Optimal Egg Storage: 5 Key Reasons To Use Egg Cartons

From whipping up a breakfast of creamy scrambled eggs to baking moreish cakes, making a quick and easy omelet, or using on your hair or face as a mask, eggs are a prominent pantry staple. 

On top of this, they boast a wide range of uses and benefits. Some of these include keeping you fuller for longer and helping with weight loss. 

Yet, as a fresh food, it’s important to store eggs correctly. To ensure they last as long as possible, you should follow a few tips and tricks. Read on to discover more. 

Reason One: The Egg Carton Protects the Eggs 

Whether you purchase your eggs from a farm shop or the supermarket, they’ll likely come in perfectly-crafted egg cartons. These cartons have been designed to protect your eggs and minimize breakage.  

Reason Two: The Lid Protects the Eggs from Absorbing Odors  

The covered lid of the carton prevents the porous egg shells from absorbing any nearby odors, such as onion, chili, or strong cheese smells. All of these smells can affect the taste of your eggs.  

Reason Three: The Carton Keeps the Yolks Centered   

Another reason the carton should be kept? It correctly stores the eggs, with the larger end sitting upwards in the dome-shaped container. This helps to keep the yolks centered.  

Reason Four: The Carton Increases their Shelf Life

Even though many modern-day fridges feature an egg store in the refrigerator door, it’s essential to avoid decanting them from their carton. To ensure they last as long as possible, you should store eggs in their carton in the center of the fridge. This is the coolest part.  

Storing them in the door means they are privy to temperature changes, which can affect their freshness and overall shelf life. 

Reason Five: The Box Showcases the Expiry Date

Whatever you’re rustling up, you must use your eggs once you’ve cracked the shell. This prevents any harmful bacteria from entering the egg.  

Another reason to keep eggs in their carton is that the packaging showcases the expiration date. You’ll likely mix eggs from various cartons if you keep them loose in the fridge door. 

Already thrown the box away? There is another way to determine which eggs are the freshest. Simply fill a bowl with H2O and place the eggs in the bowl. Fresh eggs will sink, while those not so fresh will float.  

Why does this happen? As an egg farmer matures, an air cell forms at the top. The older the egg gets, the larger this cell becomes. This is due to eggs being porous.  

Those closer to their expiry date can still be used. However, they’re better to boil, scramble, or use in baking. Another benefit of this? They’re easier to peel. 

How to Prolong the Life of Your Eggs

There are many ways to prolong the life of your eggs, even if you’ve thrown the box away; these include: 

Hard Boiling Them 

One way to prolong the life of your eggs is to hard-boil them, as this ensures a better shelf life. Hard-boiled eggs can be stored in the fridge for up to seven days and are a great appetizer or snack.  

Freeze them

Not many people know this, but you can freeze eggs. However, this can’t be done in their shells. Simply crack them, whisk them until blended, and tip them into freezer-safe containers with lids.  

They can stay in the freezer for up to four months; remember to date them. To use them, take them out of the freezer and allow them to thaw overnight.  

Why Eggs are a Great Food to have at Home  

Eggs are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which makes them a great food to add to your diet. On average, two eggs provide between 71-127% of the recommended intake for adults.   

On top of this, they’re extremely versatile and can be used to create a variety of dishes, including everything from breakfast to dinner. 

They’re also essential for baking and can be used in beauty products, including face and hair masks.  

The Bottom Line 

 Despite the above, many remove eggs from their protective storage, discarding this casing as soon as they arrive home, instead storing them loosely in the fridge or on their countertop in a bowl.

If you’re looking to prolong the life of your eggs, the best way to do this is to store them in the container they are purchased in. Doing this will ensure your eggs stay fresh, meaning you can fashion as many tasty meals as you wish out of them! This is one of the reasons, you must be fully aware of what needs to be done to store eggs