Eggs can be a great snack or nutritional addition to any meal. They’re yummy day or night and the taste of a fresh egg is one of life’s simple pleasures. Here’s how to check for an egg’s freshness before digging in.
See if the egg floats
Farmers use the float test to check the age of fertilized eggs but you can use this method with unfertilized eggs too. Grab a tall glass, fill it with tap water, then gently place the egg in the glass. Fresh eggs will sink to the bottom while those that have gone bad will tilt upwards or float to the top.
Smell the egg
It’s quite easy to determine if an egg smells fresh or rotten. Just hold the egg up to your nose and give it a good whiff. Eggs that have gone bad will have a foul odor to them regardless of whether they’re cooked or raw. If you want to be sure, you can crack the egg open on a plate or in a cup and smell it. Don’t risk it if anything about it smells off.
Check the egg carton packaging
Look at the carton that the eggs were sold in and make sure that the expiration date hasn’t since passed. While you need to take expiration and sell-by dates with a grain of salt, they can give you a better idea of when the egg was shipped to the store and packaged.
Look for signs of rot on the egg
Hold the egg in your hand to check for any slimy textures and give it a good look with your eyes to ensure that there aren’t any cracks or punctures. If you see a powdery texture on the egg, this indicates that bacterial mold has started to grow.
With these tips, you can be certain that you’re always eating a fresh egg.