Storage
The tray itself plays an important role in placing eggs in a certain area of the refrigerator. If we are talking about a thermal tray made of paper or foam, then they can be put in a colder place. If the eggs are supposed to be stored simply in a metal stand, you can put them away from extreme cold, for example, on the middle shelf. The same goes for plastic trays.
Recommendations
When choosing a refrigerator, it is better to take not with a tray built into the door, but with a removable, moreover stable, so that it can be transferred to a convenient place in the refrigerator
Therefore, it is worth paying special attention to such a seemingly small detail.
It is also important to properly adjust the temperature. After all, there are refrigerators that, at maximum power, literally begin to freeze products that are in the closest distance from the freezer
Therefore, this point should also be clarified.
Optimal storage conditions
For eggs to be stored properly and not lead to food poisoning, they need to be provided with normal conditions. In doing so, it is recommended to take into account several important parameters.
Temperature
There are several options for observing the temperature regime. Depending on this, the following types of storage are distinguished:
- In a dry ventilated room at a temperature of + 22-24 degrees. If the product is opened, it retains its characteristics for 1 month.
- In the same conditions, but in a closed container, the products can remain fresh for up to 2 months.
- Temperature 0-8 degrees provides longer storage. It can last 4 months.
Illumination
It is best to keep products in a dark place. This can be the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or a closed tray.
In any case, it is important that the surface is not exposed to direct sunlight.
Correct laying
It is recommended to put the product in trays with the sharp side down. Thanks to this, the yolk will not reach the air gap, which is located at the blunt end. Eggs should only be washed before use. Otherwise, their shelf life will be reduced to 1 month.
The product has a thin and fragile shell. Therefore, every month the products should be checked and sorted out. In this case, it is recommended to delete soft or damaged instances.
Package
It is allowed to store products on special stands. It is also permissible to use the tray in which it was sold for this purpose.
We check suitability
Boiled eggs are the most common food you take with you on a long trip or to work. Often, when collecting a child for school, parents put just such a snack in his lunchbox. And those who like to soak up the beach under the gentle sun often indulge themselves with just such a dinner: a boiled egg with a bite with a fresh cucumber will be appreciated by many gourmets.
According to the well-known law, thermally processed products are stored longer than raw. Quail eggs are the opposite. At room temperature after cooking, they cannot be stored for more than 10-12 hours. In the refrigerator, they can lie for a week, but only if their shell is intact.
It is allowed to save only those hard-boiled eggs. To do this, they need to be cooked for about ten minutes.
What is the shelf life of quail eggs, we have already found out. It remains to figure out how to check if they are fresh. The freshest egg is considered to be no more than ten days old. Its protein is distinguished by a dense consistency, and the air gap located at the blunt end is the smallest.After the time has elapsed, the amount of air will become large. This will be the main factor indicating the suitability and freshness of the product.
An old egg will weigh less than ten grams. A good and fresh treat weighs a maximum of 12 grams.
After storage, you can check the quality of the delicacy in the following way: put it in a container with cold water. If the food is old, then it will float up, and the fresh one will sink to the bottom.
The safety of food is different from each other.
It is important to control the number of days and temperature.
Characteristic | Quail eggs (days) | Chicken eggs (days) |
Indoors (damp) | 25-35 | 20-23 |
In the refrigerator (raw) | 55-65 | Home - 85-90, store - 25-30 |
In the refrigerator (boiled whole) | 5-6 | 13-15 |
In the refrigerator (boiled, with damaged shells) | 1-2 | 3-4 |
According to GOST, the optimal conditions under which quail eggs are stored is a temperature regime from zero to 8 degrees, when the product retains its useful properties for a month. This period is not final, as it is justified by specific storage conditions. It should be understood that when they change, the duration of the preservation of the product will also change.
If it is not possible to buy eggs in the store, then you can make a purchase in the market.
In the event that quail eggs are a staple in the diet and a large batch is purchased at a time, you need to know how to store them correctly in order to maximize suitability. The easiest option would be to keep the eggs in the refrigerator, where the temperature is kept around zero - there they will not deteriorate within 3 months. But fresh eggs will be much more beneficial, so you should not leave them for so long if there is no need for this.
The shelf life of quail eggs depends on a number of circumstances, which include the following.
- The optimal temperature range is not below zero and not more than 25 degrees Celsius.
- Air humidity approximately equal to 70%.
- Distance from direct sunlight.
- Eggs should not be washed if they are to be stored for more than a week. This can be done before eating directly.
- The correct storage position is when the egg is placed with the blunt end up.
- The integrity of the shell. If there are cracks or dents, such a product should be cooked immediately.
- It is best to store quail eggs in special cells, where there will be a small distance between them and there is no risk of damaging the shell of one egg to another.
A place for long-term storage is usually chosen in the refrigerator, but it is better to avoid doors, because in them the product receives constant temperature drops and shaking, which negatively affects their general condition. If there is a need to increase the shelf life of the product up to a year, eggs can be frozen.
What is the shelf life?
GOST 31655-2012 “Edible eggs (turkey, guinea fowl, quail, ostrich). Technical conditions "sets standards depending on the class.
Egg classes according to GOST |
Shelf life, days |
Diet | 11 |
Canteens | 30 |
According to GOST, these terms can be guided by subject to the conditions - ambient temperature from 0 to +8 degrees and relative humidity from 75 to 80%.
For washed copies, the standard is reduced to 12 days.
How many days can you keep in the refrigerator?
The presence of a refrigerator significantly increases the duration of storage of a dietary product: exactly twice. Thus, they can lie in the refrigerator for almost two months without losing energy and nutritional value.
However, when buying, you should pay attention to the following marking parameters:
- date of manufacture;
- quality stamp.
If the goods are bought directly on the farm, then you should be sure of the quality of the products.
How long can boiled eggs be stored?
Boiled eggs are the most popular snack in the office, on the beach, or on a long trip.However, at high ambient temperatures, this dish from the category of dietary can easily go into the category of inedible. To avoid the unpleasant consequences of poisoning, it is necessary to clearly know the shelf life of the heat-treated delicacy:
- without a refrigerator - no longer than 12 hours;
- in the refrigerator with whole shells - up to 7 days;
- in the refrigerator with damaged shells - up to 4 days.
The above times are valid for hard-boiled eggs, i.e. staying in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.
Shelf life of raw eggs
Subject to the rules, a raw quail egg can remain in the refrigerator for up to 60 days. Such a long period is associated with the presence of the amino acid lysozyme in the protein. It prevents the growth of bacteria that can spoil the product. In the eggs of other birds (chickens, ducks, geese), it is absent, so their shelf life is significantly lower.
In the absence of a refrigerator, the folk method allows you to extend the freshness. To do this, dilute a tablespoon of salt in a liter of water and dip a delicacy product into this solution. Fresh - will settle to the bottom, spoiled - will begin to float to the surface of the solution.
Storing quail eggs at home
There are two known ways to keep this natural product fresh:
- at room temperature;
- in fridge.
Experienced housewives prefer refrigerated storage, since in this case the terms increase to two months.
For refrigerated storage, quail eggs are best placed in plastic or cardboard packaging and set with the sharp end down, this reduces the risk of breaking the egg
It is important to remember that during refrigerated storage, do not keep meat products, fish and other products with a pronounced odor nearby. It should also be remembered that quail eggs must be rinsed under the tap before cooking, and not before storage.
Thus, you save an important layer on the shell surface and increase shelf life. It is strongly not recommended to store eggs in the refrigerator on the doors. This is due to the fact that with constant opening, the temperature in the refrigerator itself changes and, accordingly, the shelf life is significantly reduced.
When stored outside the refrigerator. In fact, quail eggs have a huge advantage in that they have a long shelf life at 24 degrees. Some people at home put quail eggs in a large bowl of water and cover with salt (proportion: 1 tablespoon of salt for 1 liter of water). If any eggs float to the top after immersion, they should be disposed of immediately, as this is the first sign of spoiled product. On farms with a large volume of refrigerators, there are not enough refrigerators, and farmers have to use an old proven recipe - the product is covered with fat. It can be either pork fat or sunflower oil, after which the eggs are immersed in cardboard boxes with ventilation holes
It is very important that the eggs do not touch each other. At the bottom of such a box, some soft layer is necessarily poured, which will "save" the eggshell from possible blows
For example:
- sand;
- hay;
- ash;
- shavings;
- paper.
The second method, which makes it possible to increase the shelf life of up to one year, is extremely rarely used in everyday life because of its peculiar way. Eggs are placed neatly in a glass container, if desired, you can use porcelain or ceramic dishes, so that they do not touch each other, and fill the container with ready-made slaked lime. Lime should be diluted in a ratio of 1 to 5. With this storage, slaked lime should completely cover the eggs with a margin of 2-3 centimeters, and be stored in a basement or shed with a temperature not higher than 10 degrees and not below zero.
Features of storing raw eggs
The shelf life of quail eggs largely depends on the conditions in which this product finds itself:
the temperature should not fall below zero and rise above 24 ° С;
it is better to store them in rooms with a relative humidity of 70%;
you should not allow sunlight to enter the product, so a window sill is not an option;
it is recommended to wash immediately before use, otherwise their shelf life will be reduced by about half, since the air permeability of the shell will be impaired and the deterioration process will begin inside;
it is important that each egg is in the correct position, that is, with the blunt end up, because it is on this side under the shell that there is a small air chamber designed to provide oxygen to the future chick and remove carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide;
the integrity of the shell must not be compromised; specimens with damaged shells must be prepared and eaten first;
By the way: their protective shell is not as fragile as chicken shells, and when dropped, they usually do not break, because their thin shell is simply crumpled. However, they require delicate handling and are best kept in a special container; store mesh packaging is also great .. In the refrigerator, it is often customary to store them on the door shelf, which is actually not so practical
Temperature changes and daily repeated shaking are not good for them. But the compartment for storing fresh vegetables and fruits is the perfect place!
In the refrigerator, it is often customary to store them on the door shelf, which is actually not so practical. Temperature changes and daily repeated shaking are not good for them. But the compartment for storing fresh vegetables and fruits is the perfect place!
Permissible shelf life in the refrigerator
The period during which eggs can be stored depends on the environment. If all the manufacturer's recommendations are followed, the maximum shelf life reaches 45 days.
For raw eggs
Storing raw food in the refrigerator has several characteristics. The most useful are dietary eggs, which can be stored for no more than a day to get the maximum amount of nutrients. At the end of the day, the product is considered a table product and is suitable for eating with minimal heat treatment for the next 25 days.
For boiled eggs
Boiled eggs should not be left in the refrigerator for a long time. It is recommended to use the finished product no later than 5 days later.
Hard boiled
Hard-boiled eggs can also be stored in the refrigerator, but the appropriate temperature for them should vary between 2-4 degrees. Immediately after cooking, it is recommended to place the food in a cool liquid and then transfer it to a hermetically sealed plastic container. Such preservation measures will prevent the absorption of extraneous odors, since the porous shell has the property of absorbing surrounding odors. The shelf life under the listed conditions is 2 weeks.
Soft-boiled
In the case of soft-boiled product cooking, heat treatment does not exceed 3 minutes. The cooking method assumes that the yolk remains in a liquid state, and this affects the shelf life. The maximum shelf life is 48 hours, after which there is a high likelihood of poisoning if eaten.
Duration of storage of broken eggs
Damage to the integrity of the shell negatively affects shelf life and, over time, leads to product deterioration. Prepare broken specimens as soon as possible. It is recommended to store them for no more than 48 hours in a sealed container.
Shelf life and storage conditions in the freezer
When stored in a freezer, the shelf life is longer than in the refrigerator. So that the product does not lose its taste and consistency, you need to follow simple instructions:
Break the eggs into a bowl.Since the contents increase in volume during freezing, storage with the shell in the freezer is not recommended.
Stir the white and yolk until smooth
It is important that a minimum amount of air gets into the resulting mass.
Add salt to the mixture so that no grainy texture is formed after thawing.
Beat the mixture again. If a more homogeneous mass is required, you can pass it through a sieve.
Pour the mixture into a clean container and leave in the freezer.
Since eggs can overflow the edge of the container due to the increase in volume due to cold exposure, a 1 to 2 cm margin should be left.
Duration of storage under conditions is up to one year. For convenience, it is recommended to indicate on the container the date of placement and the number of eggs in the container.
Deep freezing saves
If eggs are bought in a store, then there are no big problems with their storage. As soon as one package ends, you can just go and buy a new one, and there is no need to clutter up the refrigerator and fool yourself with the storage rules.
But today, many have the opportunity to breed quail, and then the problem rises in full growth.
Quail birds are capricious. First, they must grow, and during this period you will not get a single testicle from them. Then they literally "breaks through", and the eggs fall out of them, as if from a cornucopia. And then the moulting period begins, and the birds stop rushing again. Therefore, the egg crop arrives extremely unevenly: it is thick, then empty. All this creates big problems for quail owners.
So how to preserve the harvest of eggs, which was suddenly given out by a quail living in the country? There are many methods, and one of the easiest is to use a freezer. This method is so convenient that having mastered it, you can without hesitation buy large quantities of fresh eggs at a discount in the bazaar in the summer, and immediately freeze them for future use. This saves a lot.
Homemade egg powder
But what to do if suddenly "God sent" a lot of wonderful quail eggs? How can you save them if all the methods described above do not work? One universal solution is to prepare egg powder. Of course, this name does not cause much delight, especially now, when everyone has heard a lot about the dangers of semi-finished products. But homemade preparation, if prepared correctly, is very different from the mass that is put into store "snacks".
The prepared mass must be dehydrated (that is, dried). This, again, can be done in two ways:
- using a special dehydrator;
- using a non-stick frying pan.
A frying pan is an inexpensive, but very time consuming and rude method. The prepared mass is poured onto a perfectly clean surface (not a drop of fat should be) and heated until it turns into a dry crust, which then needs to be cooled and ground into a powder with a blender or coffee grinder.
The dehydrator will act without your participation and much more gently. It will take about 8-10 hours to dry one portion.
The resulting powder must be poured into carefully sterilized jars and stored in a refrigerator or pantry. The shelf life of such a product is almost two years. And in the freezer, the powder can last up to five years.
Freezing technology
Freezing eggs is not difficult, but still somewhat more difficult than placing in the refrigerator. First you need to purchase a sufficient number of frost-resistant containers. These can be either special containers for freezers, or ordinary molds for making ice cubes (with a lid, of course), because the quail eggs are small and they fit perfectly into the cube compartments.
By the way, many people find ice cube trays the perfect solution, because getting the right amount of eggs out of them is no more difficult than getting the usual ice cube.
If the selected container does not have separate compartments, then it is better to choose one in which the volume does not exceed two cups. The fact is that you cannot defrost and freeze eggs again - this not only spoils the taste, but also creates a huge danger of poisoning. Therefore, the portion that is thawed must be quickly consumed without leaving any residue. And it is most convenient if it will be the contents of one container as a whole.
So, when the container is selected, we proceed to filling it
First, wash the eggs thoroughly, then break them and mix gently. At the same time, you need to try to ensure that as little air as possible gets into the mixture - in this case, fluffy foam is completely unnecessary.
You can separate the yolks from the whites and freeze them separately, or you don't have to. But if you later plan to use this mass for recipes that require either only proteins or only yolks, then separation must be done before freezing.
If you wish, you can add a little honey or salt to the egg mass - this will facilitate the thawing process. These ingredients are added at the rate of half a teaspoon of either honey or salt for each cup (200 milliliters) of egg mass.
Now the mass is poured into containers and put into the freezer. The shelf life of such a product is six months, but in principle it remains edible for a whole year.
If an ice cube mold was used for freezing, then after the eggs are completely frozen, the space can be “optimized”. To do this, the egg cubes are removed from the mold and transferred to ordinary bags. This way they take up significantly less space. But you need to act quickly to prevent thawing.
When it comes time to use freeze, counting is very easy: 3 teaspoons of the frozen mixture equals one fresh egg. The mixture is great for omelets and baked goods. Almost all the beneficial properties of fresh eggs are preserved in the product, it can be given to children and consumed while breastfeeding. For him, the same rules "how much you can eat per day" apply as for fresh eggs, namely, a healthy adult can eat 9-10 quail eggs daily. But drinking the thawed raw mass is highly discouraged.
Daily and age norms
Not looking at its tiny size, the product also has some limitations in its use. Here are the data on the permissible rate of consumption of quail eggs per day for a person:
Age |
Up to 3 years |
3 - 10 years old |
10 - 16 years old |
Adults |
Allowable amount (per day) |
2 pieces |
3 pieces |
5 items |
6 items |
Abuse, as you can see, is not worth it. 4 - 5 quail specimens are similar to one chicken, but in nutritional value they are significantly superior. These are a kind of "ampoules of health", vitamins and minerals in which are harmoniously combined and easily absorbed by the human body.
For example, Japanese children receive quail eggs every day; there is even a special law on this in the country. In our latitudes, the product is a must in the daily diet of astronauts. A beneficial effect on immunity and blood composition, strengthening the nervous system, a variety of diets for diabetes and heart disease - these are just some of the advantages of the product. A rich mineral complex that makes you healthy and hardy, improves metabolism - all these are tiny spotted quail eggs that we highly recommend to your table.