How to tell if eggs are good
Curious how to tell if eggs are good or if they need to be tossed out? This article will teach you how to store you eggs to keep them fresh and how to test them to see if they have gone bad.
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The food that you buy at the grocery store has an expiration date printed on it, but it isn’t always accurate. Many foods can last MUCH longer that the sell-by-date and expiration date.
Here at Living Practically, the goal is ZERO FOOD WASTE, which will help you save thousands of dollars every year! Use backwards meal planning to use your food up before it goes bad and you need to throw it out.
Unfortunately, sometimes food does go bad before we get a chance to use it. Some foods, like meat, bread, milk, and cheese show obvious signs that they have gone bad based on their smell, taste, or appearance. It is much harder to tell with un-cracked eggs.
How to store eggs
The Egg Safety Center shares some tips on storing eggs to keep them fresher for longer.
- Keep the eggs in the middle shelf of your fridge, not in the fridge door.
- Store your eggs in their original package from the store. They are designed to keep your eggs safe and prevent cracking.
- Keep the carton lid closed when not using them to protect the eggs from absorbing other odors in your fridge.
- Do not place used shells back into the egg carton, as this increases the chances of bacteria spreading to fresh eggs.
How long do eggs last?
According to Nellies Free Range farm, the USDA considers eggs to be good for 45 days after processing. There is an expiration date on the egg carton that will give you a good clue to when you need to use them up.
Over a month should give you plenty of time to use those eggs up before they go bad!
How to tell if eggs are good
As a best practice, try to use eggs up before the date on the egg carton. If however, you have let them expire, no worries! We can help you!
The water test
The best way to tell if eggs have gone bad is to perform a little science experiment with some water.
- Fill a bowl or glass with cold water.
- Gently drop the egg in the container and see what happens.
- If an egg is fresh and still good to use, it will sink to the bottom of the container. The freshest eggs will lay on its side at the bottom. If the egg is still good, but not as fresh, it will stand in the water. Both of these types of eggs are safe to use!
If any eggs float, it is too late for them and they should be discarded.
The smell test
When cracked, a fresh egg should have little to no smell. If you crack open a shell and get a strong whiff, go ahead and toss it to be on the safe side. Sometimes eggs can get a tiny crack in transportation or processing. Bacteria can get inside and cause the egg to go bad, even if it is before its expiration date.
What to do with eggs about to expire?
If you have some eggs that are about to expire, don’t let them go to waste! Here are some ideas you can do with them.
- Hard boil them and eat plain or throw into a salad.
- Bake an egg casserole for breakfast. This is a great way to use up 6-12 eggs. If you have even more than that, you can double your batch and stick one in the freezer for later.
- Make mini egg cups with some veggies and cheese for breakfast. Again, these can be frozen.
- Scramble all of the eggs with some meat, veggies, and potatoes to make egg bowls.
You just meal prepped breakfast for the next couple of mornings!
What you need to know…
- Eggs have a very long shelf life if they are stored properly.
- Keep eggs refrigerated in their original carton and on the middle shelf in the fridge.
- Watch he expiration date on the egg carton.
- If in doubt if an egg is still good, use the float test by placing it into water and see if it floats
Thanks for stopping by. Let me know in the comments if this post was helpful for you!
