Cracking the Truth: Unwashed Eggs vs. Store-Bought Eggs

If you’ve ever picked up a dozen eggs from the store, then cracked open a farm-fresh one straight from the coop, you already know they’re not the same thing. But this difference goes beyond a brighter yolk or a speckled shell. It comes down to how the eggs are handled, stored, and what those hens were up to before laying them.

These days, more people are swapping out their plastic-packed grocery store eggs for unwashed, farm-fresh ones—and with good reason. At Sawyer Creek, we believe in understanding where your food comes from and what’s in it, so here’s the real scoop on what separates store-bought eggs from the fresh ones still wearing their bloom.

The Bloom: Nature’s Safety Net

When a hen lays an egg, it’s covered in a protective coating called the bloom. This invisible layer seals the shell’s pores to keep out bacteria and moisture. It’s nature’s version of shrink-wrap—except you don’t have to wrestle with it in the kitchen.

Store-bought eggs? They’re washed and sanitized before they ever see a carton. That process strips the bloom, which means they need to be refrigerated immediately and consistently to stay safe.

Unwashed eggs still have their bloom, so they can safely sit out at room temperature for up to two weeks—as long as they’re clean and dry. But once they go in the fridge (or once they’ve been washed), they need to stay cold.

Calories Are Close—But Nutrition Isn’t

Calorie-wise, there’s not a huge difference. A standard large egg—whether store-bought or farm fresh—clocks in around 70 calories. But here’s where things part ways: pasture-raised hens lay eggs that often contain more omega-3s, more vitamins, and less saturated fat and cholesterol.

That’s because what the hen eats—and how she lives—directly impacts what ends up on your plate. A hen that forages outside, pecks at bugs, and lives like a chicken’s supposed to will lay an egg that’s a nutritional step up from one that came from a crowded, commercial setup.

Taste and Texture Tell a Story

You’ll notice the difference right away. Farm eggs usually have firmer whites, rich orange yolks, and a flavor that makes store-bought taste like cardboard in comparison. That freshness also makes a difference in how they hold up when frying, poaching, or baking. If you’ve ever tried to whip up meringue or make sunny-side-up eggs, you know: fresher is better.

Safety: It’s Not About the Wash

A lot of people assume that store-bought eggs are safer just because they’re washed. Truth is, safety comes down to cleanliness and how the eggs are handled—not whether they were dunked in sanitizer.

Unwashed eggs from a clean coop and healthy hens are just as safe—if not safer—than washed eggs that have been sitting in cold storage for weeks. The key is to crack each egg into a separate bowl before cooking (no matter where it came from), and make sure it’s cooked thoroughly if you're unsure.

Sawyer Creek’s Take

We’re not saying store-bought eggs are bad. They’re convenient and widely available. But if you’re looking for better nutrition, fresher taste, and fewer unknowns? Unwashed eggs from a trustworthy local farm are hard to beat.

Know your farmer. Know your food. And don’t be afraid of a little dirt on the shell—it’s what’s inside that counts.

Sources:

• U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Shell Eggs from Farm to Table,” www.fsis.usda.gov

• Mother Earth News, “Meet Real Free-Range Eggs,” 2007

• Journal of Food Protection, “An Assessment of the Microbiological Risks Involved with Egg Washing Under Commercial Conditions,” Hutchison et al., 2003

• European Food Safety Authority, “Scientific Opinion on the Public Health Risks of Table Eggs Due to Deterioration and Development of Pathogens,” 2014

• American Egg Board, “Why Do We Refrigerate Eggs in the U.S.?” www.incredibleegg.org