How Storing Your Eggs Pointed Side Up Can Ruin Them

Few foods come with as many rules as the common egg. There are rules for cracking an egg. For instance, always crack an egg on a flat surface, don't whack it too hard, and crack it into something that doesn't contain other ingredients first (via Chatelaine). There are ways to tell if eggs are still good. For instance, Southern Living says if an egg floats to the top when placed in water, it is no longer fit for consumption. The outlet also reports that if shaking it creates a "sloshing sound," it should be tossed out as well. 

If you are unsure as to whether an egg is still raw or has been boiled, Spark Science recommends spinning it like a top. If it spins perfectly, it's hard-boiled. It if neglects to spin and, instead, just sort of "wobbles," it's raw. 

Yes, the seemingly uncomplicated egg is much more complex than it appears. Have you ever noticed that the eggs in your carton come upside down? Seriously. Go check. (Pause for egg carton inspection). See, the pointy tops are all facing the ground. It's okay. They're supposed to be that way. And, like those directives listed above, this egg rule of thumb exists for a very good reason. 

Have you ever questioned the reasoning behind your eggs being transported upside down? Did you, perhaps, assume it was to protect their fragile pointy side? While that seems like a perfectly logical explanation, there's a much more salient reason for storing them bottoms-up. Tik Tok user and owner of The Shilo Farm, Noah Young, shares the science behind this move. According to Young, the egg's blunt end contains an air cell that serves as a barrier between the egg yolk and harmful bacteria like salmonella. When the egg is turned to sit pointy-side-up, this air bubble moves upwards carrying the bacteria with it. When stored properly (with the bulbous side up), the air stays at the bottom keeping the bad stuff away from the tender yolk. 

Why is it so important to protect the yolk over the whites? Fresh Eggs Daily shares that the yolk is the most nutritious part of the egg and that if the bacteria were allowed to invade it, they would be more likely to thrive and multiply. They add that when the air bubble travels upwards, there is also an increased risk that the bubble will rupture and fill the egg with the bacteria it has accumulated. 

And there you have it. Enquiring minds can now rest easy. There is a perfectly good reason your eggs come upside down. Speaking of eggs, this is a great time for some Cured Egg Yolk Bottarga. Anyone?