Not sure if your eggs are still fresh? Use the “water test” or the “float test” to tell if your eggs are fresh enough to eat or have gone bad without having to crack them!

The USDA recommends keeping the eggs in their original carton, storing them in the main body of the fridge (not the door), and keeping them for up to 3 weeks. However, most eggs will last a lot longer than that and be perfectly delicious and safe to eat, whether in a pan of perfect scrambled eggs, a batch of egg-stuffed baleadas, or the best egg salad. Eggs are usually good for a few weeks beyond the expiration date on the carton.

But eggs can go bad, and if you have any questions about the quality or freshness of your eggs, you should toss them to avoid foodborne illness. This is especially true if you are serving these eggs to people who might have less sturdy immune systems, like children, the elderly, or people fighting illness or disease.

If you are making hard-boiled eggs, either to eat as is or to use in deviled eggs, egg salad, or in Salad Nicoise, then you’ll want to use the float test. That way, you don’t have to crack the shell while you determine if it is still fresh. If you plan on cracking them before cooking in scrambled eggs, omelets, or a baked dish, then you can use the smell test. And again, if an egg smells bad or you are uncertain if it’s still fresh, don’t take a chance — toss it.

Here are some ways to see if your eggs have gone bad.

The Float Test: See If The Egg Floats

The best way to determine an egg’s freshness without cracking it 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, they’re still fresh.
• If they lay on their side, they are very fresh; if they stand up on the bottom of the bowl, they are also perfectly fine but not quite as fresh.
• If they sink but stand on one end at the bottom of the glass or bowl, the eggs are not as fresh but still edible.
• An egg that floats to the top is not fresh and could be spoiled.

The science behind this is based on the fact that eggshells are semipermeable, which means air can get through. The older the egg, the more air penetrates its shell, causing it to float.

Rotten eggs also release gases that can make them buoyant. If an egg smells bad or you are uncertain if it’s spoiled, just throw it out — better safe than sorry.

Check the Shell

You don’t want to use any eggs that are cracked or have a slimy or very dusty-looking shell. If you know the egg was just cracked (maybe the carton got dinged up as it was transported), it’s fine to use.

The Shake Test: Shake The Egg

This method should be used in conjunction with the sniff test below. Hold an egg up to your ear and shake it: do you hear liquid squishing around inside? That could indicate a more watery, older yolk. You should not hear any sound at all. If your egg sounds watery and has anything but a clean, fresh odor, you should throw it out.

The Sniff Test: Smell The Cracked Egg

If the egg doesn’t pass the smell test, that’s a sure sign that it’s past its prime. First, make sure the egg looks “normal” — the color of egg yolks can range from pale yellow to deep orange, so that’s all fine. But make sure the whites are fairly clear and neutrally colored, not tinged with blackspots or showing a pink or green hue.

Crack your egg into a bowl and give it a sniff. Avoid all eggs with distinct sulphuric odors, a gassy smell, or sour notes. If your egg smells off, it’s off. A red dot or two in the egg is fine; that’s just a blood vessel, nothing harmful.

Tips

• Use a glass bowl when using the float test, making it easier to see the whole egg from the side.
• Unwashed eggs will last longer than washed eggs. Unwashed eggs can be stored at room temperature for up to a week before refrigerating.

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