Bad eggs how can you tell

This is not a myth; fresh eggs sink while bad eggs float to the top. Simply fill a bowl with cold tap water and place your eggs in it. If they sink to the bottom and lay flat on one side, they are fresh and good to eat. A bad egg will float because of the large air cell that forms at its base.

Any floating eggs should be thrown out. This is because the process of boiling an egg removes the protective outer coating of the shell, which makes it more porous and more vulnerable to bacteria and other contaminants. Hard-boiled eggs can last for up to one week in the refrigerator if they remain in the shell or about five days if peeled. Just make sure you refrigerate the eggs within two hours of cooking. It could have cracks or discolouration on it but generally, an egg needs to be cracked to determine its freshness.

To check the state of an egg, crack it onto a plate and look carefully at the colour and thickness of the white and yolk. There are plenty of things you can do to keep your eggs fresh as long as possible. Check the eggs inside the carton before buying them and avoid eggs that have cracks or dirt.

Refrigerate your eggs in the carton they come in to prevent breakages, odour absorption, and water loss. Keep eggs in the coldest part of the fridge - usually a middle or lower shelf - rather than in the door where the temperature fluctuates more. The eggs will sweat and that creates an environment conducive to bacterial growth. Keep refrigerated eggs for up to six weeks but always follow the best before date on the carton.

For more information, check out this article on how to safely handle and store eggs. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. Place the egg in question in a bowl or wide glass of cold water and see if it floats. There is a tiny air pocket inside eggs, and over time more and more air passes through their porous shells and into the egg. As more air enters the egg, the air pocket grows larger, making the egg more buoyant. You should test the egg by cracking it open and looking for or smelling signs that it has gone bad.

Hold the egg up to your ear and shake it, listening for a sloshing sound. As the egg ages and moisture and carbon dioxide escapes through the shell, the yolk and white begin to dry out and shrink, and the air pocket in the egg becomes bigger. A fresh egg should not make much, if any, sound when you shake it. Crack the egg open on a plate or in a large bowl and check the quality of the yolk and white.

The integrity of the egg will lessen as it ages, so it won't hold together as well as a fresh egg. Notice if the egg seems to spread over a wide distance on the plate, or if it stays relatively compact. An egg that spreads or seems a little watery has a thinner white and is past its peak freshness. A cloudy white indicates a very fresh egg. A clear white means the egg is older but may still be edible.

Method 2. Break the egg open and notice if it smells. This is the best indicator of a bad egg. A bad egg will have a pungent, foul odor when you break it open. The sulfurous smell will be obvious as soon as the egg is cracked and possibly before , and the egg should be thrown out.

Break the egg into a small dish and inspect the color. The color of the yolk will change based on the diet of the hen who laid it, so the shade of yellow or orange nothing to do with freshness. Instead, inspect the egg white, or albumen. If it is pink, green, or iridescent, the egg has been contaminated by Pseudomonas bacteria and is not safe to eat. This egg is still safe to eat. A blood spot occurs when a blood vessel ruptures when the egg is forming and has nothing to do with freshness.

Method 3. Check the "sell-by" date on the package. The sell-by date may also appear as "not to be sold after" or "EXP. Eggs should be pulled from the shelf after this date. Check the "best-by" date on the package. The best-by date may also be labeled as "use by," "use before," or "best before. Use the 3-digit code that tells you when the eggs were packaged.

Sell-by or best-by dates are not required by federal law some states require them, other states forbid them , but all eggs must be labeled with the date they were packaged. This date usually appears as a 3 digit code using the Julian date calendar. This means eggs packaged on January 1st would be labeled , eggs packaged on October 15th would be labeled , December 31st You'll see the plant code a letter P followed by numbers indicated where the eggs were packaged, and beside it you should find the Julian code.

Even if eggs are sold loose and not in a marked carton, the consumer should have access to that information. The best kept secret in determining an egg's freshness is to see if it sinks in water. To try the egg water test, simply fill a glass or bowl with cold water and submerge the eggs.

If the eggs sink to the bottom and lay flat on their side, they're still fresh. However, if they sink, but stand on one end at the bottom of the glass or bowl, they're not as fresh but still edible.

Of course, if any eggs float to the top, they shouldn't be eaten. The science behind this is based on the fact that eggshells are semipermeable , which means air can get through. So the older the egg, the more air can penetrate its shell, causing it to float. Another method not as reliable as the float trick is to hold an egg up to your ear and shake it. If you hear liquid swishing around inside, it's gone bad.

On the other hand, no sound equals good news. The sloshing sound usually points to an old, watery yolk.