Sh*t!! I Left My Eggs Out Overnight, Are They...

Decorating By mom42ws Updated 7 Apr 2017 , 1:54pm by ronboggs10

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mom42ws Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 10:46am
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still good? i got wrapped up with the kids as i was putting groceries away last night. i just went to start on a baking project this morning and went to get my eggs and they went there. panic siezed me and i found them still in the bag from last night sitting on the floor.

can i still use these?????

ashley

44 replies
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HerBoudoir Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:07pm
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Tough call. My food safety background would say no - they should have been refrigerated. Better safe than sorry.

That said - most of my relatives are English and they never refrigerate their eggs (they also don't keep them as long as we do though). And of course, I also take eggs out about 2 hours before using them because room-temp eggs mix better into cake/cookie batter.

I would say that if you're going to cook them thoroughly, you'd probably be ok. But I wouldn't use them for anything where they're only partially cooked or raw (sunny side up eggs, custards, etc)

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Kahuna Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:11pm
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I don't know but I left mine in the car overnight last week, I live in FL and it was probabally 110 in the car before I realized where I had left them. So gross!

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mom42ws Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:22pm
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darn it. 3 doz. in the trash. i was going to make IMBC with them.

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MikeRowesHunny Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:31pm
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OK, as an English person, I wouldn't worry about it! In fact, I always take my eggs out of the fridge the night before making a cake/cookies to ensure they are room temp. One of our most respected cooks, Delia Smith, NEVER keeps eggs in the fridge for 2 main reasons - 1. They will absorb any bad smells in your fridge through their shells (onions, garlic etc), and 2. They need to be at room temp for most purposes, so it's just easier to store them that way.
I don't know what it's like in the US, but the eggs in the store are not chilled, they are just on shelves at room temp, so I agree that why should there be a difference between the store and home?!

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marknelliesmum Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:32pm
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HerBoudoir said

Quote:
Quote:

most of my relatives are English and they never refrigerate their eggs (they also don't keep them as long as we do though)




Yea over here lots of people don't keep their eggs in the fridge - I do coz i have a 4 year old who has inherited my passion for baking and likes to 'help' but I would have said they would have been fine especially if it was only overnight, that said we don't have the temps or humidity you guys have ( yeah some luck icon_cry.gif ) so i'm not sure what difference that would make. How are eggs stored prior to you buying them? are they refrigerated from the minute they are laid? I'd say if you have any doubts don't use them. (but i probably would! icon_lol.gif )

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summernoelle Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:36pm
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On the Barefoot Contessa, she leaves hers out overnight to let them get to room temp. It might be OK, if they were on the counter, (not in the car where it is very hot).

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mom42ws Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:37pm
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man, i just don't know.

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something_sweet Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:39pm
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I have done this before also. I called my mother, who is a chef, and she told me as long as they were in the house at a reasonable temperature (75 F or less) then they would be ok. I used them (2 1/2 dozen) and had no problems. It's your call... but I think they would be ok.

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FromScratch Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:40pm
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Now leaving them in a 110 degree car is COMPLETELY different than leaving them on the counter. icon_wink.gif

An egg is a self contained little universe.. they are more than fine. Now if they were cracked and left out no way.. but sitting there in their shells.. no problem. I'd eat them.. sunny side up and all.. icon_biggrin.gif

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loriemoms Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:40pm
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if they were out in the car, toss them. Out on the counter? I woudn't worry about it, unless your house is really hot!!! On baking days, often I leave my eggs sitting on the counter for half a day, as I use them. They also work better at room temp. (cracking and such)

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Tootall Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:43pm
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Wow, y'all don't refrigerate them?? I'd freak! I probably wouldn't not use them, but then, I'm kind of OCD about raw things and temperatures icon_lol.gif My inlaws like to leave meat sitting out all day, then cook it, but not all the way through and we always get sick when we eat over there. Raw burgers, raw turkey. I mean, still moo-ing raw *gag* But burnt on the outside. icon_lol.gif

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loriemoms Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:45pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tootall

Wow, y'all don't refrigerate them?? I'd freak! I probably wouldn't not use them, but then, I'm kind of OCD about raw things and temperatures icon_lol.gif My inlaws like to leave meat sitting out all day, then cook it, but not all the way through and we always get sick when we eat over there. Raw burgers, raw turkey. I mean, still moo-ing raw *gag* But burnt on the outside. icon_lol.gif




Yeck! I wouldnt eat that either.

My mom also leaves things defrosting on the counter all day. I tell her not to, but she does anyway. She also eats raw hambruger while she is preparing it. *GAG* But at least the food is cooked all the way...

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paolacaracas Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:52pm
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We don't refrigerate eggs, we buy them on tuesday, and by friday they are gonne, about 80 eggs a week we use with no problems so far, and they never meet the fridge.

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Mac Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:55pm
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I have met several people that like to eat RAW hamburger meat--my niece's daughter is one of them. They don't eat alot of it but a pinch or two.

As for the eggs--if it was reasonably comfortable in your house, I would say, use them. I have left some on the counter overnite and used them for us and we have been fine. I think the pastuerization has something to do with it. Eggs are not refrigerated immediately after being laid. I have bought some fresh off the farm...they were collected in the morning and I got them in the evening.

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amysue99 Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 12:58pm
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Nobody refrigerates eggs here (Germany)either. They're on the shelf in the store and my neighbor just stores hers in the pantry.

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FromScratch Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 1:01pm
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Not all eggs are pasturized.. you have to look for that. But even non-pasturized eggs will be fine left out at reasonable tempertures.

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mom42ws Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 1:03pm
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okay, i'm keeping them and using them! they were in my house which averages 74 degrees.

thanks for all the responses!

ashley

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banba Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 1:03pm
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there's a couple of tests used for testing egg freshness that sometimes are helpful. We learn them in food science, so here goes

If you break and egg onto a plate the yolk should stand high and rounded and the white should be jelly like.

If the yolk is flat or breaks easily and the white is thin and watery then your egg is not very fresh.

If you fill a bowl with water and put an egg in it a fresh egg will sink and a stale egg will float.

Also storing eggs with the pointy end down keeps the yolk fresher longer HTH!

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tx_cupcake Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 1:07pm
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I also leave my eggs out overnight (and butter too!) to get them to room temperature. I've never had a problem or a complaint.

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DaisyLisa17 Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 1:22pm
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Banba, those are some cool tricks. Thanks for sharing!

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jolmk Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 1:24pm
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My sister had a chicken coop, and there was no a/c going on in there. Eggs that have never been refrigerated don't need to be, but once they are then they should be kept cold. I personally leave mine out all the time and no problems.

Jo

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Bonnie151 Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 1:25pm
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I refrigerate mine until the night before I need to use them. Eggs (at least the ones in the UK!) are good for 21 days after the laying date. Environmental Health even confirmed to me when they came to inspect my kitchen that I don't need to refrigerate them if I don't want to- they aren't refrigerated in the supermarket! icon_biggrin.gif

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goal4me Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 1:34pm
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I recently read that eggs age much faster out of refridgeration and you can use a refridgerated egg 3 weeks past the expiration date.

I had heard some of the science experiments before and tried the one of placing an egg in a glass of water one just last week. The carton expiration date was 6 months ago and the egg sunk?!?!?! I threw the carton out...

In the fridge it is best to keep them in the inside of the fridge rather than the door as the main portion of the fridge is cooler than the door with the egg tray....

Sounds like your eggs are fine under the circumstances as long as they did't have a crack in the shell.

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TheCakerator Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 1:39pm
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not to hijack this thread, but about three weeks ago my dh and I went camping with my sister and brother and their families. Well the next morning when we went to go make breakfast, we realized all three dozen eggs were left out in my sister's van in around 90 degree OUTSIDE temp .. my sister and her family seemed to think they would be fine .. my dh and brother and his family thought that was crazy .. after MUCH debate we ended up not using them and as I was throwing them away right on the box I noticed "keep refrigerated until use" of course here we buy them refrigerated so it only makes sense to me that is where they should be kept until use.

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grama_j Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 1:46pm
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"The carton expiration date was 6 months ago"
Uhhh....... I wouldn't keep ANYTHING that far past experation !

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CakeMommyTX Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 1:48pm
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On days where I bake all day long (8+ hrs) I leave the eggs out.
I don't see the point in going back and forth to the fridge a million times, plus I use room temp eggs.
I've never had a problem, and some times the eggs sit out for even longer ,10-12hrs unrefridgerated.

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SweetArt Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 2:46pm
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There are 2 reasons to put things in your fridge. One is to avoid immediate spoilage (for things such as meat and milk). The other is to prolong shelf life (for things such as butter, eggs, bread). These things are fine at room temp, but will last longer if refrigerated.

I used to work at a grocery store. There were times when the guys in the dairy department didn't have enough space in their cooler for all their items, so they would leave the eggs in a back storage room for up to a week. They were perfectly fine, and legal to re-refrigerate and sell.

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nicolepa Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 10:56pm
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I just googled "do eggs need refrigeration" and here's what I got...

"Eggs may stay unrefrigerated for a time (fresh eggs longer than commercially-sold eggs). In a quote attributed to Alton Brown, he states that unrefrigerated eggs age roughly a weekâs worth of refrigerated time in a day (depending on temperature, of course). Given that eggs typically last 6 â 8 weeks in a refrigerator, that gives you about a week to eat a fresh egg. A good check for egg freshness is to see if it floats â if it does, the inner air pocket has expanded and the egg should probably be discarded."

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pinklesley1 Posted 1 Aug 2008 , 11:25pm
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you dont need to keep them regrigerated. since when i bake i use everything at room temp and i go through about 5 dozen eggs a week i keep them on the counter.. my mom still keeps hers in the fridge... so when i need to steal an egg from her they are always cold....

but they will keep for about a week and a half. i agree dunk it in water if it floats, dont use it...

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