Food safety experts and poultry farmers say you should store raw eggs with the pointed end facing down. Lisa Steel (she’s a fifth-generation poultry farmer) and Dr. Kenneth E. Anderson explain that the air cell is located at the blunt end of the egg. If you turn it with the blunt end down, the lighter air will try to rise, which will displace the yolk and may allow bacteria to enter through the pores in the shell. In the U.S. industry, this is just standard packaging practice. But experts say that for eggs eaten within 1–2 weeks, how the eggs are oriented isn’t as important as keeping the temperature right. Food safety manager Elisa Maloberti says you should store eggs in their original cardboard carton in the back of the refrigerator at a temperature of 4°C.
One of the strangest things about adulthood is realizing that there are “right” ways to do things you’ve been doing carefree for decades.
For example, a poultry farmer recently shared the right way to store eggs. His post says that eggs should be stored with the pointed end down to reduce the risk of spoilage, according to Simple Recipes. Poultry farmers and food safety experts say there’s a good reason to store eggs this way.
When you place the egg with the pointed end down, it helps keep its internal structure as it ages. The wider end has an air pocket, and storing it like this helps keep the yolk centered longer and the air pocket stable.
But before you go checking where your eggs are in the fridge, experts also say that for most people, refrigeration is way more important than how they’re laid.
Why should you store eggs with the pointed end down?
Lisa Steel, a fifth-generation poultry farmer and author of the book In Season, explained: “There’s an air pocket at the blunt end of every egg. As the egg ages, the air pocket gets bigger, and air and bacteria seep in through the pores in the eggshell.”
The air sac is lighter than the egg white and yolk, so when you store it with the pointed end up, it naturally tries to rise. This can carry bacteria into the yolk.
If you’ve ever checked out eggs sold in a store, there’s a good chance they’re sitting with the rounded end up.
“Eggs produced for commercial sale in the US are usually packed with the pointed end down and the larger, rounded end up,” says Dr. Kenneth E. Anderson, professor emeritus of poultry science at North Carolina State University. “This way of handling eggs keeps the air cell at the top of the egg, and it’s just part of the standard way we do things in the egg business. This helps make sure the eggs stay good while they’re being stored and shipped out.”
Does it matter how you store eggs? What the experts say
If you’ve ever put a carton of something in the fridge upside down or on its side after a chaotic grocery run, don’t worry. “If you’re planning on eating the eggs in the next week or so, it probably doesn’t matter too much how you store them. It takes some time for the air pocket to noticeably expand,” Steele said.
The way you store the eggs becomes more important the longer they sit in the fridge. So, if you’re the type to buy groceries in bulk or stock up during sales, it’s worth being more mindful and storing them with the pointed end down.
While experts agree that the way eggs are laid can help keep them good longer, they say that refrigeration is far more important. Dr. Anderson says the most important thing for consumers is to store eggs in the refrigerator at 4°C or below and avoid leaving eggs at room temperature for extended periods of time.
Elisa Maloberti, the food safety manager at the American Egg Board, says it’s best to keep eggs in their original cardboard carton and store them in the main compartment of the refrigerator. That’s because the temperature in the door fluctuates more frequently. But if you’ve come across a cute egg holder, go for it!
Maloberti said the container helps keep the eggs moist and stops them from picking up smells from other foods.