how to check eggs for freshness

[lcohen]

i forget where i learned this. fill a mixing sized bowl with cool water. put the eggs in the water. if they sink, they're still okay. if they float, they aren't

Comments

[replyhazy]

You're checking that they are not stale, not that they are not rotten. You can use a stale egg in many things, but they won't be quite as good.

[lcohen]

do you know if it would ever happen that a rotten egg would sink? i've never had it happen in all the years i've been using this test.

[replyhazy]

I think a rotten egg can't sink, because the egg is continuing to lose moisture and increase the air pocket inside. So a rotten egg would also float. But eggs are still edible after months in the fridge (although not as good as fresh). Eggs kept at a good temperature just get staler and staler and staler. That's why (I am told) eggs should not be kept in the fridge door as their temperature will vary too much.

We often hard cook a dozen eggs at a time to have them on hand to eat. Sometimes they come out of two different cartons of eggs. It's really obvious which are the fresher due to the floating trick! And if we boil an egg that's VERY stale... well, it's pretty obvious when you crack it open... because the interior is like rubber! Yuck. Next egg please. :-D

[redbird]

I got rid of most of a box of eggs a couple of weeks ago because they failed that test; we use eggs in a weird way, several at once and then sometimes forget about them. Much better than cracking them and finding out the hard way we were out of eggs. (We tested them on our way to the market, got a fresh dozen, and cattitude made a quiche.)

[ex_serenejo]

The floating isn't due to introduced air, but to the gases created when the egg starts to putrefy.

[lcohen]

1) akicilj
2) i now have an earworm of "and he shall putrefy" to the tune of "and he shall purify." clearly this is your fault.

[wolfkitn]

l. o. l.

That was terrible, but wonderful, all at once. :-)

[rhobike]

Eating boiled floaty eggs makes me burp.

[lcohen]

i don't like boiled eggs, floaty or not, stuffed with guacamole, or not. it's my tragic flaw. meanwhile, i would never use a floaty egg for scrambled eggs and that's the main thing i do with eggs.