Shortage Of Eggs

[johncrossley]

I thought you shouldn't keep eggs in a fridge, after all they aren't usually kept in fridges in supermarkets. Googling it, there is completely contradictory advice on the matter.

Eggs generally don't stay long on the shelf in supermarkets so it wouldn't make much difference. However, you are likely to have the eggs in your house for several days before consumption.

 

[hexagon789]

I thought you shouldn't keep eggs in a fridge, after all they aren't usually kept in fridges in supermarkets. Googling it, there is completely contradictory advice on the matter.

European eggs don't need refrigerated no, but it isn't in any way detrimental to taste or shelf life to do so.

US eggs though, must be refrigerated.

This is because in the UK, and pretty much all Europe, it is illegal to wash off the outer coating from the shell. This costing effectively makes eggs impervious to bacteria but you often get bits of feathers, etc stuck to the outside. It also means you don't need to keep them in the fridge.

In the US, the opposite applies, the outer coating must be removed. This makes the outside of the eggs very clean, but greatly increases the chance of bacteria entering the eggs, most commonly salmonella - hence eggs in the US are sold in the chilled section of supermarkets and should be kept in the fridge.

 

[johnnychips]

Don’t forget everybody starting their Christmas cakes about now!

Everybody? I don’t know anybody who makes their own Xmas cake (apart from my grandma who died in 1994) and most people don’t like it anyway: you have to accept the tiniest slice from an unknown host to avoid offending them. (And it was probably bought from Aldi anyway).

 

[Trackman]

Been a number of recent stories, to be fair, although the BBC did rather spin it as being a threat to the general availability of turkey at Christmas.

Maybe for new thread: someone at work was ranting about prices of turkeys at Christmas yesterday as they tried to buy one because of shortage scaremongering, plus it was small and wouldnt feed the family .. it's all supply and demand. I said I have chicken (or whatever) - 'Yeah, I never thought of that' was the reply. Also mentioned some takeaways are open Christmas day to much amusement.

This is because in the UK, and pretty much all Europe, it is illegal to wash off the outer coating from the shell. This costing effectively makes eggs impervious to bacteria but you often get bits of feathers, etc stuck to the outside. It also means you don't need to keep them in the fridge.

Sort of confused with this, but it could be cross-contamination when you break the egg.
Not seen a feather on a egg for donkeys years.

 

[hexagon789]

Sort of confused with this, but it could be cross-contamination when you break the egg.
Not seen a feather on a egg for donkeys years.

I see feathers and often chicken excrement on eggs all the time!

 

[gg1]

Really in a fridge? I just go by the use by date.

Use by dates are only a (overly conservative) guide on eggs, the foolproof way of testing if they're still good to eat is the float test. Put the egg in bowl of cold water, if it sinks and lies horizontally on the bottom it's fresh, if it floats it's old and should be binned, if it sinks but one end points up it's still safe to eat for now but possibly won't be in a few days.

Usually eggs don't 'fail' the test until they're around 2 weeks past the use by date.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I wouldn't worry too much about an egg shortage; as we're so close to C******** they'll be stocking the supermarket shelves with Creme Eggs and suchlike (if they haven't already)!

I substituted those last time there was an "egg shortage"... made a right mess of my frying pan when I tried to make an omelette!

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I went to Tesco around 0930 this morning. I was able to get the eggs I wanted (Happy Free Range) and there were some of the top price eggs. However there were none (as in literally none whatsoever, completely empty plastic crates) of the cheaper eggs, which make up the vast majority of the space allocated (say 80% plus), so some disappointed people doing their 'big weekend shops' I suspect.

 

[philjo]

Our greengrocer had a shortage of large eggs a few weeks ago as they said the hens had been affected by the very hot weather in the summer, so the eggs were generally smaller with thinner shells. They seem to back to normal now albeit the hens are now indoors.

 

[alxndr]

Plenty of eggs up in Glasgow today.

 

[AlterEgo]

Big Tescos in Woolwich almost completely empty of eggs today.

 

[johncrossley]

It is written on egg boxes that they should be refrigerated to maintain fresheness. That implies that it is fine not to refrigerate them, but they might not taste as nice if you don't.

 

[hexagon789]

Doesn't really affect the taste, and certainly for baking - room temperature eggs are better.

 

[Busaholic]

For soft boiled eggs you want the eggs as fresh as possible, not quite so important for hard boiled or poached eggs, and less important again for fried or scrambled eggs. My late wife also used to say the fresher the better for cakes, Yorkshire pud etc, but she had more exacting standards!

 

[Ediswan]

For soft boiled eggs you want the eggs as fresh as possible, not quite so important for hard boiled or poached eggs, and less important again for fried or scrambled eggs. My late wife also used to say the fresher the better for cakes, Yorkshire pud etc, but she had more exacting standards!

I much prefer fresh eggs for frying. The whites don't spread as far. No great difference in taste though.

 

[Busaholic]

I much prefer fresh eggs for frying. The whites don't spread as far. No great difference in taste though.

I can appreciate that. I don't eat many fried eggs, both for health reasons and because I tend to break the yolks, which is annoying!

 

[skyhigh]

Local Co-Op had eggs reduced this evening - 58p for a dozen, about 6 packs left at that price. Best before date wasn't until the 19th. Doesn't seem like any mad rush here!

 

[birchesgreen]

Our local Coop had no eggs at all today.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

I wonder whether free range eggs specifically are in short supply because of the lack of daylight? Chickens go to sleep when it gets dark and wake up when it becomes light and with the longer nights that means less time spent foraging for food and hence fewer eggs. Our own girls in the back garden have certainly reduced their output in the last few weeks as the nights have drawn in.
I imagine it's less of an issue for battery and barn eggs as the chickens' day can be kept the same by turning the lights on and off.

 

[Busaholic]

I wonder whether free range eggs specifically are in short supply because of the lack of daylight? Chickens go to sleep when it gets dark and wake up when it becomes light and with the longer nights that means less time spent foraging for food and hence fewer eggs. Our own girls in the back garden have certainly reduced their output in the last few weeks as the nights have drawn in.
I imagine it's less of an issue for battery and barn eggs as the chickens' day can be kept the same by turning the lights on and off.

All commercial hens must now be housed indoors under the avian flu restrictions, although the term 'free range' may continue to be used, unlike in May when a previous ruling came in.

 

[skyhigh]

although the term 'free range' may continue to be used, unlike in May when a previous ruling came in.

It's exactly the same as May. You can keep using the term 'free range' for up to 16 weeks after a compulsory housing order is brought in, after which they must be labelled as 'barn eggs'. The order lasted over 16 weeks last time (from late Nov until early May) so that's why the term went.

 

[High Dyke]

I wouldn't worry too much about an egg shortage; as we're so close to C******** they'll be stocking the supermarket shelves with Creme Eggs and suchlike (if they haven't already)!

Might make the breakfast omelette taste a bit weird.

 

[RichJF]

Maybe for new thread: someone at work was ranting about prices of turkeys at Christmas yesterday as they tried to buy one because of shortage scaremongering, plus it was small and wouldnt feed the family .. it's all supply and demand. I said I have chicken (or whatever) - 'Yeah, I never thought of that' was the reply. Also mentioned some takeaways are open Christmas day to much amusement.

Sort of confused with this, but it could be cross-contamination when you break the egg.
Not seen a feather on a egg for donkeys years.

I believe very illegal to import European eggs into USA & vice versa.

 

[Busaholic]

Wetherspoon's has announced that a number of their pubs will for the time being have to substitute other items for eggs on their breakfast menu because of shortages.

 

[DelW]

I wonder whether free range eggs specifically are in short supply because of the lack of daylight? Chickens go to sleep when it gets dark and wake up when it becomes light and with the longer nights that means less time spent foraging for food and hence fewer eggs. Our own girls in the back garden have certainly reduced their output in the last few weeks as the nights have drawn in.
I imagine it's less of an issue for battery and barn eggs as the chickens' day can be kept the same by turning the lights on and off.

Visiting my cousin who keeps hens last week, she commented that in preparation for our visit, she'd had to buy supermarket eggs for the first time in a long while, as her hens weren't producing many at the moment.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

All commercial hens must now be housed indoors under the avian flu restrictions, although the term 'free range' may continue to be used, unlike in May when a previous ruling came in.

Though I guess the lack of daylight issue still applies, as most of the indoors accommodation won't be lit.

 

[3rd rail land]

There was definitely a shortage of eggs in a Sainsbury's near where I live when I visisted earlier today. There was even a note pinned to one of the crates to that effect.
Unsurprisingly the only eggs left were the pricey ones. Whilst I wanted some eggs I decided to go without rather than pay over the odds. One brand was being sold as a carton of 10 for £5! I was expecting to pay half that.

 

[Busaholic]

There was definitely a shortage of eggs in a Sainsbury's near where I live when I visisted earlier today. There was even a note pinned to one of the crates to that effect.
Unsurprisingly the only eggs left were the pricey ones. Whilst I wanted some eggs I decided to go without rather than pay over the odds. One brand was being sold as a carton of 10 for £5! I was expecting to pay half that.

That's the 'normal' price for 10 Clarence Court large eggs: even on special offer they're £4.30. A year ago they'd have been around £3.

 

[GusB]

Oh well, that's done it. Let the panic buying begin.

Asda and Lidl limit egg sales after supply issues

Retailers are temporarily limiting the number of egg boxes customers can buy due to supply problems.

www.bbc.co.uk

Some shops including Asda and Lidl have started to ration the number of boxes of eggs customers can buy due to supply issues.

Asda said customers would be limited to buying two boxes of eggs until further notice, while Lidl is limiting customers to three.

UK poultry farmers are facing rising costs and an outbreak of avian flu.

It has started to affect the supply of eggs, and led to concerns of a shortage of Christmas turkeys.

Industry group the British Retail Consortium (BRC) a number of retailers had introduced "temporary limits" on the number of boxes customers could buy "to ensure availability for everyone", but it did not name them.

Sainsbury's said it had not limited purchases but said some stores may be running low on some lines.

The grocer, which previously committed to only buying eggs from British suppliers, also said it was "temporarily sourcing" eggs from Italy to maintain availability. It added they will be clearly labelled.

Tesco said it had good availability with no buying limits but was working with producers to protect supplies.

Morrisons said it was not facing major supply issues. Waitrose said it had good availability and was monitoring the situation.

 

[DustyBin]

That's the 'normal' price for 10 Clarence Court large eggs: even on special offer they're £4.30. A year ago they'd have been around £3.

I’ll confess to being an egg snob, for want of a better expression! If I buy them in the supermarket I get the more “exotic” ones as they are actually nicer. Cream Legbar eggs are one of my favourites, poached and served on toasted sourdough with a splash of Tabasco sauce.