How to Tell If an Egg Has Gone Bad

Should they stay or should they go? A simple test will tell.

Perform a simple test to tell whether the eggs in your refrigerator have gone bad. With older eggs, air will have entered inside through the somewhat porous shell, thereby increasing its ability to float in water. This is not the case with fresh eggs, which have a higher density.

Things You'll Need

• Cup or bowl, at least 3 inches deep and wide
• Cold water

Instructions

1. Place the egg, uncracked, in the cup or bowl.

2. Fill the cup or bowl with cold water, to at least half an inch above the level of the egg.

3. Observe the egg's position. The older an egg is, the more it will float. A fresh egg will stay on its side at the bottom of the bowl. Eggs that stand on end, still touching the bottom of the bowl, are getting older, but they're still safe to eat or use in baking if they have been properly refrigerated. Eggs that float off the bottom have gone bad and should be discarded.

Tips & Warnings

• Egg cartons are stamped on the end with a three-digit number, the Julian date, corresponding to the date the eggs were packed. Jan. 1 is "001," Jan. 2 is "002" and so on, up to Dec. 31, or "365." Eggs will generally still be good four to five weeks after the packing date if they have been kept refrigerated.

• Egg cartons may have a date marked as "Sell by" or "Exp." This is the date the grocer should remove the eggs from the shelf, and has no bearing on whether the eggs are still safe. Eggs can remain good for up to a few weeks after the sell by date.

• Older eggs, as long as they are not yet spoiled, make better hard-boiled eggs than fresher eggs, as they are easier to peel.

• Regardless of an egg's age, if it has been kept out of the refrigerator at room temperature for more than an hour, it has probably gone bad.

• If you are really unsure about the safety of an egg, throw it out.

References

• What's Cooking America: Why Do Some Eggs Float? - Fresh Eggs vs. Old Eggs