"Why do you keep a pencil and an emery board in your egg basket?"
That's a very good question! And here's my response:
First, the emery board. Before a hen lays her egg, she leaves a residue on it, called the "bloom." This is the egg's natural defense against dirt and bacteria. Even though I regularly clean the nesting boxes, sometimes an egg will come into contact with fecal matter or dirt. I could wash the egg to remove the substance but then I would also be removing the "bloom." To keep the egg's natural bacteria resistance, I lightly sand off any matter with the emery board. Some people prefer to completely wash their eggs. I like to know my eggs are still protected even after they've made their way to the carton and the fridge. It's a personal preference.
Second, the pencil. Right now it is easy to stack the cartons in the fridge according to collection date. I'm only getting 2-4 eggs per day so I can put them in order. But come warmer weather, when I'm collecting a dozen or so per day, it's much harder to remember which ones came first. I could mark the carton but that would get confusing after some re-use. And why does it matter? When it comes time to boil a batch, I want to make sure I use the older ones for easier peeling. The ones that have been in there a little too long will become dog food. If I'm sharing, I like to make sure to gift the freshest ones. So I write the date on every egg before it goes into a carton. No exceptions. Ever.
I'd love to hear your egg tips and traditions!
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| Very excited to get a pullet egg (the little one at the bottom) today! |
