How do you know if an egg is expired?
First step to ensure that an egg is good, check the use-by date (BBD). The latter is written on the box and often on the egg shells. You can also refer to the laying date indicated, knowing that an egg is consumable up to 28 days after this.
Read: How long to store food?
Have you thrown away the packaging or have any doubts about the freshness of the eggs? No need to pass a pendulum over your eggs or carry out all kinds of scientific experiments. There is a very simple, tried and tested technique for checking. We’ll explain it to you.
The egg-in-water test
Fill a fairly high glass or salad bowl with cold water. Dip the suspected egg into the container. Be careful, place it gently to prevent it from breaking. There are now three possibilities:
- the egg sinks, like the Titanic: congratulations, it’s extra fresh. You can prepare mayonnaise or carbonara pasta (the Italian recipe, not the heresy with the cream) without going to the hospital.
- the egg floats slightly or falls vertically: it works. The egg is no longer fresh, but is still edible. However, it will have to be cooked to avoid any risk.
- the egg floats, like the Titanic before the iceberg: bad choice. This means that air has leaked into the shell and the egg is no longer good.
Another method that may interest you is to shake the egg and listen to the noise it makes. If you don’t hear anything, everything is fine. On the other hand, if the egg yolk seems to be wandering around in the shell, it is better to throw it away.
Do you still have any doubts? Crack the egg, the smell that comes from it should give you a clue. If it smells like rotten eggs… You get the idea.
My egg is expired, can I still eat it?
This seems logical, but when in doubt, we prefer to clarify the situation. We never, ever eat an expired egg. If certain foods such as pasta, biscuits, or even yogurts, are still consumable, once the DLC has passed, this is absolutely not the case for eggs. You expose yourself to the risk of food poisoning involving nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps, etc. Really not worth it…
