Cracked egg leaves egg white residue. Should I worry about the other eggs?
I had an egg crack in the carton and cover the other eggs with egg white. I consider the cracked egg a lost cause, but what about the splash damage? Are the eggs that have received an inadvertent egg white wash safe to eat? Particularly, for someone who may be very vulnerable to infection?
Best Answer
If the egg actually exploded as in the title, then no, that egg is probably highly contaminated. Not only is it bad, but nothing its contents have touched can be considered safe to use and should be discarded.
I assume however that you actually have an egg that was broken in handling. In that case, only the broken egg is a loss. Other answers and comments have addressed that, choice by location and your own personal sense of safe for you. I hate wasting food, but eggs today are a relatively inexpensive commodity for most of us, so if you feel uneasy, error on the side of safety.
When an egg is only partially cracked, but the membrane is intact, that egg is normally safe for use for several days. You have lost some protection, but not the immediate integrity of the egg. One issue though is you do not know when it was cracked. In your possession can be safe, my personal rule being about a week. But if it already was cracked, I do not know if it happened before washing (in the US) or after. If before, the egg is compromised. Now, this is one spot that the EU with non-washed eggs are at a slight, very slight, disadvantage. IMO, unwashed, a cracked egg is compromised even if the membrane is intact. That paragraph is not exactly your question, but could be for people searching that find their way here.
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Quick Answer about "Cracked egg leaves egg white residue. Should I worry about the other eggs?"
Not only is it bad, but nothing its contents have touched can be considered safe to use and should be discarded. I assume however that you actually have an egg that was broken in handling. In that case, only the broken egg is a loss.Can a cracked egg contaminate other eggs?
You don't know where they have been before you bought them, so bacteria and other stuff can contaminate the eggs with their shell broken. You can safely eat the eggs that didn't break. Their shell and membrane protects them. The broken ones should be thrown away if you want to be sure you are safe.How do you tell if eggs are bad after cracking?
The best way to determine if your egg is spoiled is by cracking it open into a bowl. If the egg white is pink or iridescent this is an indication of spoilage due to Pseudomonas bacteria. Some of these bacteria can make us sick when eaten and they will produce a greenish, fluorescent, water-soluble color.Why is there white stuff in my egg?
It's called a chalaza. There are two chalazae in an egg, one that suspends from the top of the shell and one from the bottom. Essentially, these rope-like structures are made up of protein, and they attach to the yolk to protect it from bumping into the sides of the eggshell.Does one cracked egg ruin the rest?
If you accidentally crack the shell of an egg before you plan to use it, break the egg into a clean container, cover tightly, refrigerate, and use within two days in a recipe that is baked.Does Bob Mortimer crack an egg into his bath? - Would I Lie to You?
More answers regarding cracked egg leaves egg white residue. Should I worry about the other eggs?
Answer 2
Edit after the question was substantially changed. This answer wasn't initially concerned with the fate of the broken egg itself, but the others around it.
If the white 'exploded' bin it. If it 'leaked' then that egg is compromised. If you broke it, eat it today. If you don't know when it was broken, discard & treat the rest of this answer as it stood before you changed the question.
Don't wash European eggs.
US eggs already have had their natural protective layer washed off, so this action would be sensible to prevent further contamination.
EU eggs still have their natural protection, so should be left alone. Wash right before use if you're worried.
Answer 3
Sure. Wash them off with a little cold water, rub them dry carefully with some paper towels in case you want to keep them for longer and not have sticky old egg whites on the outside.
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