Are my eggs ok to eat?

Maybe you bought a bunch of eggs because they were a good price. And maybe now you’ve realized that your eggs have been sitting in the fridge for a while. And maybe you want to make sure they are ok before you eat them or freeze them. How can you tell? You certainly don’t want to freeze, or eat, or maybe even crack a bad egg. Here’s how to answer “Are my eggs ok to eat?”

Check the date

First check the date on the side of the carton your eggs came in. Generally guidelines say that eggs are good for up to 5 weeks beyond the stamped sell by date.

Test if it floats

Try the egg float test to see how fresh your eggs are individually.

1. Get a bowl large enough to hold your eggs
2. Fill the bowl with cold water that would full cover the eggs
3. Gently place your eggs in the water
4. Check whether your eggs sink or float

If your egg floats, its time to let it go. It may not be spoiled just yet, but certainly is not fresh.

If your egg sinks fully or sits up on one end, it is still good to eat. The fully sunk egg is fresher than the one on its end, but both are safe to eat.

You could test an egg at a time if you have a small bowl. I have used a large pot to test a dozen at a time. Whatever works for you.

Crack it and see

If you really want to use that floating egg, you can always crack it to see if it is really bad. If you smell sulfur or see some different colors like green, black or iridescent, then throw out that egg.