Skip to main content

The Easiest, No-Fail Way to Tell If Eggs Are Still Good

When you buy your eggs at the grocery store, you can be certain they’re fresh—or at least, fresh enough to use.

But it’s different if you store them in another container like this one or buy them from a local farmer. As time goes on, do you remember exactly when you bought them? How long have they been in the fridge, anyway? If eggs could talk, here’s what they’d tell you.

How can you tell if eggs are good?

The good news is that badly spoiled eggs are easy to detect as soon as you crack them open. The bad news is, there’s a lot of territory between “off” and “strong smell of sulfur”—you don’t want to have to count on your nose if your health is on the line.

The great news is that there’s a way to tell whether your eggs are usable or not, without having to break the shell (which is the only thing standing between you and that rotten egg smell). Home cooks have been using this low-tech method for how to tell if eggs are still good for generations. It’s as easy as pouring a glass of water. Psst—did you know that eggs could go bad faster if you store them in this part of your fridge?

Do the float test

Bad eggs, you see, float. It has to do with the way moisture evaporates through the shell as eggs age—as that moisture decreases, the air bubble inside the shell grows. One way to test this is to hold the egg to your ear and shake it; if you hear the egg sloshing around, that’s a bad sign. But if you gently place the egg in a glass or bowl of water, that’s how to tell if eggs are still good using the float test—it’s as simple as that. And, you can get not only a “usable or not?” answer, but also a gauge of how fresh the egg is. Here’s the psychology behind boiling the perfect egg.

The air bubble will be at the narrow end of the egg—you can tell how fresh your egg is by how it settles in the water.

  • If the egg lies horizontally, it’s at its freshest.
  • If the narrow end of the egg tilts upward, the egg is still usable, but not quite as fresh. An egg that tilts would be good to use for meringue (yes, older eggs do make better meringue!).
  • If the egg stands upright (but is still at the bottom of the container), it’s past its peak, but is still safe—use these eggs for baking or hard-boiling.
  • If the egg floats? Get rid of it!

Simple as that. Quick, easy and it’s kind of fun, knowing you’re using the same trick grandmothers around the world used, too! Now, you may know how to tell if eggs are still good, but unfortunately, these 10 foods in your fridge are probably already expired.

How to Crack an Egg the Right Way

Zero Waste Uses for Eggs, Eggshells, and Egg Cartons

If Eggs Could Talk, Here's What They Would Tell You

The post The Easiest, No-Fail Way to Tell If Eggs Are Still Good appeared first on Reader's Digest.



from Reader's Digest https://ift.tt/2WLSECa
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

30 Math Puzzles (with Answers) to Test Your Smarts

Math is not everyone’s favorite, understandably. Hours of math homework and difficult equations can make anyone sour on the subject. But when math problems are outside of a school setting, there’s no time limit to do them, and they’ve got a fun, more whimsical concept than just finding x, they can be great activities for kids. (And adults, of course!) They test your brain and critical thinking skills, provide some constructive, educational fun,  and  provide tangible examples of math lessons you’ll actually use in real life . Math puzzles come in plenty of different varieties, too. Some more straightforward number puzzles do require calculations to find the solution. Others are more like logic puzzles and challenge you to look for a pattern. Still others present the puzzle through pictures, making them great for visual learners. From  Reader’s Digest ‘s “Mind Stretchers” books, these math puzzles have a bit of everything! If you’re more of a riddles person, we’ve got reg...
Post a Comment
Read more

41 of the Most Useful Mac Keyboard Shortcuts

Everyone wants everything they do on their computer to be fast. Their Internet connection, the speed they type, and how quickly they can save, open, and alter documents. These mac keyboard shortcuts can help you do just that. Try out these Mac hotkeys to make your browsing, typing, and viewing experiences a little more convenient. Here are some keyboard shortcuts that will make web browsing so much easier . Mac keyboard shortcuts allow you to do things on your computer that would typically require you to use a mouse, trackpad, or another device with a combination of the keys on your keyboard. To find the Mac shortcuts that are already set up on your device, go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts. From there you can look through the different mac keyboard shortcuts that are set up for your keyboard, launchpad and dock, Mission Control, Spotlight, and so on. To change an existing shortcut you can select the one you want to change, click on the key combination, and then ty...
Post a Comment
Read more

Will Cicadas Destroy Your Garden? 10 Things You Need to Know

It’s easy to wince thinking about the mass emergence of insects like cicadas. Their numbers can reach millions per acre, creating a near-deafening buzzing chorus. So it’s understandable that questions like, “Will cicadas eat my plants?” immediately spring to mind. But cicadas are also pretty fascinating and play important roles in the ecosystem. “Cicadas inspire wonder in our world!” says Jennifer Hopwood, senior pollinator conservation specialist at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “They spend most of their life underground next to the same plant roots. Somehow, these creatures are able to track the years that pass by and time their emergence with other periodical cicadas in the region to overwhelm predators. They are amazing little critters.” Here’s a rundown of what to know about cicadas, good and bad, including whether or not they eat plants and how to protect your trees during an emergence. Get Readers Digest s Read Up newsletter for more gardening, humor, cl...
Post a Comment
Read more