It is important to remember that the United States treats eggs differently than the rest of the world. There are a number of foreign students in my community and not knowing the difference could make them ill.
In this country we wash eggs before they are distributed to stores. Although this process is intended to remove any foreign material and bacteria from the shell, it also removes a protective outer membrane on the egg. So washing makes the shell porous and more likely to let bacteria into the egg. That is why, in this country, eggs are always refrigerated.
This is not a common practice elsewhere in the world, where eggs are rinsed, usually in cool water in the consumer’s kitchen shortly prior to using them. By leaving the eggs unwashed, the eggs remain well-sealed and do not need refrigeration.
If you are as old as I am, a recent immigrant, or a foreign student, the idea of having an egg basket on the kitchen counter is part of the image of a family kitchen. My family had one made from wire in the shape of a chicken that sat on our kitchen table.
They still sell these decorative baskets, but please don’t keep supermarket or grocery store eggs in them. they could make you quite ill.
One Meatball 