Eggs which float in water

An expiration date, on the other hand, marks the date after which the eggs are considered less than fresh. If neither of these labels is present, there is yet another date you can look for to tell how fresh your eggs are. Therefore, January 1st is written as and December 31st as 1. And even though the quality of an egg may start to decline after a certain date, it may still be good to eat for several weeks — especially if it has been refrigerated , which preserves quality and prevents bacterial growth 2.

However, if your eggs are past the date printed on the carton, you may need to use another method to tell if the egg is good or bad. But just because an egg has passed its date does not always mean it has gone bad.

The sniff test is the oldest, simplest and most reliable method of telling whether an egg has gone bad. Eggs that have gone bad will give off an unmistakable smell, regardless of whether they are raw or cooked 3.

If anything smells off, toss the egg and wash the bowl or plate with hot, soapy water before using again. Sniffing either a raw or cooked egg is a simple but reliable way to tell if an egg has gone bad. In addition to your nose, your eyes are a valuable tool for telling whether an egg is good or bad.

Sliminess or cracks can indicate the presence of bacteria, while a powdery appearance on the shell may indicate mold 4. If the shell appears dry and undamaged, crack the egg into a clean, white bowl or plate before using. Look for any pink, blue, green or black discoloration in the yolk or whites , as this may indicate bacterial growth 3 , 4.

If you notice any signs of discoloration, throw the egg out and wash the bowl with hot, soapy water before testing a new egg. You can also check to see if the whites or yolk of the egg are runny. This is an indication that the egg is old and that the quality has declined. But this does not necessarily mean it has gone bad, and it can still be perfectly fine to use 4.

In addition to sniffing an egg, check its shell for signs of bacteria and mold. Inspecting the whites and yolk for discoloration is also a good strategy. This is also a common method for determining the age of a fertilized egg that is developing into a chick 5 , 6. To perform the float test, gently set your egg into a bowl or bucket of water. If the egg sinks, it is fresh. If it tilts upwards or even floats, it is old. This is because as an egg ages, the small air pocket inside it grows larger as water is released and replaced by air.

If the air pocket becomes large enough, the egg may float. An egg can sink and still be bad, while an egg that floats may still be fine to eat 3. Checking whether an egg sinks or floats is a popular way to check how fresh it is.

So how do you know if your eggs are actually expired or if you can squeeze in a few more omelets? Ree Drummond's Sleepin' In Omelet is a must-try! Should you trust your nose to sniff out any problems? Stop guessing and learn how the egg float test works below, plus pick up some other tips and tricks. If you've already cracked open your eggs, use your senses and your best judgment.

Here's how to spy an egg that's past its prime or close to it:. Fresh eggs will have thick, slightly opaque whites; eggs whites that are older will start to spread. Runny egg whites aren't necessarily unsafe to eat though.

If the yolks are round and domed, the eggs are likely fresh—if they look flattened, they may be on the older side. Rule of thumb: If your eggs smell bad, throw them out! Your egg carton is probably stamped with a sell-by date or best-by date, but those dates aren't always the answer. Eggs are usually still fresh beyond the sell-by date. For a more accurate date, look at the pack date sometimes called the Julian date. This three-digit number, which should be stamped on the side of your egg carton, corresponds to the day of the year: is January 1 and is December Sorry, you're going to have to do some calculating to figure it out!

Information Knowledge Article. An egg can float in water when its air cell has enlarged sufficiently to keep it buoyant. This means the egg is old, but it may be perfectly safe to use. Crack the egg into a bowl and examine it for an off-odor or unusable appearance before deciding to use or discard it.

A spoiled egg will have an unpleasant odor when you break open the shell, either when raw or cooked. Related Information Title. URL Name. Related Articles How long does it take to hard cook an egg? What does food safety mean?