[Roxy]

Forgot to say .....

You are not supposed to put the eggs in the egg box until the customer asks for his eggs, is it something to do with contamination from the box maybe?  Anyway, can prove a bit difficult when you leave them at the gate for people to pick up themselves.  Seems ok for the supermarkets to have them in boxes - you don't ask for your eggs and them box them up, do you?!!!

[harry]

i think most of this applies if you are registered in some way , as a private seller surely you cannot recommend storage and cooking to the buyer as this could cause problems, ie (say nothing then you cant be wrong) Even a wipe over to clean is dangerous you should not do that, i think its got to be COLD water as this stops the muck penitrating the membrane, not sure if its COLD or HOT, someone may know. I thought eggs should not be refridgerated, dont recomemd that either, supermakets /shops dont. Say nothing then you advice cannot come back on you, just take the cash and say thank you.

[shetlandpaul]

on the label it has to say keep refrigerated. but has harry says that only applies once your registered.

[whitby_sam]

You need to wash them in warm water so the egg expands and pushes any contamination out...

[shetlandpaul]

err not for eating you don't wash them.

[whitby_sam]

Really? I'll make note of that. Any idea why?

[harry]

cos it pushes the dirt, s**t though the membrane into the egg

[harry]

i now googled HOW TO WASH EGGS, some say hot water and BLEACH, some say cold water and BLEACH, someones wrong.....

[langdon]

'speeches that changed the world'!!!!
really it was great to read

[Roxy]

Bleach?  I think I will give that a miss, although looking at the mud on some of our eggs, perhaps bleach would be what they need.

I do have a feeling, looking at the amount of people round here with eggs for sale signs outside  their house, that the day will come where selling from the gate/house will be stopped.  Some health and safety rule will appear, or the bigger egg producers will say its not fair that they have to be registered etc. etc.

To be honest, I do wonder about our local shop and butcher, as in the height of summer I do sell a lot of eggs, and some of these people have said they used to go to the shop or the butchers, but our eggs are better.  I do feel a bit guilty taking their business, but there again, I am not a business, just doing it to pay for my hen feed!!

[shetlandpaul]

if they will have a problem it will be with the storage before sale that they will be bothered with. have you though about selling to the shop or butcher that way you make money they make money and the customers get better quality eggs. we sell to the shop at £1.20 and they sell at £1.70. ten pence more than we were getting in the markets without the cost  of a table or the time.

[Elissian]

I sell to teachers at all the schools my partner teaches at. They pay £1.50 for 6. I sell in plain boxes and they get a mixture of sizes. I hadn't realised i had to put something on the box i thought it was the opposite that you couldn't put any details on the box if your not registered.  The teachers say they miss my eggs during the holidays as they can't get such bright orange yolks from shop bought ones, i even have one who likes one of the eggs in each box to be small so her husband can fit 2 into 1 poached egg! I always give her the double yolkers when i get them. I think one of the joys of selling to people you know is the feedback you get. I tell my customers that i dont wash the eggs as it may encourage bacteria and that if they wish they should wash them in hot water just before they use them.

[shetlandpaul]

you don't need to put anything on the box if not registered but the useby date

[dixie]

I had a trading standards visit last year, he told me if I have less than 50 birds I can sell at the gate, in or out of boxes and never mentioned whether I could say free range. I wouldnt wash them though, when they are laid they have a membrane on the outside to protect them, wash it off and they can become contaminated, over 50 birds you have to register with defra on the poultry register and the rules change! so for 16 birds I';d sell at the gate however you like until someone tells you you cant!

[Helencus]

cheers all, just have to break it to my friend at the top of the hill that i'm going to be selling mine too. She has about 35 hens and has sold in the village for ages, she'll be fine though i'm sure .