How Long Are Farm Fresh Chicken Eggs Good For?
For any chicken owner, figuring out how long farm fresh eggs stay fresh is an important question. After all, you want to enjoy your chickens’ delicious eggs for as long as possible!
The shelf life of farm fresh eggs depends on several factors including whether they are washed, how they are stored and what temperature they are kept at. With proper handling and storage, farm fresh eggs can remain good to eat for weeks or even months past the date they are laid.
Here is a detailed guide to how long farm fresh chicken eggs stay fresh and tasty under different conditions
Unwashed Farm Fresh Eggs at Room Temperature
If eggs are not washed after being laid and have their natural “bloom” intact, they can stay fresh at room temperature for 2-4 weeks. The bloom is a protective coating on the shell that prevents bacteria from getting inside the egg. Leaving this coating undisturbed allows eggs to be stored on the counter without refrigeration.
However, unwashed eggs will eventually dry out and lose quality over time, even if they are safe to eat. For best flavor and nutrition, eggs stored at room temp should be eaten within 2 weeks of being laid.
Refrigerated Unwashed Farm Fresh Eggs
By storing unwashed farm fresh eggs in the refrigerator, you can extend their shelf life significantly. Refrigeration at 40°F (4°C) slows down bacterial growth and preserves the eggs’ quality.
Unwashed eggs that are kept chilled in the fridge can stay fresh for 3-6 months. The intact bloom continues protecting the contents from contamination. As long as the refrigerator temperature remains consistent, unwashed eggs maintain both safety and nutritional value for months.
Washed Farm Fresh Eggs
Washing eggs removes their protective bloom, so washed eggs have a shorter shelf life. They need to be refrigerated and used faster than unwashed eggs.
Washed farm fresh eggs will stay good for about 2 months when properly stored in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C). For best results, make sure washed eggs are completely dry before chilling them.
The carton helps protect washed eggs from absorbing odors or flavors from other fridge contents. Keeping eggs chilled prevents bacteria from growing through the now permeable shell.
Hard Boiled Farm Fresh Eggs
Hard boiling farm fresh eggs shortens their shelf life compared to raw eggs. According to the USDA, hard boiled eggs can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
It is important to refrigerate boiled eggs within 2 hours of cooking to keep them safe. Make sure they are stored in an airtight container and kept at 40°F (4°C) or below.
Frozen Farm Fresh Eggs
Freezing is a great way to preserve farm fresh eggs for extended periods. Cracked eggs can be frozen raw for up to 1 year while retaining good quality and taste.
For best results, crack eggs into a bowl, mix the yolks and whites, and pour into freezer-safe containers leaving some headspace. Thaw the frozen eggs overnight in the fridge before using.
With proper handling and storage, farm fresh chicken eggs can stay delicious for weeks or months past the date they are laid. Follow these tips to enjoy your backyard hens’ eggs for as long as possible. The fresher the egg, the better it tastes!
Our eggs at Pleasant Grove Homestead
Eggs are one of the many things we raise and sell here at Pleasant Grove Homestead! We take pride in our practices and the eggs that we offer and aim to get your eggs straight from the coop!
We experience a lot of predators on our farm so our birds are raised on chicken tractors that we move twice a day. Chicken tractors are basically a chicken coop on wheels! What is really handy about chicken tractors is that you get the benefits of both pasture-raised and the protection a coop provides.
Other benefits of this practice include allowing our birds to graze our entire property and nourish/fertilize all our soil instead of a concentrated area. They also are kept on clean grass so the eggs stay clean. Their tractors are very large and not crowded so they can range around the protected space. It has feeders, waterers, a nesting box, and a roost for them all to sleep.
We feed an organic non-GMO feed mix as well as garden scraps and milk. We are not certified organic with any of our products currently, which enabled us to provide reasonable prices to customers. Unfortunately, an organic certification is very costly, but we like to say our practices here at Pleasant Grove Homestead are “better than organic” because we do not use any chemicals on our farm.
We hold an Iowa egg handlers license for our farm so we can sell through three different local cooperatives as they are considered retail stores. Eggs that go through these channels are required to be washed and put into a new carton. If you are buying eggs directly from our farm or a pickup location/farmers market we generally do not wash those eggs as they are laid the day you receive them. We will always tell you if they have been refrigerated or washed if you are picking them up from us so you know how to store them. (See more about egg storage below)
Our chickens have a roll away nesting box, meaning the eggs roll down away from the chicken after they are laid. This helps us avoid dirty eggs. Since the eggs roll down into a separate space away from the chicken, our eggs stay fairly clean in the coop until we collect them. We collect eggs each afternoon and place them in cartons that same day.
We stamp egg cartons with the day they were laid instead of using the Julian date (this is the date that they were packed). We like doing this so you know exactly how fresh the eggs are! Eggs kept in the fridge are good for up to four months from the day they were laid! If you are unsure if the eggs are still good, the easiest way to tell is with the float test. (See instructions below)
You can buy our eggs through our farm store, at local farmers markets, or through a local co-op!
How long do fresh eggs last?
Farm fresh eggs typically don’t have an expiration date written on them, especially if they come from your own backyard flock! If you store your eggs on the counter (unwashed) they will last about three weeks. When they are kept in the fridge, their shelf life increases dramatically to about 4 months. We have actually kept unwashed eggs in our basement for up to 6 months! (See more about washing eggs below)
For long-term storage, you could consider freezing your eggs, but you’ll need to crack the egg first. Raw scrambled eggs are a great way to freeze for future use in omelets or baked goods. You can also make freeze-dried eggs or try an egg preservation method called water glassing. This is where you submerge raw eggs in a lime water solution. Water-glassed eggs will last for 12-18 months!
How Long Do Farm Fresh Eggs Last? | 2 Minute Quick Tip
FAQ
How long do fresh eggs from home chickens last?
A general rule, unwashed eggs will last around two weeks unrefrigerated and about three months or more in your refrigerator. If you’re experiencing an egg boom, it’s smart to refrigerate any unwashed fresh eggs you aren’t planning to eat immediately. This will help them last longer.
What happens if you don’t collect chicken eggs daily?
Do eggs go bad after 2 months in the fridge?
According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, refrigerated eggs can be refrigerated 4-5 weeks after their expiration date; so they can last up to 2 months total (after the pack date) inside the refrigerator.
How long do store bought chicken eggs last?
FACT: Store purchased eggs have been washed and sometimes sprayed with chemical sanitizers, therefore should only be kept in the refrigerator for up to one month. Is There a Shelf Life Difference Between Farm Fresh Chicken Eggs and Store Bought Eggs? YES, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUPERMARKET EGGS AND FARM FRESH EGGS.
How long do farm fresh eggs last?
FACT: Freshly laid, farm fresh eggs are good for up to one month on your kitchen counter, 3 months in your refrigerator and up to 6 months in an airtight container, refrigerated. FACT: Store purchased eggs have been washed and sometimes sprayed with chemical sanitizers, therefore should only be kept in the refrigerator for up to one month.
How long can you keep fresh eggs?
My kitchen counter egg station – fresh eggs any time we need them. Generally speaking, most fresh eggs are totally safe to store and consume for up to several months, depending on how you store them. On the counter, you could store fresh eggs for a month before you may notice any change in the quality or taste of your eggs.
Does storing eggs in different places affect how long they last?
And you’ll wonder if storing them in different places (like the fridge or countertop) affects how long they last. Fresh eggs can be stored safely at cool room temperature for a month plus or in a fridge for several months. Storing fresh eggs longer than this can be safe, but may decrease overall flavor and quality.
How long can farm fresh eggs be kept at room temperature?
Unwashed farm fresh eggs can be kept at room temperature for two weeks to a month. However, If freshly laid eggs are refrigerated, they will
How do you make farm fresh eggs last longer?
You can make farm fresh eggs last longer by storing them in the fridge. Don’t wash fresh eggs – let the cuticle help preserve their freshness. You can always clean the egg just before you use it. If you want to keep your eggs longer, crack them into clean containers, whisk them, and store them in the freezer for up to a year!