leaving eggs out on the counter

[halloweencat]

i had set some eggs out on the counter yesterday to get them at room temperature for use in a recipie. that was around 3:30 or 4 pm. i got sidetracked with things and went to a movie and came back at 12:30 am. so they were sitting on the counter for about 9 hours, and somewhere along the line they went to room temperature.

can i still use them? how long can one leave eggs out and still use them?

cheers --

[Stephanie Wallace]

Eggs can be left out safely for weeks.

[tan319]

Eggs can be left out safely for weeks.

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At least 3 or so days, as long as the temp is not ridiculous.

[Patrick S]

It all depends. Eggs are internally contaminated with Salmonella enteritidis only very rarely, like 1 in every 20,000 eggs. However, if you are unlucky enough to have one that is contaminated, then allowing it to sit at room temperature will allow the pathogen to multiply to a very high level. That's why food safety experts advise to keep eggs always refrigerated. And while both the bacterium Salmonella and the toxins it produces are destroyed by thorough cooking, there are other potential contaminants that are not so heat-senstive, in particular the toxin produced Staphylococcus aureus -- the bacterium is easily killed by cooking, but the toxin is very heat-stable. Bottom line is that your risk is real, but very low. If it were me, I would probably use them in a cake, but not in something like a mousse or a molten chocolate cake.

[halloweencat]

these were destined for another batch of madeleines, so i think i shall use them (i put them away this morning).

thank you all for the quick responses, and thanks patrick s for the reasoning behind the usage.

cheers --

[alligande]

When you walk into a British supermarket the eggs are not refrigerated so I guess it all depends on which food safety experts we are listening to

[Patrick S]

When you walk into a British supermarket the eggs are not refrigerated so I guess it all depends on which food safety experts we are listening to

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Well, experts might disagree on how long one can acceptably store eggs at room temp, but no one disagrees that maintaining eggs at higher temperatures increases the growth rate of pathogens in eggs and therefore the potential for illness. And the UK's Food Standards Agency (UK's equivalent of the FDA) does recommend that you "store eggs in a cool, dry place, ideally in the fridge." Link Another article on FSA's site advises "Some foods need to be kept in the fridge to help stop bacteria from growing on them, such as foods with a 'use by' date, cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods such as desserts." Link

[BettyK]

On a slightly different note, when is it necessary to leave eggs at room temperature for baking? For example, do you have to bring them at room temp for pastry cream?

Creme brulee?

[Becca Porter]

Eggs age 5 days at room temp for every one day they age in the fridge.

[John DePaula]

In France, the eggs at the market are not refrigerated; although at cooking school, they were kept chilled until needed. When I asked Chef about the problem of salmonella, he was astonished to hear about such a thing. "Oh, we don't have that in France."

So I guess it just depends on the condition of the poultry industry where you live. Here in the States, I always keep mine refrigerated just to be safe.

Edited February 21, 2006 by John DePaula (log)

[Patrick S]

On a slightly different note, when is it necessary to leave eggs at room temperature for baking? For example, do you have to bring them at room temp for pastry cream?

Creme brulee?

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I don't think its necessary for pastry cream or creme brulee, just go slow when you temper the eggs with your milk or cream. Egg whites will whip up much faster when they are warm, but its not necessary that they be warm.

[Patrick S]

In France, the eggs at the market are not refrigerated; although at cooking school, they were kept chilled until needed.  When I asked Chef about the problem of salmonella, he was astonished to hear about such a thing.  "Oh, we don't have that in France." 

So I guess it just depends on the condition of the poultry industry where you live.  Here in the States, I always keep mine refrigerated just to be safe.

←

There are plenty of Salmonella enteritidus infection in France, and it is most closely associated with consumption of old or undercooked eggs, just as it is in the US (e.g. Delarocque-Astagneau et al, 1998).

EDIT: Note added in proof: Vaillant et al (2005) estimate that Salmonella infections result in 5,700-10,200 cases of foodbourne-illness related hospitalizations per year in France, making it by far the most likely single cause of foodbourne-illness related hospitalization in that country.

Edited February 21, 2006 by Patrick S (log)