The best place to store eggs has often been a controversial topic, as there is an ongoing debate if the fridge or countertop keeps them fresher.
In the UK, it is more common to keep eggs stored on the countertop at room temperature while in America they are more likely to store them cold in the fridge.
However, Nigella Lawson has now revealed that storing them either way is fine, but storing them in the fridge like Americans is the proper way to keep them fresher for longer.
On her website, Nigella said: “Eggs in their shells don’t necessarily need to be refrigerated but they do need to be stored in cool, dry conditions.
“As most houses now have central heating and very few have a cool larder, it tends to be most practical to store eggs in the fridge.”
Eggs need a steady and cool temperature to keep them fresh, which is why the fridge tends to be a better place to store them as salmonella bacteria cannot multiply in cold temperatures.
Room temperature can allow bacteria to grow, especially as summer approaches and most homes will be much warmer.
However, both the fridge and the countertop are fine as the key to keeping eggs fresh is to store them at a consistent temperature, otherwise, they can become unsafe to eat.
This is why supermarkets do not keep eggs in the fridge, as the change in temperature from the store to your home can risk salmonella poisoning.
Nigella said: “If you do have a suitably cool room to store them in then they should be fine left out of the fridge.
“However we would like to point out that the UK Food Standards Agency recommends that eggs should be stored in a ‘cool, dry place, ideally the fridge’. The US FDA recommends that eggs for sale are stored in refrigerated units at below 45F (7C) and all eggs are “refrigerated promptly” after purchase.”
Make sure to avoid storing eggs in the door of a fridge as the constant change in temperature from its opening and closing can cause them to go bad.
The optimal egg storage place is on the middle shelf of a fridge as it tends to maintain the most consistent temperature.
No matter how you wish to store your eggs, make sure to check the packaging before you put them in your shopping trolly to make sure you are buying the freshest eggs possible.
Nigella said: “In the UK eggs are individually stamped with a ‘best before’ date (which should correspond to the date on the box) and in the US there is a date on the carton by which it is recommended the eggs are used and the FDA recommend that eggs are used within three weeks of purchase.
Once an egg has been cracked open then the white and yolk should be stored in the fridge and used within 48 hours.
