How do you test if an egg is fresh

[mrscricket]

Does anyone remember how to test if an egg is fresh? i cant read the used by date on the box - i think it says 13 Dec, but scared it might really be 3 Dec . I know you put them in water but is it if it sinks or floats that its fresh? I really feel like a egg sandwich..

[{sarah}]

LOL I know the egg in the water trick where it sinks means one thing & floats means the other, but don't remember which way round either

[Kazbah]

Sinking good, floating bad.

Floating means the gasses have started to form inside the egg.

[Pandora]

yep, a fresh egg is much heavier so it sinks.

[Butterfly_Princess]

I googled it for you, and this is what i came up with
"You can tell if an egg is fresh by taking it for a swim. Carefully place eggs in a bowl full of water. Fresh eggs will sink down and lie on their sides at the bottom of the bowl. Semi-fresh eggs will stand on end and bob in the pool. Old eggs will float and should be discarded. Why? It all depends on the size of the air cell inside the shell of the egg. The older an egg is the larger that air pocket will be, giving the egg a built-in life jacket!"

[mrscricket]

I didnt think about google. Thanks for looking - i just ate a semi-fresh egg

[christy]

LOL Em!!! Hehehehe...

[Tanya]

Most eggs from the supermarket are "semi-fresh".
I got a carton from Coles once and went to use one of the eggs and it almost rattled (definite sign that they aren't fresh and in this case off!!). I looked at the use by and it had expired 2 weeks prior!! Needless to say we took them back got a full refund plus another dozen eggs. I am glad I didn't crack one open!!

[Butterfly_Princess]

i cant say ive ever smelt a rotten egg but i dont look forward to it, if it were to ever come about.
Im iffy about eggs, and wont have them unless some one else is cooking them haha, ill only ever use them in cooking. Im not really one to go "Hey, i feel like an egg!" haha...strange i know
But ewww, wouldnt you think that they would check their stock *especially things like eggs* for use by dates etc.

[Erin_25]

I was once told if when you crack the egg if the yolk is still whole then it's fine, but if it breaks up its off. Not sure how true that is, but I've always gone with that theory.

[Zee]

I always forgot which way round it was.

[MantaRay]

Mine are always "semi-fresh" too LOL. Better stop buying them at the supermarket!

[Kazbah]

Get some chooks!

Chooks are very relaxing - listening to the "cluck cluck" is better than a water feature to "turn off" from the world - they eat all your kitchen scraps, and give great compost & eggs!

[Tanya]

Yeah and they scratch up your garden, I would love some chooks but the thought of them scratching up everything puts me off.

I was once told if when you crack the egg if the yolk is still whole then it's fine, but if it breaks up its off. Not sure how true that is, but I've always gone with that theory.

Yep the fresher the egg the more "googly" they are. They won't spread out over your pan when cracked but will hold their form. However if they yolks do break they aren't off, but not fresh
Also my mum told me that when peeling a boiled egg the fresher they are the harder they are to peel (you know those really annoying eggs that the shell takes the egg with it when peeling it, well they are the best ones )

[Kazbah]

They only scratch up your garden if you let them in there! Must say, our garden is looking better since we started letting the chooks in - they are scratching up the compacted clay, which is great for us. Other parts of the garden we just don't let them into.

[Artechim]

When we found a nest of rotten eggs, my brother and I would go down to the back paddock and throw them at the trees. The really rotten ones make a loud pop when they hit. Gee it reeked. I guess that is what passes for fun in rural NZ....