There is quite the online debate about washing fresh eggs versus leaving them unwashed. I sometimes find “nastiness” (most polite term I can think of) on eggs when I retrieve them from the nest box. I feel the “nastiness” should be rinsed off, but there is also something called a “bloom” protecting the eggs. Some feel the bloom should be retained at the expense of the “nastiness”. I personally don’t want the blooming “nastiness” in the fridge, so I rinse the eggs.

Debate aside, I needed a way to dry the eggs after rinsing and before storage. I searched the intergoogles and found all sorts of egg stands, but I couldn’t find one that exactly met my needs:

• Open to allow the surface of the eggs to dry
• Minimal points of contact to allow water to drip off of the eggs
• Something to catch the water so it doesn’t make a mess

 

I finally settle on the design shown to the left that uses about $1.50 worth of materials. It is simply a couple 2×4’s with some holes and a few dowels glued through them. It comfortably holds 4 eggs, uncomfortably holds 5, and can accommodate 6 in a bind. The width is matched to a paper towel which is used to catch the drips and can be disposed of after several uses. It has also been stained and painted with polyurethane for sanitary purposes.

In retrospect, I wish I had made the stand a few inches wider and fitted to some sort of drip tray. I might save up another $1.50 to make a better one if I get more chickens or time.