Reason why eggs should only ever be stored the American way

Did you know that there's a right way and a wrong way to store your eggs? Us neither.

But according to the queen of baking Mary Berry, there's only one way to do it - the American way.

In the UK, eggs aren't typically washed straight after being laid. This allows them to retain their anti-bacterial protective coating and means they can be kept at room temperature.

Americans, on the other hand, sanitise their eggs straight away. They then have to be stored in the fridge to keep them fresh as the protective layer has been removed.

There's long been a debate over which way is the correct way.

While one side claims that refrigerating eggs keeps them fresher for longer, others say their porosity means they'll pick up unwanted flavours from other foods stored close to them in the fridge.

Mary Berry has weighed in on whether or not you should store eggs in the fridge (Mike Marsland/WireImage)

Now, who's better to settle such a debate than the queen of baking herself, Mary Berry. She weighed in on the topic in her bestseller, Mary Berry’s Complete Cookbook.

And, while she's well known as one of the original judges on The Great British Bake Off, when it comes to eggs, she's siding with the Americans.

She advises: "Store eggs in their box in the refrigerator (away from strong foods so that they do not absorb flavours and odours through their shells). If you place them pointed end down, the yolk will remain centred in the white. And always use them by their use-by date."

But, while a temperature of four degrees or less allows eggs to stay fresh for longer, it you place them too close to the sides of the fridge, condensation will build up on the shell, causing them to go off faster.

Instead, Mary recommends keeping them as close to the centre of the fridge as possible.

It turns out keeping them in the fridge keeps them fresher for longer (Tyla)

She also shared the surprising tip that you can even freeze your eggs for up to six months, although they should be eaten within four months if you want them to taste really fresh.

In the same book, she says: "Shelled raw eggs freeze very successfully, and can be stored for up to six months."

But, no matter how you store your eggs, if you're in the UK, you can almost guarantee that there's a small red lion on the shell.

This means that they have been produced under the British Lion scheme, a food safety initiative launched in 1998 that ensures strict food safety controls at every stage of the egg production process, including increased hygiene controls, stringent feed controls, regular egg testing and the guarantee that all hens are vaccinated against salmonella.

The more you know.