*This original thread was started on 3/25/12.*

I saw on an episode of Doomsday Preppers where a lady was able to store eggs at room temperature for 9-12 months. She said that she coated them in mineral oil and just set them on the shelf.

When chickens lay eggs, there is a substance surrounding the egg called the Bloom. This is a kind of membrane that seals the porous shell of the egg and prevents bacteria from getting inside of the egg and spoiling it. As long as the bloom is not washed away, eggs can be stored at room temperature for several weeks, as they apparently do in many parts of Europe.

In the US, eggs are washed before being sent to stores, thus opening up the pores of an egg's shell. The only way to keep them fresh is by refrigeration. The idea behind the mineral oil, is that it mimics the bloom and keeps the egg sealed from bacteria.

I decided to conduct my own experiment to see how well this works with store bought eggs in the US. I purchased a carton of six eggs from the store and took them home to store them at room temperature. The purchase date was 25 MAR 12. I coated all six eggs in Bag Balm, as I do not have any mineral oil, and marked the box. At the same time, I selected two eggs from my refrigerator, also marked them with the date, and set them inside an opened sandwich baggie to prevent them from rolling away.

The plan is to eat one bag balm covered egg each month, so that by the last egg, it will be 6 months old. The two eggs in the bag will be eaten if I think they are safe.

**It has been brought to my attention that any marking of eggs directly on the shell should use pencil instead of Sharpie, so as not to leach chemicals from the Sharpie into the egg. It was also mentioned that any chemicals in the Bag Balm could leach through as well.**

Here are the pictures:

The six eggs to be coated and eaten:


The eggs all prepared:


Where they will be stored: