One of the longest-lasting things in your refrigerator just might be that carton of eggs you bought to make egg bites or an omelet. Even if it's been in there a couple of weeks (or longer!), it's likely that the eggs are still safe to eat, according to experts. "One of the great things about eggs is they'll keep for more than a month when properly stored," says Elisa Maloberti, manager of special projects and food safety at the American Egg Board. Here we break down what you need to know about eggs and expiration dates.
"Those expiration dates are on some egg cartons to make sure that retailers don't keep eggs on shelves past a certain date," Maloberti says. "However, eggs can be safely eaten two to three weeks past that date. Depending on where [you live], the expiration date may be labeled as Sell By, Use By, Exp. By or Best By."
If you'd like to dig deeper, it's good to know that cartons from plants that produce Department of Agriculture-graded eggs must display what's called a Julian date, which is the day of the year the eggs were packed. On those egg cartons, if an expiration date appears, it can be no more than 30 days after the pack date.
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"As long as they're kept properly refrigerated at 40°F or lower, fresh eggs are safe to eat four to five weeks beyond the carton's Julian date," Maloberti says. How to find that date? "It's usually found on the short side of the carton and represents the consecutive days of the year, with the number 001 as January 1 and December 31 as 365."
All eggs should be stored in a refrigerator that's been set at 40°F or lower. And where those eggs are stored within the fridge also can make a difference, Maloberti says. "It's best to place them on an inside shelf, and not in the door," she says. "Repeated opening and closing of the door causes temperature fluctuations, and slamming it shut can result in [eggshell] breakage." Also, she suggests keeping things easy on yourself and just storing them right in the carton they came in. "Cartons will keep eggs from picking up odors and flavors from other foods, and they'll prevent moisture loss," she says
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Is That a Bad Egg?
How do eggs deteriorate anyway? Maloberti explains: "An eggshell has thousands of tiny pores that allow air to pass through. As it ages, the egg's quality will gradually degrade. The white becomes thinner, the yolk becomes flatter and the yolk membrane weakens. Although these changes may affect appearance, they don't indicate spoilage and don't have any great effect on the nutritional quality of the egg or its functions in recipes."
She notes that eggs rarely spoil, but if you keep them refrigerated long enough, they're more likely to simply dry up due to natural exchange of gas and moisture through the shell pores. "Eventually, probably in a year or more, you'll find nothing but a yellow sheen on the inside of the shell when you crack it," she says.
Use only eggs with shells that are clean, unbroken and free from debris. If you find a broken and leaking egg, discard it right away. Also, she says, it's smart to "discard any eggs with shells that don't look or feel clean and dry. A slimy feel can indicate bacterial growth, and, regardless of color, powdery spots that come off on your hand may indicate mold."
Could This Egg Make Me Sick?
Salmonella bacteria, if present at all, can be in both the egg white and yolk, Maloberti says: "If eggs are kept at warm temperatures, it's possible for bacteria to reach the nutrient-dense yolk, where it can grow over time. But [in] a clean, uncracked egg, in which refrigerated conditions have been maintained and cross-contamination has been prevented, internal contamination occurs only rarely."
Why Older Eggs Are Easier to Peel
It can be challenging to peel a hard-boiled egg, especially when bits of shell persist in clinging to the egg white, giving you a pockmarked finished product. According to Maloberti, the secret to an easier peel is to buy them a week before boiling. "Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel," she explains. "For the easiest-peeling eggs, buy and refrigerate them 7 to 10 days before boiling. This brief 'breather' allows the eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell." The Food and Drug Administration recommends refrigerating hard-boiled eggs (peeled or unpeeled) for up to one week.
Bottom Line
Eggs are a delicious, nutritious protein source. While each carton of eggs is marked with an expiration date, if properly stored at 40°F or lower, they should be safe to eat for longer—usually two to three weeks past the expiration date. If you need healthy recipes to use up the eggs in your refrigerator, try one of these delicious egg recipes.
As long as the eggs have been properly stored at 40°F or below, they are safe to eat past the expiration date marked on the carton—usually three to five weeks from the day you place them in the refrigerator. Of course, when in doubt, do not eat the eggs and compost them instead.
Eggs may be refrigerated three to five weeks from the day they are placed in the refrigerator. The "Sell-By" date will usually expire during that length of time, but the eggs will be perfectly safe to use.
Simply fill a bowl with cold tap water and place your eggs in it. If they sink to the bottom and lay flat on one side, they are fresh and good to eat. A bad egg will float because of the large air cell that forms at its base. Any floating eggs should be thrown out.
Instructions. Old eggs or rotten eggs are acceptable in composting programs - including your home compost pile. Contact your local recycling coordinator to find out whether your local transfer station offers municipal composting. Or consider starting your own home compost bin for your organic materials!
The theory is that, as an egg ages, the air pocket inside it grows larger, buoying an old egg to the surface. But, according to Dr. Schaffner, “there is no scientific basis for the egg float test.” So experimenting to see if your egg sinks or swims is not a reliable way to measure its quality.
The eggs stored in cold temperature tend to undergo condensation when they are taken out to room temperature. This promotes the growth of bacteria over the egg shell, thereby contaminating the egg and making it harmful for human consumption. Refrigerate only if you suspect salmonella infection.
If the egg doesn't pass the smell test, it's time to toss it. When cracked, eggs should have a neutral odor—not a distinct smell with sulphuric, gassy, or sour notes. A rotten egg smell is an indisputable sign that your egg isn't safe to eat.
Salmonella illness can be serious and is more dangerous for some groups of people. Most people who get sick from Salmonella have diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and stomach cramps. Symptoms usually begin 6 hours to 6 days after infection and last 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without antibiotic treatment.
The rule of thumb? You can leave eggs on the counter about two hours at room temperature or one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees F or hotter before you start to worry, per the Egg Safety Center. After two hours, you'd be safer to throw those eggs out and get a fresh dozen rather than chance it.
In the unlikely event that you happen to eat a bad egg, you may be at risk for foodborne illnesses such as salmonella. Food poisoning may cause you to have a fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. For most people, symptoms go away within a few days; however, serious illness and hospitalization can follow.
To perform the float test, gently set your egg into a bowl or bucket of water. If the egg sinks, it is fresh. If it tilts upwards or even floats, it is old. This is because as an egg ages, the small air pocket inside it grows larger as water is released and replaced by air.
Information. An egg can float in water when its air cell has enlarged sufficiently to keep it buoyant. This means the egg is old, but it may be perfectly safe to use. Crack the egg into a bowl and examine it for an off-odor or unusable appearance before deciding to use or discard it.
Expired eggs aren't completely useless! Before tossing them in the bin, consider using them as compost for your garden. Though unsafe for us to consume, the remaining micronutrients and proteins in the eggshell can be great for fertilizing your garden (just be sure to crack it and empty the whites and yolk first).
If you throw your eggs out once the date on the carton has passed, you may be wasting perfectly good eggs. With proper storage, eggs can last for at least 3–5 weeks in the fridge and about 1 year in the freezer. The longer an egg is stored, the more its quality declines, making it less springy and more runny.
But while older eggs, even those past the date on the carton, may suffer from diminished quality (smell and taste not so great), they are OK to eat or use in baking. “When the egg gets old, the yolk or the white of the egg may not hold its form and be runnier than expected,” explains Chapman.
But while older eggs, even those past the date on the carton, may suffer from diminished quality (smell and taste not so great), they are OK to eat or use in baking. “When the egg gets old, the yolk or the white of the egg may not hold its form and be runnier than expected,” explains Chapman.
Information. Hard cooked eggs can be stored in the refrigerator up to seven days, either left in their shells or peeled. Make sure eggs are refrigerated within two hours after cooking, and don't leave refrigerated cooked eggs out at room temperature for more than two hours.
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