The correct way to store eggs has been a topic of debate for years.
Some people swear by storing their eggs in a cupboard, while others will always put a brand-new box of eggs directly into the fridge. It’s something that people have argued over for decades, and there still doesn’t seem to be a correct answer.
But one man has claimed the debate has actually caused an argument between himself and a friend, after he was branded “insane” for the way he decided to store his eggs before they’re cooked.
The man said he was planning on boiling up some eggs to make sandwiches with later, and his friend was visiting at the time so she saw him get his uncooked eggs out of the cupboard.
She “almost freaked out” when she saw where they were stored, however, and told him they should always be kept in the fridge.
In a post on Reddit, he wrote: “My friend is visiting my house for the first time and arrived as I was making myself some egg mayo for sandwiches later. She watched me take the eggs from my cupboard and almost freaked out.
“She said eggs should be in the fridge and seemed fairly adamant but there are no storage instructions on the box and they aren’t refrigerated in the shop.”
He then asked fellow Reddit users if he really was “insane”, or if the need to keep eggs in the fridge was an “American thing” that his friend had “accidentally picked up”.
Commenters on the post said that storing eggs in the cupboard – or in a bowl on the kitchen counter – is totally fine, but if you want to store them in the fridge there’s nothing wrong with that either.
They also said that in the US, eggs are often washed before they are sold and therefore need refrigeration, as the washing process removes a protective layer on the shells. In the UK, eggs are not washed so are perfectly fine when kept out of the fridge.
Keeping them in the fridge may help make them last for longer, but if you do refrigerate your eggs, you should keep them in the egg box and for best cooking results they should be taken out of the fridge and brought up to room temperature before cooking.
One commenter said: “You don’t need to keep eggs in the fridge in this country, but they might last a little longer if you do.
“I imagine some people, possibly including your friend, will jump to the conclusion that eggs go in fridges either because that’s where they are on American TV shows, or because some fridges have little egg compartments.”
And another said: “They don’t need to be in the fridge as people have explained. They do last longer in the fridge though, especially when it’s warm. Easily over a month without going bad.”
