Eggs are usually stored in a carton. As eggshells are porous, the carton helps protect the eggs from bacterial contamination. All egg cartons and trays are marked with a best before date.
This is the easiest and most reliable way to check whether eggs are good or bad. The best before date indicates the end of the period in which eggs are safe to eat. It is calculated as six weeks from the day the egg is packed into the carton.
How to Tell if Eggs are Good or Bad
Eggs are usually stored in a carton. As eggshells are porous, the carton helps protect the eggs from potential contamination. All egg cartons and trays are marked with a best before date. The best-by date indicates the end of the period in which eggs are safe to eat. This is the easiest and most reliable way to check whether eggs are good or bad.
If you don’t have the best before date, you can determine a bad egg simply by smelling it. Good eggs don’t smell at all. Bad eggs will exude a distinct smell that warns you.
If you’re unsure, there are several other methods you can try to determine if your eggs are good or bad. Here are some of them:
Visual Inspection
Your eyes are a valuable tool for telling whether an egg is good or bad. Closely check the eggshell. Sliminess or cracks on the shell indicate the presence of some type of bacteria. On the other hand, a powdery appearance on the cover may signify mold.
If the shell appears dry and undamaged, crack the egg into a clean plate or bowl. Examine any red, blue, or black discoloration in the egg yolk or whites. It may indicate bacterial growth in the egg. If you notice any signs of discoloration, throw the egg out.
You can also check if the eggs whites or yolks are runny. It indicates that the egg is old. However, you can still use it.
Float Test
The float test is a popular method for checking whether an egg is fresh or old.
Gently place your egg in water to perform the float test. The egg is fresh if it sinks. If the egg starts to float, it is old.
This method will tell you whether your egg is fresh or old. It doesn’t mean whether an egg is good or bad. A bad egg can sink, and an egg that floats may be fine to eat.
Candle your Eggs
Candling is a method used to check the quality of a table egg. This process is carried out using specialized equipment in the industries. But you can do it on your eggs at home. You’ll need two things to perform this activity.
- A dark room
- A small, bright source of light
Place the light source up to the large end of your egg. Then, turn the egg quickly from left to right. It will illuminate the contents of the egg. The process of candling requires some practice.
How to tell if Eggs are still Ggood
Carton of eggs are marked with an expiration date. You can check it to determine if the eggs are still good. The expiration date indicates the end of the period in which eggs are safe to eat. It’s a six-week period from the day the egg is packed into the trays.
If you don’t have the expiry date, you can determine a good or bad egg by performing a float test as follows:
Do the Float Test
The float test is a popular method for checking whether an egg is good or bad. The float test method can determine the age of a fertilized egg that is developing into a chick. It works well to judge whether an unfertilized egg is fresh or not.
Gently place your egg into a cup of water to perform the float test. The egg is fresh if it sinks. If the egg starts to float, it is old.
The reason is as an egg gets old, the small air pocket inside it grows larger. The water from the egg is released and replaced by air. The egg may float if the air pocket becomes large enough.
Is the float test for eggs accurate
The float test method may tell you whether an egg is fresh or old. It doesn’t mean whether an egg is good or bad. A bad egg can sink, and an egg that floats may be fine to eat.
The water test for Egg Freshness
Fill a glass or bowl with about four inches of cool water. Gently place your eggs inside. Your egg is very fresh if it sinks to the bottom and lays on its sides. If your egg stays at the bottom but stands on its small end, it’s not very fresh. However, it’s still fine to eat. These mature eggs are no less nutritious than a fresher egg. Most people don’t even notice a difference in taste.
The egg which starts to float on the surface is too old to eat. The reason is as an egg gets old, the small air pocket inside it grows larger. The water from the egg is released and replaced by air. The egg may float if the air pocket becomes large enough.
How to tell if Eggs have gone Bad
Besides the water test, the following are some other ways to determine if eggs have gone bad quickly:
Smell
You can check the smell of an egg to tell whether an egg has gone bad. The bad eggs will give off the smell of sulfur.
Crack the egg onto a clean plate or bowl if you can’t smell it in the shell. If anything smells off, toss the egg. Wash your bowl or container with hot, soapy water.
If things smell normal, or there is no odor at all, the egg is still safe to use.
Appearance
Crack the egg onto a clean bowl. Take a look at the shell’s inside for black or brown spots, which indicate mold. On the contrary, dark brown or red streaks in the egg white or clinging to the yolk are not a sign of spoilage. These eggs are entirely safe to eat or remove with a spoon.
Egg White Consistency
As an egg gets old, a small amount of air slowly seeps through the shells over time. It creates the air pocket. You may notice it when peeling a hard-boiled egg. It can cause the egg white to become watery.
Watery eggs aren’t necessarily unsafe to eat. However, if you’re not sure about the expiration date, it would be best to get a new egg carton. Read about does a cat like to eat breakfast(Eggs).
Do Eggs Need to Be Refrigerated?
Some people store eggs in the refrigerator—some others consider Refrigeration unnecessary for them. Refrigeration has some benefits. It also has drawbacks. Here are some pros and cons of refrigerating the eggs.
Pro of Refrigerating the Eggs:
- Refrigerated egg have decent shelf life
Cons of Refrigerating the Eggs:
- Eggs can absorb flavors in the fridge
- You shouldn’t store eggs in the door of a fridge
- You can’t use cold eggs for baking.
If you’re still confused, Refrigeration is the safest option for you.
Can Refrigeration can double an egg’s shelf life
Yes, Refrigeration can double the egg’s shelf life. Fresh eggs stored at room temperature will decline in quality after a few days. They have shorter shelf life. They need to be used within 1–3 weeks. On the other hand, eggs placed in the refrigerator will maintain quality and freshness for twice as long.
FAQ – How to Tell if Eggs are Good
Crack the egg onto a clean plate. Take a look at the shell’s inside. A rotten or bad egg will have black or brown spots.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), we can store hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator for approximately one week. The hard-boiled eggs are either peeled or unpeeled.
If the shell of the stored hard-boiled egg is slimy or chalky, throw it out.
It’s important not to eat eggs past their prime time. It can cause foodborne illnesses such as food poisoning.
A rotten hard-boiled egg may have an unpleasant odor. You can crack the egg to assess the smell if the shell is on.
Sometimes, the yolk of a hard-boiled egg is greenish-grey in color. However, it doesn’t mean that your egg has gone bad.
The yolk color may vary depending on cooking temperature and time. When you boil eggs for a long time, the yolk becomes paler in color. It eventually turns greenish-grey.
It happens when the iron from the yolk reacts with the hydrogen sulfide from the white. It’s safe to eat this egg. However, this may affect the texture and mouthfeel.
You need to preserve the eggs properly to prevent them from going bad. Here are some methods you can try to protect the eggs for a longer period:
Bake eggs in muffins pan: Spray your muffin tins with cooking oil. Crack one egg into each spot. Use a fork to scramble them. You can also leave the yolks intact. Bake the eggs at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
These baked eggs can be reheated for breakfast. They can last six-eight months in the freezer. Just wrap them in plastic and a freezer bag.
Mix and Freeze: Thoroughly mix the raw eggs and place them in a zip-top freezer bag. You can use these eggs for French toast or baking cakes and cookies.
Be sure to mark your egg bags with the date and the number of eggs. These will last one year in the freezer.
The Salt Method: It is an old technique of preserving eggs without a refrigerator. This method aims to keep bacteria and fungi at bay from the eggs with salt.
You need to bury the eggs upside down in a container filled with salt. Eggs stored in salt can last up to 6 months. They may lose some of their texture. You can use them for making scrambled eggs or in baking.
The drawback of this method is that salt will dry out the eggs through the case’s pores. To prevent dehydration, you have to apply a generous layer of grease to the egg.
Preserving Eggs in Lime Solution: Lime is a natural antimicrobial used to keep disease away from fruit trees and homes. That’s why it is one of the safest methods to protect eggs. Fresh eggs will stay safe to eat for up to 2 years without a refrigerator. However, there will be some losses in the texture and flavor.
Yes, eggs can absorb odors and flavors from other foods in your fridge, such as onions. However, you can prevent this occurrence by storing eggs in their carton. You can also seal the fresh foods with strong odors in airtight containers.
Fridges usually have a designated rack in the door for your eggs. So people assume it to be the best place to store them. But experts have revealed that the fridge door is the worst place to keep your eggs fresh.
The fridge door is the warmest part of a fridge. The reason is that the fridge door is subjected to the most extreme temperature fluctuations. When you open or close the fridge door, the items in the door will become warm. So the eggs will become rotten much quicker than if we store them in the main part of the appliance. So, do not place your eggs in the fridge door.
Yes, you can eat an egg that floats. You can further test the egg by cracking it open to smell it. Check the yolk and egg white for visible signs of contamination.
If you store the eggs properly, they can last far beyond their expiration date. They will be safe to eat. So yes, you can safely use expired eggs.
Final Words – How to Tell if Eggs are Good
If you waste your eggs once the expiration date on the carton has passed, you may be wasting good eggs. Do check these eggs by following some test methods as mentioned above.
Fresh eggs can last for 3–5 weeks in the fridge. They can last for a year in the freezer if stored properly. However, the longer an egg is stored, its quality declines. Older eggs are still good for use. They are perfect for boiling. They can be used for omelets, scrambled eggs, or baked egg dishes. What does sward fish taste like.
