After doing the big shop at the supermarket, it’s natural to just haphazardly throw your items in the fridge without much thought when you get home, but the placement of food is actually very important.
Where you choose to store certain items in your fridge can have a bigger impact on the freshness of your food than you might think, particularly when it comes to eggs. Most refrigerators come with a handy storage section in the door, often with a dedicated egg compartment, but food experts say this isn’t actually the best place to keep them – they should instead go in the main part of the fridge on the middle shelf where they will stay fresh for up to 21 days longer. The fridge door is the warmest part of the fridge and temperatures in this section fluctuate due to being opened and closed a lot which can allow bacteria to thrive and potentially cause eggs to spoil.
But if eggs are kept on the middle shelf, the temperature here is much more consistent and so it provides a much better environment for preserving the quality of your eggs and keeping them fresh.
Experts at Curry’s explain: “The best place to store eggs is the main bit of the fridge – not the door. This is to reduce any changes in temperature. The optimal egg storage zone is typically the middle shelf, as it maintains the most consistent temperature.
“You should avoid storing eggs in the refrigerator door itself. It’s the place where temperature changes the most, caused by the door being opened and closed. So even if your fridge has got one of those cute and tempting egg racks in a shelf on your door, you should ignore it.”
In the UK, eggs have a best before date of 28 days after the egg was laid, but if kept refrigerated, they can last up to three weeks (or 21 days) longer than when stored at room temperature.
Essential Food Hygiene says: “In the UK, eggs are marked with a best-before date – a legal requirement of 28 days after the egg was laid. Of course, it is recommended that you consume the eggs within this date but they are often still safe to eat after it.
“If refrigerated you can eat them 2-3 weeks after the best-before date. That said, the quality, taste, and texture won’t be the same and they need to be cooked thoroughly.”
To ensure maximum freshness, the middle shelf of your refrigerator is the best spot to store eggs and they should also be kept inside their original carton as this provides a protective barrier, otherwise the porous eggshells can absorb odours from the fridge.
Eggs should be placed with the pointed end down to help maintain the yolk’s central position and preserve freshness, and they shouldn’t be washed before storing as this removes their natural coating making them more susceptible to bacteria.
Adam Oakley, storage expert at Door to Store, added: “Eggs stored at room temperature start losing quality within a few days, especially in warmer climates.
“While eggs kept outside the fridge should ideally be used within one to three weeks, refrigerated eggs can last up to three to five weeks with their freshness intact.
“While refrigeration significantly extends shelf life, it’s always best to consume eggs within a few weeks to ensure optimal taste and quality.”