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Egg Float Test: How To Tell Eggs Are Good

Curious about how to check if your eggs are still fresh? The egg float test is a quick and fun way to find out if eggs are still good or gone bad. This simple method can help you save on food waste and make sure your meals are egg-ceptional!

Understanding the Shelf Life on an Egg

Before we get into how to check if eggs are good, it’s important to understand the typical shelf life of an egg and what happens when eggs go off. Whilst eggs last a while when stored correctly, they eventually do go off — and no one likes rotten eggs…

How Long Do Eggs Stay Fresh

When stored out of the refrigerator, eggs can last 1-2 weeks, depending on the room’s temperature. In the fridge, eggs typically stay fresh for 2-3 weeks.

In the UK, eggs are marked with a best-before date of 28 days after the egg was laid. It is recommended that the eggs be consumed within this period, but the egg test float is a good way to check if eggs have gone off once this date has passed.

Signs of Freshness: What to Look For in Fresh Eggs

Fresh eggs typically have a thick, firm egg white, bright orange-yellow yolk and smooth shell without cracks. As eggs age, the whites become runnier, the yolk flattens and the shell might become more brittle. However, this can be hard to identify just by looking, which is when the egg float test comes in handy.

How to Perform the Egg Float Test at Home

The egg float method is a simple test that anyone can try from home to test if eggs are fresh with just a bowl of water.

Step-by-Step Guide to the Egg Float Test

1. Fill a bowl with cold water, make sure there is enough liquid to submerge the egg.
2. Gently place the egg in the bowl.
3. Observe what happens:
a) If the egg sinks and lays flat on the bottom - it’s fresh!
b) If the egg sinks but stands upright - it’s good to eat, but nearing the end of its freshness and should be used soon.
c) If it floats to the top - the egg is old and should be thrown away.

What to Do If Your Egg Floats or Sinks

If the egg sinks and stays flat at the bottom, you’re good to go; enjoy scrambled eggs on buttered toast for breakfast or whip up some delicious cheesy eggy crumpets. When an egg is old, its air pockets enlarge, causing it to become buoyant. So, if the egg floats, it should be thrown away to avoid illness or baking disasters.

Fresh vs. Old Eggs: Key Differences in Appearance and Smell

Another way to check if eggs are good is to crack them open and observe their appearance and smell. Fresh eggs will have a firm yolk that stands tall and thick while older eggs will have a runny and watery egg white.
When it comes to smell, spoiled eggs have a distinct sulphuric odour. If you crack an egg and something doesn’t smell quite right, it’s best to throw it away.

Best Storage Practices to Keep Your Eggs Fresh

Storing eggs properly can significantly lengthen their shelf life. Here are some tips to keep eggs fresh as long as possible:

Proper Egg Storage: Fridge, Pantry, or Freezer?

Fridge: Keep them in the fridge in their original carton on a middle or lower shelf where the temperature is most stable. This is where the eggs will last the longest.
Pantry: If you’re storing eggs outside of the fridge, keep them in a cool, dry place, such as a pantry.
Freezer: Milk isn’t the only breakfast essential you can keep in the freezer; you can freeze eggs too, just not in their shell. Crack them into a freezer-safe container and they’ll keep for up to six months.

Check Out More Food Storage Tips and Tricks...

Now that you know how to do the egg float test and check if your eggs are fresh, you can feel confident about food safety and reducing waste in your kitchen. For more food safety tips and tricks head over to our Beside the Pint blog. And don’t forget to check out our full range of eggs here.