People who at least sometimes go into the kitchen not only to eat, but also to cook something, eventually notice useful little things. For example, that eggs do not float when boiled, but lie on the bottom. Therefore, the vague suspicions that arise when a raw egg floats in the water, not without reason.
What's inside?
The difficulties of determining the freshness of such a product when purchasing are obvious. Especially in supermarkets, where eggs are often sold in closed, opaque packaging. But everything becomes clear when we bring them home and start cooking. If you have to break them, then the following signs should alert you:
- Smell of hydrogen sulfide.
- Opaque white.
- When broken into a frying pan or bowl, the yolk immediately spreads.
But how can you check the freshness of an egg without breaking it? Just immerse in water. If an egg floats in water, it is spoiled or stale.
Why does a spoiled egg float?
Contrary to popular belief, the egg is not airtight at all. The shell has pores so the chick can breathe. But in addition to oxygen, microorganisms also penetrate through them. As a result of the life activity of some of them, putrefactive processes develop and gases are released. If an egg floats in water, it means that a lot of gases have accumulated in it, which are lighter than water.
By the way, even if there are no harmful microorganisms inside that cause rotting and bad smell, the old egg will still float. Air gradually accumulates between the albumen and subshell membranes on the blunt side. For the same reason, a stale egg is very light.
By the way, this is why it is recommended to store eggs with the blunt end up so that the yolk does not come into contact with the air chamber. And it is better not to place them in a compartment in the refrigerator door, since opening it frequently leads to them deteriorating faster.
If the egg does not float completely
When, when immersed in water, the egg immediately sinks to the bottom and takes a horizontal position, then we have a very fresh product. But over time, what's happening inside chemical processes change the consistency of the white and yolk, making them more liquid. Therefore, if the egg floats in the water with the blunt end up, it means it is about a week old. Therefore, it can still be eaten. If it takes a vertical position, then it is about 2-3 weeks old. An egg that is more than a month old floats completely and cannot be eaten.
Deceptive salt
Knowledgeable people add a little salt when boiling eggs so that accidentally broken eggs do not leak out. Therefore, it should be noted that if you first added salt to the water, then correct definition freshness will be in question. The fact is that salt increases If an egg floats in water that has previously been salted, this does not necessarily mean that it is stale. But if it lies horizontally even in salt water, then the product cannot be fresher.
How to determine the quality of eggs in a store
To prevent all three dozen purchased eggs from suddenly floating, you should try to determine their freshness before purchasing.
- View It must be borne in mind that the product class must be indicated on the packaging. There are dietary eggs that can be stored for no more than 8 days, and there are table eggs (print of blue color) that we buy most often. Their maximum shelf life is a month. There is also a class of long-lasting ones. They can be kept in the refrigerator for about six months, but these are rarely found in stores.
- Inspect the surface. The shell should be matte and slightly rough. It is smooth and shiny only in stale eggs.
- Weigh the egg on your hand. If it is old, it will be very light in weight.
- Shake the egg. When it's fresh, the yolk doesn't move around inside. This means that you will not feel that anything is loose in the shell, and you will not hear any sounds when shaking.
Well, now we’ve figured out what’s what, and we realized that if the egg floats completely in the water, it means it’s not fresh, or even rotten. However, a boiled egg, mistakenly placed next to a raw one, can float to the surface, but such confusion rarely occurs. Therefore, it is better not to skimp on your health and throw away the stale product.
The problem of food freshness is observed not only in spontaneous markets, but also in “famous” supermarkets. And if most products have an expiration date, then there is a category of products where you have to determine freshness “by eye”. First of all, these are semi-finished meat products and, of course, eggs. Eating spoiled eggs can lead to both indigestion and more serious illnesses, which can only be treated in a hospital. To avoid negative consequences, we suggest considering the differences between a fresh egg and a rotten one.
Signs of freshness of unbroken eggs
The easiest way to recognize a rotten egg is to smell it. Rotten eggs have a characteristic unpleasant odor that is difficult to confuse with anything else. The second sign is a soft shell. When shaking, the yolk should not be felt in the egg, knock or hit the walls, otherwise the egg is rotten.
When exposed to light in a fresh egg, the yolk is clearly visible. You can also spin an egg on a flat surface: a rotten egg (since it is lighter) will spin for a long time, but a fresh one will quickly stop.
There is another good one old-fashioned way distinguish a fresh egg from a rotten one, based, by the way, on the laws of physics. A fresh egg is heavier than a rotten one, and if you pour 3/4 of water into a glass and put the egg in it, it will quickly sink, but this only applies to eggs no older than three days. Eggs that are a week old will be in a vertical position in the water, but a rotten egg will remain on the surface.
Of course, not all of these methods can be used to check eggs in a store. In this case, you need to pay attention to the type of eggs. Because it depends not only on the weight of the eggs, but also on when they were laid. The highest grade includes eggs that were laid three days ago, the first grade is a week old, and the second grade is three weeks old. There is another way of checking that is available to advanced buyers in modern supermarkets - check the egg special device– with an ovoscope. This device illuminates the eggs, and in the “old” ones a dark yolk immediately becomes visible, which is close to the shell or even sticks to it, or air chamber large sizes.
Signs that broken eggs are fresh
After breaking the egg, look closely at the yolk. If the yolk is convex and tight, it means the egg is fresh, laid a few days ago. A stale egg (three weeks old) has a flat yolk and a watery white.
A fresh boiled egg is difficult to peel, but a spoiled egg is easy to peel.
Conclusions website
- A rotten egg has a characteristic odor; a fresh egg has no odor.
- In a rotten egg, the yolk hits the walls when shaken; when shaking a fresh egg, no extraneous sounds are heard.
- When untwisting, a stale egg will spin for a long time, while a fresh one will quickly stop.
- Spoiled eggs float in the water, while fresh eggs sink.
- The freshest eggs are assigned premium, those that are not older than a week - the first, and those that are three weeks old - the second.
- If you determine freshness with an ovoscope, rotten eggs will have a large air chamber and a dark yolk.
- When broken, a fresh egg has a convex yolk, while a stale egg has a watery white and a flat yolk.
- If you boil an egg, then a fresh one will be difficult to clean, but an “older” one will be easy to clean.
When the temperature rises, for example in summer time, food spoils much faster. How do you know what the eggs haven't spoiled without breaking them? Just read this article to the end!
So, if you want to know if you can still eat eggs that have been in the refrigerator for a few days, write down these tips. They will allow you to determine the degree of this delicate product.
Eggs are a food that you need to be especially careful with. After all, if they are not of the first freshness, then this may cause serious intoxication.
Therefore, before you start cooking anything, it is important to make sure that the eggs haven't spoiled.
How do you know if eggs have not spoiled?
There are several ways to check whether eggs are fresh or whether they are headed for the trash bin. For example, if you shake an egg and hear The egg hits the shell, which means that it is no longer fresh.
But there are other ways to check this.
Place the egg in a container of water
To do this, you will need a transparent container of water, such as a jug. Dip into it and carefully watch what happens next.
- If the egg quickly sank and remained at the bottom in a horizontal position, this means it is fresh.
- If the egg will begin to slowly descend and remain at the bottom in an inclined or vertical position, this means that it is already on the verge.
Moreover, the greater the angle of inclination you observe, the older the egg. However, it can still be eaten and is quite safe.
- If the egg does not reach the bottom and remains floating in the middle, this indicates that it has already spoiled and it is better to throw it away.
- And if you see that the egg remains floating on the surface, this means that it has gone rotten. The fact is that when organic matter decomposes, it releases gases, thanks to which the egg does not sink. Throw it away quickly, but very carefully, because Rotten eggs have a terrible smell.
Boiled eggs
- If you boiled an egg and, cutting it in half, saw that the yolk was located in the center and the air chamber was small, this means that the egg was fresh and can be safely eaten.
- When the yolk is closer to the shell and you see a lot of empty space, the egg has gone bad.
Break the egg
Another easy way to check that eggs have not gone bad is to break them onto a plate.
- If you see that the egg is not spreading too much and the yolk is intact, it means it is fresh.
- Otherwise, it is better to refrain from using a stale product.
Check the date on the shell
The moment at which the hen laid her eggs is called “week 0” and this date is always indicated on the shell of each egg. From the third week they are no longer safe to eat and should be removed from sale.
Why? The shelf life of eggs ends in the 4th week from the labeling date.
From this moment on, eggs begin to lose their organoleptic properties and caution must be exercised when consuming them. especially after the 6th week.
Also, to the eggs, store them in cardboard packaging, in a cool and dry place.
Subject to these conditions, They will remain in perfect condition for up to three weeks.
If you're making something with eggs and have some leftover, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Then they can be eaten even 3 - 4 days later. However, in any case, it is best to carefully check the raw white or yolk for any odor or strange color.
Remember that in the summer, especially in the heat, food spoils much faster. We do not recommend storing any products for more than 2 days.
Any housewife would like to buy exclusively fresh eggs, as they have the best taste and culinary properties. At the same time, spoiled eggs can not only interfere with the preparation of the planned dish, but also cause harm to health. How can you tell if an egg is fresh before a spoiled product harms your body? If you don’t have an ovoscope in your arsenal, which allows you to examine the egg for the smallest defects, you will have to use improvised means. So, how to check the freshness of eggs in the store?
- By the look. A fresh egg has a matte, rough shell without flaws, while a stale egg has a glossy surface.
- Aurally. Shake the egg near your ear: a fresh egg will not make any sounds, while gurgling will be heard in the depths of the old egg.
- To taste. There is a rather exotic way to check the freshness of an egg - measure its temperature with your tongue. If you alternately touch the sharp and blunt ends of the egg, you will feel that the temperature at the blunt end is higher - this means that the egg is fresh. If the temperature is the same at both ends, then it is an old egg. However, it is not recommended to use this method directly in the store; at a minimum, you may be mistaken for a madman, and at maximum, you will catch some kind of disease.
- If the egg is fresh, it will sink to the bottom and lie horizontally.
- If the egg is one to two weeks old, its blunt end rises upward at a slope of 45 degrees.
- If the egg stands upright, this means that it is more than two weeks old, and it is advisable to use it only as an additional ingredient.
- If the blunt end of the egg is above the surface, it is a bad egg, put it back and don’t touch it again. It is more than a month old, and it is strictly not recommended to eat such a product.
Another way to check freshness chicken eggs– enlighten them. In a fresh egg, all the insides are clearly visible, while in an old egg, spots are visible, and a rotten one is not visible at all.
The initial test bore fruit, and now we crack the raw egg. You see, a fresh egg has two levels of white: thick near the yolk and more watery around the thick one. This is a fresh egg. If the white is completely watery, and there is no barely noticeable film around the yolk, it is an old egg.
If you do not have the opportunity to check the freshness of the eggs yourself, you will have to trust the manufacturer. Eggs are divided into two categories: dietary and table. Diet eggs are always marked with a red stamp indicating the date of production and variety. A dietary egg is considered when it was produced no more than seven days ago from the date of purchase; then the eggs move into the “table” category.
Table eggs are stamped with a blue stamp indicating the category, without the date of production. The designations “O”, “1”, “2” mean, respectively, “selected” (the largest), “1 category” (slightly less) and “2 categories” (the smallest). Table eggs can be stored for up to 30 days in the refrigerator, and the ideal temperature for eggs is +5 +8 degrees.
- It is not recommended to store eggs near strong-smelling foods: eggshell capable of absorbing odors.
- Before eating, you should wash the eggs thoroughly, especially if there are remains of droppings, feathers or blood on the shell.
- It is better to store eggs with the pointed end down.
You can only talk about the maximum benefits of eggs if they are fresh. After lying in the refrigerator for a month, they lose their nutritional value and become hazardous to health. Once ingested, an expired product causes serious intoxication, which can be fatal. Therefore, it is important to be able to independently determine the degree of freshness of such a product and understand the acceptable expiration dates. Later in the article we will tell you in detail what to look for when buying chicken and quail eggs, how long they can be stored and where is the best place to do it.
How to tell if an egg is fresh: chicken and quail
The unique structure of the eggshell allows the inside for a long time keep your beneficial features. But for this, certain storage conditions are important. Otherwise, the inside of the product will begin to dry out, and an unsuitable product will form. further application foul-smelling talker. 
There are many ways to check the freshness of eggs at home. And for this it is not at all necessary to drag a microscope and the rarest chemical reagents into the kitchen. You can even judge the suitability of these products in a store. Let's look into the details.
Did you know? Today the world's largest egg producer is China. People's Republic. About 160 million pieces of these products are produced there every year. Many experts attribute this to the fact that chicken first appeared in this country. And this happened somewhere in 1400 BC.
At the time of buying
Experts advise against making “blind” purchases. In their opinion, visual assessment of the product is important. Therefore, when you go to the supermarket or market to buy eggs, inspect them carefully. Recently laid specimens will be distinguished by their matte shell surface. But those that have already lain for several days will be characterized by a specific glossy shine. But you should not rely only on this verification method. Experts warn that savvy sellers resort to various tricks in order to successfully sell products. One of these is rubbing or washing each specimen. 
To ensure that your purchase does not disappoint with an unpleasant-smelling substance, When choosing an egg tray, compare it with the rest of the range. Ideally, the entire dozen should have the same shell color and gloss level. If you have a diverse set in front of you, most likely the seller mixed old and fresh eggs. Smell them. Severely expired boxes will have a strong, unpleasant odor.
Important! The shell of a fresh egg has a specific odor that is very reminiscent of lime.
It also doesn't hurt to scramble a raw egg. If you hear distinct chattering inside, you should refuse the purchase. After all, chatterboxes are not suitable for consumption.
Do not ignore what is indicated on the product expiration date. By informing you about this, the manufacturer guarantees the freshness of the product provided it is stored correctly. Always choose fresh products and try to use them before the expiration date on the package. 
When cooking
Many consumers do not take stamps on egg trays seriously and continue to eat expired products. According to experts, in reality he is still a short time retains its suitability. But before using it, its freshness needs to be double-checked.
This is done in the following ways:
Important! Eggs are a source of salmonellosis, so they need to be boiled for at least 5 minutes in boiling water. Keep in mind that salmonella bacteria lose their viability at a temperature of +70 °C.
Video: checking eggs for freshness with water
Upon opening
Break the shell and visually assess the condition of the inside. In recently laid specimens, the white will be viscous and tightly packed, and the yolk will be convex. If the egg has been sitting for a long time, you will see a liquid, spreading white and a flat yolk. 
What is the danger
The stereotype about the exceptional benefits of chicken and quail eggs has clearly taken root in society. But if the rules for their storage were violated, then there is no need to talk about the nutritional value of this protein food and the saturation of the body with vital substances. In this case, as medical statistics show, we will talk about poisoning and its consequences.
In addition, improper cooking of eggs, use of dirty dishes, as well as infected kitchen equipment threatens development salmonellosis. The bacteria that cause this disease live in the egg white, yolk and on the shell. Their source is the laying hen. Moreover, even experts will not be able to recognize infected specimens by external signs. Neither the color of the shell, nor the smell, nor other visual features of the product will reveal this.
Did you know? The Chinese dye eggs red every time a newborn arrives in the family. According to folk legends, such a ritual guarantees the baby a long and happy life..
When eating expired or contaminated eggs are hazardous to health: homemade mayonnaise, raw sugar-egg mixture (white or yolk), as well as all dishes that have undergone insufficient heat treatment. This can be fried eggs, poached eggs, or even traditional scrambled eggs. Therefore, doctors strongly recommend strictly monitoring the expiration date of such products and preparing them at high temperatures. 
Signs of egg intoxication become obvious during the first 24 hours after eating low-quality food.
The eater experiences:
- vomit;
- nausea,
- weakness;
- pain in the abdominal area;
- gastroenteritis developing against the background of the disease (when inflammation of the mucous membranes of the small intestine occurs);
- diarrhea (as a rule, the stool is very liquid, resembles the consistency of rice water and is characterized by a dark green or yellow color);
- increase in body temperature to 39-40 °;
- bloating;
- signs of colitis resulting from inflammatory processes in the large intestine;
- spasms;
- decreased appetite;
- dysfunction of the central nervous system(manifests itself in severe poisoning and is expressed by headaches, dizziness, insomnia, lethargy);
- disruptions in the functioning of the cardiovascular system (pressure decreases, pulse rate and heart rhythm change);
- bacterial infection and sepsis (with such symptoms the outcome is fatal).
Important! To extend the shelf life of eggs at home, lubricate their shells pork fat, vegetable oil or Vaseline and place in a cold room where the temperature is below +10 °C. As alternative option you can wrap each piece in plain paper and fold it with the sharp ends down, covering it with burlap.
The manifestation of the listed symptoms largely depends on the victim’s immunity. But with any degree of egg poisoning, it is important to protect the body from dehydration. 
For this purpose it is recommended:
- solution of "Regidron" or "Oralit";
- any sorbents (activated carbon, Smecta, Polyphepan);
- immunomodulatory drugs (multivitamin complexes, Methyluracil);
- antibiotics that are prescribed by a doctor individually;
- limiting the consumption of dairy products, raw vegetables and smoked meats (it is advisable to provide the patient with a gentle diet during this period).
If after 24 hours the disease continues to progress, you need to seek medical help without wasting time.
Shelf life of eggs
How long chicken and quail eggs will be fresh depends largely on their origin and storage conditions:
- If we're talking about O industrial production, then the shelf life of such products is limited to 28-30 days;
- but homemade products can retain their nutritional value throughout the quarter;
- if all requirements for temperature conditions and the degree of humidity in the room, then fresh goods will not deteriorate even after a month (this applies to cellars and refrigerators);
- Boiled eggs are good for 2 weeks (provided they are hard-boiled and stored in the refrigerator);
- when the cooked product is at room temperature, after 48 hours it can no longer be consumed;
- even in the refrigerator, soft-boiled eggs spoil after just 2 days;
- no way long-term storage specimens with broken shells are not subject to treatment (they are recommended to be used on the same day);
- if the shell splits during cooking, such a specimen can lie in the refrigerator for 4 days;
- in the case when you have prepared shelled eggs for some purpose, they must be used 3 days after storage in the refrigerator;
- Easter dyes will not deteriorate for 15 days, provided that only natural dyes were used for them;
- and here are the Easter eggs that were painted chemical reagents, may be suitable for no more than 17 days;
- Easter copies in thermal film must be eaten within 3 days.
Did you know? If you keep an ordinary fresh egg in 9% table vinegar for several days, its shell will harden so much that it will not break even from strong blow about the floor
Where and how best to store eggs
To store such products, most consumers prefer a compartment in the refrigerator door. But experts express their indignation about this, which is associated with a sharp temperature drop. In such conditions, eggs quickly lose their nutritional value and do not represent any gastronomic value.
Experienced housewives advise choosing a place for this type of product where it is always cold. Under no circumstances should you put the tray in the freezer.
In a refrigerator
Each piece must be fixed in a stable position with the sharp end down. It is important that the eggs do not touch. It is better to leave them in a special stand or tray, arranged in cells. Do not forget to close the container, because eggshells are very sensitive to neighboring odors. From the refrigerator it will absorb everything nearby. 
Make sure that the temperature in the chamber is at the level +2...+4 °С. Never wash shells before storing. Such manipulations shorten the shelf life.