5 Essential Tips for Properly Storing Eggs in Your Fridge

What’s the Optimal Way to Store Eggs in the Refrigerator?

Many of us instinctively place our eggs in the convenient plastic tray inside the fridge door, since that’s what the design suggests.

Despite the convenience, storing eggs in the fridge door isn’t the ideal choice for keeping them fresh.

The best spot for eggs is actually on the middle shelf, left in their original carton, to maintain peak freshness.

If you've been storing your eggs the wrong way, these five simple tips will help you correct your habits and boost your food safety knowledge.

1. Keep the store-bought carton.

Even if you're tempted by cute ceramic egg holders or prefer using a fridge insert, sticking with the original Styrofoam or cardboard carton is the best choice. These materials offer superior protection for your eggs and help prevent cracking, while also displaying the important "best by" date.

2. Always store eggs in a sealed carton.

To meet USDA grading standards, eggs must be sanitized before packaging, which removes the natural oils on the shell. These oils serve as a protective barrier, and without them, eggs become more susceptible to absorbing odors from your fridge. That's why keeping your eggs in their original closed carton helps shield them from unwanted smells.

3. Avoid storing eggs in your refrigerator door.

While it may seem convenient, the refrigerator door is not the ideal place for eggs. The main section of your fridge, especially the middle shelf at the back, maintains a more consistent and colder temperature. The door, on the other hand, experiences temperature fluctuations due to frequent opening, which could pose a food safety risk since eggs should be kept at 45°F or lower, according to EggSafety.com.

4. Store eggs upside down in the carton.

We often think of the pointed end of an egg as the top, with the rounded side at the bottom. But next time you purchase eggs, check the orientation — they should be stored with the rounded side up and the pointed end down. This is because each egg has an air bubble in the rounded end, which helps keep the yolk centered and your eggs fresher for longer.

5. Never place used eggshells back in the carton or reuse old cartons.

Eggshells are porous, so bacteria from used shells can easily spread and contaminate the rest of your eggs, making them unsafe. Avoid putting used eggs back into their carton unless you're discarding them immediately. The Food Safety and Inspection Service also advises against reusing egg cartons for this reason.