How to Store Farm Fresh Eggs to Make Them Last

Last Updated on June 28, 2025

Do you buy fresh eggs from a local farm, or have your own backyard chickens? Come learn how to safely store fresh eggs to make them last and retain the best quality!

This guide will cover important frequently asked questions like: if fresh eggs need to be refrigerated or not, when and how to wash them, how long they’re good for, and how to test freshness with the “float test” – along with a little of the science behind it all. I used to work as a food safety health inspector after all, and have been raising backyard chickens for over 10 years!

NOTE: This post was originally published in July 2020 and recently updated.

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RELATED: Don’t miss our beginner’s guide on raising backyard chickens, including the top 18 chicken breeds for friendly birds and colorful eggs!

Farm fresh eggs are remarkably different from those you buy in the store. They’re more flavorful, colorful, nutrient-dense, and the chickens typically receive much better care! Also, they’re not processed in the same manner as commercial eggs, which means you should store and wash fresh eggs differently than store-bought eggs.

Can I Store Fresh Eggs at Room Temperature?

It depends. Unwashed fresh eggs from backyard chickens or a local farm that haven’t yet been refrigerated can safely be stored on the counter at room temperature for a couple weeks. On the other hand, washed eggs must be refrigerated. (See more info about shelf life below.) 

If you purchase local eggs at a farmers market or farm stand, ask if they’ve been washed and/or need to be refrigerated. When in doubt, store them in the fridge! 

We don’t wash our eggs until we use them, and love to admire our hen’s gorgeous eggs in a wire basket or handy egg skelter on the counter. When we have a lot, we rotate the older eggs into the fridge after a week and leave the freshest ones out.

The Bloom, Washing, and Pasteurization

Freshly-laid eggs have a natural protective coating on the outside of the shell called the cuticle. More commonly known as the “bloom”, the cuticle effectively seals the otherwise porous eggshell.

As the University of Edinburgh explains, “the cuticle prevents bacteria from entering the egg and forms its first line of defense against infection.” This is nature’s way of protecting developing chicks in fertilized eggs! The bloom also helps keep eggs fresh longer, preventing both the loss of moisture and the introduction of contamination. 

As required by the USDA, commercial store-bought eggs are pasteurized (rapidly heated to a high temperature). The process kills pathogens present at the time of pasteurization but provides no long-term protection. Rather, both pasteurization and washing eggs removes the bloom, thus leaving eggs more susceptible to spoilage. This is why pasteurized and washed eggs must be refrigerated.

How Long Do Fresh Eggs Last on the Counter?

Fresh unwashed eggs stay good for about 2 to 3 weeks when stored on the counter at room temperature. However, the recommendation doesn’t stem from food safety alone – but more so to maintain optimal eating quality.

As eggs age, their protein structure degrades. This causes older egg whites to become more runny, and the yolks to stand less round and tall or break more easily.

Even though it’s safe, eggs stored at room temperature will degrade much faster than those stored in the refrigerator. The warmer your home is, the more this is true! Therefore, I personally recommend storing eggs at room temperature for no longer than a week – and only a few days if it is very hot and humid.

Storing Eggs in the Refrigerator

Storing eggs in the fridge significantly increases their shelf life. Unwashed fresh eggs will stay good for 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator! Washed eggs will lose moisture and degrade in quality sooner, but may still be safe to consume within that same timeframe.

Because washed eggs are more porous, it’s best to store them in an enclosed container in the fridge to reduce moisture loss and also prevent the absorption of off-odors or bacteria. It’s best to dry washed eggs prior to storage too.

Once eggs are refrigerated even one time, they should be kept in the refrigerator thereafter, washed or not. According to the USDA, “a cold egg left out at room temperature can sweat, facilitating the movement of bacteria into the egg and increasing the growth of bacteria”. Therefore, refrigerated eggs should not be left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature before use.

When and How to Wash Fresh Eggs

In general, I recommend waiting to wash fresh eggs until right before you use them. That is, unless they are soiled with poop, mud, or otherwise in need of a good rinse. In that case, wash dirty eggs and then store them in the fridge.

Otherwise, storing eggs unwashed will keep them more “sealed” and thus extend their shelf life and freshness, whether you store them at room temperature or in the fridge! I know many backyard chicken keepers who don’t wash their eggs at all.

To wash our eggs, we simply rinse and rub them under warm water. There is no need for harsh soaps, vinegar or bleach. In fact, chemicals or odors could absorb through the shell! Use a soft sponge or cloth to gently wash away debris if needed, but avoid scrubbing with anything abrasive.

Allow washed eggs to air dry or dry them with a towel before putting them in an enclosed container in the fridge.

Other Tips for Storing Eggs

Did you know that it’s best to store eggs with their round end up, and pointy end facing down? That’s because there’s an air sac within the rounded end, and when it’s facing up, it acts like a little balloon of insulation that helps to reduce evaporation and additional moisture loss – thus keeping eggs fresh longer! 

The Float Test: Assess Egg Freshness

Did your egg rotation get mixed up, or aren’t sure which eggs are the most fresh? Try the float test!

• Fill a glass or bowl with cool water, and gently place the eggs in question inside.
• The freshest eggs will lay on the bottom of the glass.
• Eggs that are a few weeks old will stay on the bottom but “stand up” slightly. Middle-age eggs may partially float but stay submerged.
• The higher the egg floats, the older it is. Full-blown floaters are considered bad to consume. 

Moderately old eggs are still perfectly fine to use. In fact, I prefer to use slightly older eggs to hard boil because they’re much easier to peel than super fresh eggs!

How to Keep Backyard Chicken Eggs Clean

To prevent your eggs from getting dirtied up, do your best to keep the hen’s nesting boxes clean. Discourage sleeping (ahem… pooping) in the nesting boxes by providing suitable sleeping roosts above the height of the nest boxes. Their natural instinct is to sleep as high above the ground as possible.

Collect eggs daily, or even a few times per day depending on your schedule and flock size! Change out soiled nest box bedding material as needed. We use these nesting box pads that cushion the eggs and keep them extra clean.

If your chickens are prone to laying eggs in random places, help train them where to lay by placing wood dummy eggs inside the nest boxes. They want to lay where eggs already are! However, only use dummy eggs until they learn the lesson. Otherwise, leaving eggs (real or fake) in the nest boxes can make a hen go broody – which isn’t a good thing! Learn how to break a broody hen here.

Recap: Best Practices to Store Fresh Eggs

• Don’t wash the eggs until you use them, unless they’re soiled.
• Fresh unwashed eggs do not need to be refrigerated for several weeks, though one to two weeks is best for quality.
• Always refrigerate washed eggs, and store them in an enclosed container.
• Eggs will maintain a higher quality when stored in the refrigerator – washed or not. However, unwashed fresh eggs will stay good the longest.
• Once refrigerated, keep cold eggs in the fridge. 
• Keep track of your eggs. Rotate room temperature eggs into the refrigerator once a week. Use old eggs first. 
• Store eggs with their pointy end facing down.

Well, that was fun. Even I learned a few new things while putting together this article, so I hope you did too! Please feel free to ask questions, and help spread important food safety information by sharing this article. Enjoy those fresh eggs!

You may also enjoy:

• When Do Chickens Start Laying Eggs? 5 Telltale Signs It’s Soon!
• Chickens Not Laying Eggs? 6 Possible Reasons Why
• Top 18 Chicken Breeds for Your Backyard Flock (information about egg colors and laying habits included)
• Chickens Eating Eggs? 9 Ways to Prevent or Stop It
• Feeding Chickens Eggshells or Oyster Shells for Essential Calcium