How to Tell If Eggs Are Still Fresh

Just looking at an egg can't tell you if it is fresh or not.

Fresh eggs are the key to producing an excellent flavor in many recipes. But if you use older eggs, your sunnyside fried egg may not taste as good as you hoped. However, older eggs are still fine to use in baked recipes such as cookies. So how do you tell if your eggs are very fresh without cracking them open? Fortunately, as eggs age the oxygen content inside increases, which gives you a way to identify fresh eggs.

Things You'll Need

• Egg
• Cold water
• Bowl

Instructions

1. Fill a bowl with cold water at least six inches deep.

2. Place an egg gently in the bowl so that it doesn't break.

3. If the egg immediately sinks to the bottom and rests horizontally, it is very fresh. Very fresh eggs have a low oxygen content, so they sink.

4. If the egg rests on the bottom, but part of it floats upward so it is standing, the egg is about one to two weeks old. As eggs age, their oxygen content increases, causing them to rise in water.

5. If the egg floats on the surface, it is old and likely rotten. Don't use it for anything, but throw it out.

References

• O Chef: How to Tell if You've Got a Bad Egg