How to Tell If an Egg is Good or Bad

Checking an egg's quality is far simpler than you might suspect.

Before you start preparing a recipe that requires eggs, check the eggs in advance to make sure they are good. You do not need to open the eggs to do this. You'll simply need a bowl of water and a few minutes to evaluate the freshness and quality of the eggs that have been inhabiting your refrigerator.

Things You'll Need

• Deep glass bowl

Instructions

1. Fill a deep glass bowl almost to the top with cool water.

2. Place one egg gently into the bowl of water. Do not drop it quickly, as it might hit the bottom of the bowl and break. Observe whether it floats or sinks.

3. Discard the egg if it floats. This shows that it is no longer fresh or safe to eat. A fresh egg sinks to the bottom of the bowl, while a slightly less fresh egg stands on one end on the bottom. Either of these means the egg is safe to use, although an egg that stands on its end should be eaten sooner rather than later.

4. Repeat this process for each egg you wish to test, discarding any that float in the water.

References

• HelpWithCooking.com: How to Tell If an Egg Is Fresh
• What's Cooking America: Why Do Some Eggs Float?
• The Kitchn: Testing Eggs for Freshness

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Incredible Egg: Recipes