5 Ways To Tell If An Egg Is Bad Or Not?

Whenever you bought an egg from the supermarket and you wanted to cook it, there is no way to tell if the egg is in good condition or not simply by just looking at it from the outside. Some might say that a good egg will sink while a bad egg will float.

But how do we precisely know the condition of an egg? Here we would like to share with you some tips on what to look for in an egg.

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How Long Can Eggs Be Kept?

The truth is an egg can last for a long time if one knows how to store it properly. For eggs that are not kept in a refrigerator, it can last between 1 to 3 weeks starting from the day it was manufactured.

Whereas eggs that are kept in cool condition inside a fridge, it should last a bit longer, between 4 to 5 weeks. You can refer to the manufacturing date either on the box or pallet or even printed on the eggs.

Before Cooking Your Eggs, Follow These Steps

For those who want to use eggs in your cooking, you are advised to follow these 5 steps first. This is especially important for eggs that are bought and kept in the house for a long time.

1. Check The Expiry Date

As stated previously, the easiest way to identify a good egg will be to see the expiry date. Generally speaking, the manufacturing company will place the expiry date on the box of the eggs.

There might be cases where the manufacturer might also put the date on the outside packaging of the eggs. So, if the eggs were kept for more than 30 days since the manufacturing date, it is safe to say that the eggs are still in good condition.

However, to ensure that you will not simply throw out the eggs since it is still good, it is best to go for the next step of this list.

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2. Smell The Eggs

This is perhaps the most common thing to do even for other food as well and not to mention that it is the easiest thing to do. An egg that is starting to rot or unfresh will have a distinct smell from the rest of the fresh eggs.

Usually, it will start to smell stink regardless of whether it is raw or cooked. If you are still unsure, then you can simply break the egg into a bowl and see its condition. You will immediately smell something off after cracking the egg if it was in poor condition.

3. See The Egg Before It Is Cooked

Aside from the expiry date and its smell, you can also see the colors on the egg once you pop it into a bowl.

Firstly, you can see if the shell is cracked on the outside, dusty or even slimy than usual. If the eggs have already got cracks and produce slime, there is a high chance that the egg has been contaminated with bacteria.

For eggs that are dusty, it might be a sign of fungal infection. Simply by just cracking the eggs and seeing the content inside, you will see a change in the color of the egg. The same thing can be said if the eggs were a bit dilute or the yolk did not retain its round shape and popped on its own.

4. Floating Test

This might be the most apparent test that you see online where they put eggs into the water to see if it floats or not. A good egg will sink to the bottom while a bad egg will float on top.

If the egg was a bit tilted to the side while still remaining at the bottom, then the egg is considered 1 week old. If the egg is still sunk with its position to the top, the egg is said to be 3 to 4 weeks old. At this age, the eggs are still considered safe for consumption.

But if the eggs completely float at the top, it is best for you to throw out the eggs to avoid getting diarrhea from eating them.

5. Shine the Eggs With Light

The final method might be a bit strange and rarely done, but it can still help you in identifying the condition of the egg. All you need is to place the eggs in a dark room with a source of light coming from the bottom.

You will then tilt the eggs sideways and move them to the left and right. By doing this, you will see a movement of air pockets inside the eggs.

A fresh egg will have smaller air pockets whereas a bad egg will have a much larger space of air pockets due to the loss of water content in the egg.

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Conclusion

It is best to perform these 5 steps if you are unsure of the safety of the eggs for consumption. This is crucial if you yourself have forgotten how long the eggs have been kept in your house.

This way you can avoid taking rotten eggs and getting food poisoning in return. Hope you try it at home!

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