## cave76

We used to have our own chickens, first Leghorns then later Rhode Island Reds. (Digressing here----- if anyone has ever tried to chase down an escaped Leghorn then they'll know what is meant by "Faster than a speeding pullet" LOL)

When we went on a 3 week camping vacation in Baja California and knew we wouldn't be near any stores I took eggs fresh from the chickens, didn't wash them, coated them with paraffin and wrapped each one in newspaper. They stayed fresh the entire time. 

Another digression----- when using the eggs from my own chickens I couldn't get boiled eggs to peel easily---- hardly at all--- what a mess!  I experimented with all sorts of times etc. Store bought eggs always peeled fine. I finally kept a dozen (really) fresh eggs out and would try hard boiling them at various elapsed days. 

It was only until the eggs were about 3 weeks old did they start to peel like store-boughts. So, "Farm Fresh" eggs in the supermarket may not be as 'fresh' as one would hope. But at least they're refrigerated.


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## Oldvine

I sort of do as Andy does.  If I remember, I try to get everything out and ready to go at room temp.


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## Andy M.

cave76 said:


> ...(Digressing here----- if anyone has ever tried to chase down an escaped Leghorn then they'll know what is meant by "Faster than a speeding pullet" LOL)
> 
> ...So, "Farm Fresh" eggs in the supermarket may not be as 'fresh' as one would hope. But at least they're refrigerated.



They just have to be faster than you...

Older eggs peel easier.  As the egg white shrinks, it makes space inside the eggshell for air to help separate the egg from the shell.

I'm making deviled eggs for a function next Saturday.  I bought the eggs yesterday and will store them on their sides in the refrigerator until I make them next Saturday.


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## bakechef

Mad Cook said:


> But do you actually _want_ your eggs to be that old? Much better to buy in small quantities according to your usage weekly not monthly in bulk.



Here in the states weekly food shopping is the norm.  We have large refrigerators.  Most people don't go to the market for their large shop more than once a week, if they do it is to fill in little things.

I buy eggs 2 dozen at a time from the farmer's market, it isn't as easy to get to so I have to go on my day off.  Supermarkets here rarely carry local fresh eggs.


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## Mad Cook

Dawgluver said:


> Yes! We frequent Cozumel. Eggs are in abundance, sitting unrefrigerated in the middle of the store on huge pallets. No fresh milk to be found, it's all in cartons on the shelf that are good for 2 years or more. Not too bad if it's chilled.


But it's vile in tea!


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## Mad Cook

bakechef said:


> Here in the states weekly food shopping is the norm. We have large refrigerators. Most people don't go to the market for their large shop more than once a week, if they do it is to fill in little things.
> 
> I buy eggs 2 dozen at a time from the farmer's market, it isn't as easy to get to so I have to go on my day off. Supermarkets here rarely carry local fresh eggs.


Supermarkets rarely carry fresh eggs period! By the time they've been shunted from place to place and driven several times round the country they are tired to say the least.


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## jusnikki

bakechef said:


> I've experienced the opposite, for me they separate easier and cleaner when room temp.  I use my hand to separate (let the whites slip through my fingers) and when room temp, it seems like the white separates cleanly from the yolk, so when I place the yolk in the bowl there is no white around the yolk.




It seems to me the yoke tends to break more easily when at room temp. But I do use the rotating from shell to shell to separate. It's also easier to pick out that little cloudy clump when cold. I just don't like that in there, lol.


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## cave76

jusnikki said:


> It's also easier to pick out that little cloudy clump when cold. I just don't like that in there, lol.





I have a friend (who is usually quite centered and sane) who will NOT eat those "little clumps." LOL

I finally looked up what they are---chalazae.

"An egg yolk is basically a bag of concentrated food for the development of a chicken embryo if the egg is fertilized. It doesn’t float around freely inside the clear egg white, but is anchored to the shell by two little twisted ropes called chalazae (pronounced cuh-LAY-zee), and these are the white things you are talking about. One chalaza connects the yolk at the more pointed end of the egg and the other at the rounder end. This tethering ensures that the yolk is protected against hitting the inner walls of the egg if the egg is moved around."

"As eggs age, these structures start to disappear, so clearly visible chalazae are a good sign your eggs are fresh."


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## jusnikki

cave76 said:


> I have a friend (who is usually quite centered and sane) who will NOT eat those "little clumps." LOL
> 
> I finally looked up what they are---chalazae.
> 
> "An egg yolk is basically a bag of concentrated food for the development of a chicken embryo if the egg is fertilized. It doesn’t float around freely inside the clear egg white, but is anchored to the shell by two little twisted ropes called chalazae (pronounced cuh-LAY-zee), and these are the white things you are talking about. One chalaza connects the yolk at the more pointed end of the egg and the other at the rounder end. This tethering ensures that the yolk is protected against hitting the inner walls of the egg if the egg is moved around."
> 
> "As eggs age, these structures start to disappear, so clearly visible chalazae are a good sign your eggs are fresh."



I was thinking it could possibly be the embryo so I could never make myself leave it in, lol. So I learned something new today...


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## chopper

Just read this thread.  I really miss CWS.  She would have had a lot to say about eggs.  

My grandma always told us not to wash the eggs after getting them from the coop.  She said that we needed to wait until right before cracking to wash because that was how they were kept fresh, and she kept them in the pantry.  I have always kept my eggs in the refrigerator because they look really clean when I buy them, so I know someone washed them too early.


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## bakechef

cave76 said:


> I have a friend (who is usually quite centered and sane) who will NOT eat those "little clumps." LOL
> 
> I finally looked up what they are---chalazae.
> 
> "An egg yolk is basically a bag of concentrated food for the development of a chicken embryo if the egg is fertilized. It doesn’t float around freely inside the clear egg white, but is anchored to the shell by two little twisted ropes called chalazae (pronounced cuh-LAY-zee), and these are the white things you are talking about. One chalaza connects the yolk at the more pointed end of the egg and the other at the rounder end. This tethering ensures that the yolk is protected against hitting the inner walls of the egg if the egg is moved around."
> 
> "As eggs age, these structures start to disappear, so clearly visible chalazae are a good sign your eggs are fresh."



Well that explains why the eggs from the farmer's market (fresh, really free roaming, outdoors chickens) have a much more visible white thingy.


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## Freki

I buy my eggs locally, and get them unwashed, which allows me to keep them at room temperature at all times without fear of spoilage.  When they are washed, it removes a natural coating, "cuticle" if I remember correctly, that creates a natural barrier to bacteria and spoilage.  I find that eggs are easier to deal with at room temperature.


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