Do you check your eggs for freshness?

[6bg6ga]

Cooked some hard boiled eggs a while back and cooled them and ate one. Went back to the frig and noticed the date on the container and it was several months back. This got me wondering...was I going to get sick from eating an expired egg? Got to thinking....how does one check to see if an egg is still good? If the egg sinks when it is put into water then the egg is fresh. If the egg partially sinks its still good use it right away. If the egg floats get rid of it.

Well, still alive after eating the egg and I tested the rest of the eggs in the container they all floated to I pitched them. The egg I ate tasted ok. So, when does an egg really turn bad to where you don't eat it?

[MyFlatline]

Not hard for us to check the freshness, when the Hen cackles, we go get the egg,,:)

THe shelf life on is is something like 45 days.

[farmerjim]

If it doesn't stink, it is good. Expiration date means nothing. One of my friends was on subs , fast attack and boomers, 20+ years ago. Food was the thing that limited the time a sub could be out. Every empty space was stored with food. Eggs were stored in the halls unrefrigerated. For the first 2 months, they were just cracked cooked and eaten. After that, they would be cracked and given the smell test before being cooked and eaten. Who throws away water after the expiration date ?

[Thundarstick]

In case you didn't know it, old eggs make better boiled eggs than fresh ones. The shells stick to the fresh ones tighter!

[Hickory]

The expiration date - as I understand it - is the last day the product can be sold. It should be good for awhile after that.

[MyFlatline]

In case you didn't know it, old eggs make better boiled eggs than fresh ones. The shells stick to the fresh ones tighter!

Very true, fresh eggs don't peel for squat

[MyFlatline]

Found this on the Web


The Best Method for Uncracked Eggs: The Float Test
Just fill a bowl with cold water and place your eggs in the bowl. If they sink to the bottom and lay flat on their sides, they're very fresh. If they're a few weeks old but still good to eat, they'll stand on one end at the bottom of the bowl. If they float to the surface, they're no longer fresh enough to eat.

[DerekP Houston]

In case you didn't know it, old eggs make better boiled eggs than fresh ones. The shells stick to the fresh ones tighter!

Yup was going to post this. When I want to make pickled eggs I buy a flat and leave it in the fridge for awhile....hate peeling fresh eggs. I've honestly not found a rotten egg stored properly in the fridge, we just go through them fast enough I suppose they don't have time to spoil. It helps I like to pickle and eat boiled eggs routinely I suppose.

[Iowa Fox]

Wouldn't worry about it 6bg6ga. How about all those drunken sailors in the Philippines buying the prostitutes baluts in the bars to win their favor. Sure glad I was in the Army.

[Hickory]

I've honestly not found a rotten egg stored properly in the fridge

This reminds me of a conversation between a friend of mine and his wife.
This past spring they returned from Florida and she was giving Larry the dickens for eating eggs that were left in the refrigerator all last winter. He said, "If I die they were no good, but they tasted good." He didn't die.

[762 shooter]

Mother Earth news did a test. 6 months in fridge tasted like fresh.
762

[Gewehr-Guy]

Just watched a U-tube video on preserving eggs, not refridgerated, by covering them in a bucket,with a solution of slaked lime and water. Said they would easily keep 8 months and possibly up to 2 years. One oz. of lime to 1 quart water, keep the eggsalways covered with the solution, as some will evaporate. Also the eggs can't be washed, as the shell has a natural preservative on its surface. I may try this when I kill some more coon, and get chickens again.

[gbrown]

Funny stuff! When I was in college, way back in the mid to late 60's, I went fishing/camping with an old friend who loved eggs. The route we took went by some people who sold yard eggs. They had a lot of hens! He would buy 5 flats. Seems like a flat held 5 dozen, but I'm not sure. When we went fishing, my dad, the old friend, and me, we ate fish and potatoes, or, if we didn't catch fish, it was potatoes and eggs. The eggs sat in his unheated, non air conditioned truck camper for the 4-5 days we were camping. Then they went home and sat on his back porch (SETX) where heat and humidity are a way of life. He never got sick from them, nor did I. I know the Chinese make the 100 year eggs, or century eggs, which I'm not sure I could work up the courage to eat, but they are a big delicacy for some. The only thing I notice about old eggs is that when you boil them, they are hard to peel. Seems like they get a little dehydrated in the fridge, and the skin/membrane between the shell and egg sticks, rather than separates like the fresh eggs.

[MaryB]

Store eggs are washed and don't keep as long as a farm fresh egg will. But I have gone a month past expiration and ate them.

[MT Gianni]

I eat two or three eggs most mornings and never worry about an expiration date.

[6bg6ga]

I believe the egg carton I had said Oct 28. Slightly over 2 months past the date that says use before this date. Still alive today but will always do the egg test to see if they are floaters or sinkers before using.

[Beagle333]

I don't often have any that make it to the expiration date, but if I do, I float test them. I wouldn't eat a floater, but that's just me.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive ate 3 month old eggs and am still here. Heck in china they bury them for a 100 years till they turn black and call it a delicacy! I did a test once at camp. My dad will only buy brown farm fresh eggs from his buddy. he says they just taste better. There were 6 of us at camp and I cooked each guy two eggs one from my dads carton and one from eggs I bought at the store. I asked which tasted better and only two picked the fresh brown eggs and low and behold my dad wasn't one of them. I laugh because my wife is just the opposite. She will not eat a brown egg. She says clean eggs are white eggs. So when I'm using brown eggs I have to crack them before she gets up.

[Thundarstick]

I grew up on the farms, ours and both grandparents, where chickens would sometimes lay in odd places. I can tell by feel if I've got a rotten egg as soon as it's picked up. The contents sorta slosh in a rotten egg, like a round bottle half full, you can feel the content shift when you give it a slight shake.

[MaryB]

Farm fresh eggs taste way better than store bought! Yolks are a bright yellow versus pale yellow, better overall flavor...

[Geezer in NH]

Farm fresh eggs taste way better than store bought! Yolks are a bright yellow versus pale yellow, better overall flavor...

Big thumbs up on that one!!!

The only time we would check an egg would be when we find one in the field but most times we just pitch that one to the woods.

My wife boils fresh eggs all the time, she does not peel them but uses a serrated knife to cut them in 1/2 then scoops them out of the shell with a spoon.

[farmerjim]

I raised chickens and Guinea fowl for years. The neighbors young daughter across the street started raising chickens for eggs at $3 per doz. I couldn't feed mine for that little, so I got rid of mine and bought eggs from them. She doesn't do it anymore, so I guess I will have to get some chickens and Guineas again. Guinea eggs are much better than chicken eggs. They are mostly yokes.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP... Seems like they get a little dehydrated in the fridge, and the skin/membrane between the shell and egg sticks, rather than separates like the fresh eggs.

I can vouch for the "get a little dehydrated in the fridge". Store bought eggs, that are 3 to 4 months past the expiration date, the egg white clings to the shell half, and when you 'shake' it out of the shell half, you can see there is less volume to it. Fried with Black Pepper and Onion flakes...tastes great...didn't get sick.

That's Bachelor life, buy a bunch when they are on sale, it seems one dozen always gets pushed to the back of the frig and gets forgotten.

[KCSO]

We just don't eat the floaters.

[OldBearHair]

That chicken that sits in a cage and can only stand up and sit down, never flaps it wings, or runs and scratches the ground, never lives past eighteen months then is
destroyed in my opinion is not a healthy bird and the egg it lays is deficient in quality. Also bad cholestrol and triglycerides. I have some chickens that layed eggs three of four years but with lessening production as they age. Free range chickens when cooked taste altogether different than supermarket bird because of the better nutrition they have eaten all their lives. We do rotate the eggs every day to keep from having older eggs. A basket sits near the stove on the counter, the fresh eggs go there that we eat. The excess eggs go in the icebox ( refrigerator ) to be given away.

Expiration date ---- We cooked 20- years at New Mexico Boys Ranch for 75 people, attended State held classes regularly that taught food safety. The way I remember it, the life of a given food was divided into three sections of time. The expiration date was set at the end of the second period. There was some time left in the third period before the food spoiled.

[DerekP Houston]

I believe the egg carton I had said Oct 28. Slightly over 2 months past the date that says use before this date. Still alive today but will always do the egg test to see if they are floaters or sinkers before using.

I wouldn't even blink at that. use by dates are all just added for regulations, food is usually perfectly safe well past that date.

[DerekP Houston]

That chicken that sits in a cage and can only stand up and sit down, never flaps it wings, or runs and scratches the ground, never lives past eighteen months then is
destroyed in my opinion is not a healthy bird and the egg it lays is deficient in quality. Also bad cholestrol and triglycerides. I have some chickens that layed eggs three of four years but with lessening production as they age. Free range chickens when cooked taste altogether different than supermarket bird because of the better nutrition they have eaten all their lives. We do rotate the eggs every day to keep from having older eggs. A basket sits near the stove on the counter, the fresh eggs go there that we eat. The excess eggs go in the icebox ( refrigerator ) to be given away.

Expiration date ---- We cooked 20- years at New Mexico Boys Ranch for 75 people, attended State held classes regularly that taught food safety. The way I remember it, the life of a given food was divided into three sections of time. The expiration date was set at the end of the second period. There was some time left in the third period before the food spoiled.

man, i've wanted to have chickens for the fresh eggs for a long time but just haven't gotten the freetime/yard space. You aren't wrong, farm fresh eggs taste night and day difference, I may have to stop on the way home and buy some. Rather pay directly to the family for a few bucks more and get the good stuff.

[OldBearHair]

Everyone that gets our eggs say "Wow" So that is what eggs are supposed to taste like!
On a lighter note: A fellow went into a cafe and asked what was on the menu today? Was told they had a special on beef tongue. He said he did not want anything that came out of somethings mouth and ordered three eggs over easy with toast.

[Thundarstick]

For the miss informed. Chickens kept in a pen and only fed layer mash will have the same color yolks as any store bought egg I don't care who's farm there on. The amount of greens a chicken gets determines the color of the yolk, therefore people think being out of the cage is the reason for the darker yolks, when it's the amount of greens they eat. Back when I had chickens I ran all my garden greens through the chickens before it went into the compost pile. :wink: Pea and bean vines, any thing that was too big or over grown, rotten produce, rinds and trimmings all went to the chickens! They don't call them "barnyard buzzards" for no reason you know!

[Lance Boyle]

Not hard for us to check the freshness, when the Hen cackles, we go get the egg,,:)

THe shelf life on is is something like 45 days.

Ha I was going to say if it was still warm she laid it not too long ago.

[retread]

Years ago when we went north for the Alaska fishing seasons we would put fresh eggs in a crock in layers with the small end down till the crock was almost full. Then we would boil water and let it cool and add "Waterglass egg preserver" (Sodium Silicate), pour the mixture in the crock until it covered the eggs. Lasted for the entire season (4+ months) with no problems. Just had to make sure the water level stayed above the eggs.

[Hannibal]

I just check for cracked shells. Bump 'em with the tip of a finger in the carton and if they're not stuck down, then they'll probably serve their purpose.

I use a similar technique on people I'm around.

I'd like to check the color of the yolk on some of these folks, but I expect I'd wind up incarcerated.

Back to your regular programming. [smilie=s:

[6bg6ga]

I'm of the opinion that the mind can and usually does play tricks on a person. I'd be willing to bet that if you blindfolded a person and sat them down to the table they wouldn't be able to tell any difference between store bought eggs and fresh. The wife used to bring home very fresh eggs from a friend that sold eggs that she worked with. Either my taste buds are totally gone or there isn't any difference. I surely couldn't tell any.

[762 shooter]

https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/how-to-store-fresh-eggs-zmaz77ndzgoe

762

[Lloyd Smale]

that's my experience too. Put 4 guys at a table and tell them the store bought eggs are the fresh ones and the fresh ones are store bought and id about bet youd have 4 guns saying the ones you called fresh were the better tasting ones. Id bet if you put one of each on a plate at a restaurant that not one in a 100 would comment that one tasted different then the other if they didn't know there was two different ones there. Add to that I rarely eat an egg without cheese or as an omlet or with bacon mixed in with scrambled eggs or with sausage gravy on top. So I'm sure not paying twice as much for a farm egg.
I'm of the opinion that the mind can and usually does play tricks on a person. I'd be willing to bet that if you blindfolded a person and sat them down to the table they wouldn't be able to tell any difference between store bought eggs and fresh. The wife used to bring home very fresh eggs from a friend that sold eggs that she worked with. Either my taste buds are totally gone or there isn't any difference. I surely couldn't tell any.

[Wild Bill 7]

When I was a youngster we raised chickens. Fresh eggs all the time and we never ate store bought eggs. Too many years have passed to remember how they tasted. I do remember my step father changing the color of the chicken feed to red and green. The chickens that ate that feed changed the color of the yolk respectively. Those chickens were separated from the rest of our birds. Christmas yolks they were called. Only my step father would eat them. They looked awful cause yolks are supposed to be yellow. New way to peel eggs is put them in a pint jar one at a time and shake if for a little bit, the pretty much peel themselves. Wife found that idea on line and loves the easiness of that.

[MaryB]

Being a bit of a foodie I can definitely tell the difference in flavor...

[6bg6ga]

Your probably an audiphile also.:bigsmyl2: A simple blind taste test will prove there is no difference in the eggs other than a slightly darker yoke.

[Thundarstick]

I guarantee I could be blind folded and a two overeasy fried eggs put in front of me, one from a free range spring time chicken, and one from a layer mash fed (aka store eggs) chicken, and I could easly tell the difference! Once again, the more greens the chicken gets, the richer, stronger, and darker the yolks! That's a fact!

[6bg6ga]

I guarantee I could be blind folded and a two overeasy fried eggs put in front of me, one from a free range spring time chicken, and one from a layer mash fed (aka store eggs) chicken, and I could easly tell the difference! Once again, the more greens the chicken gets, the richer, stronger, and darker the yolks! That's a fact!

Wished you lived closer I would take you up on that.

[M-Tecs]

I'm of the opinion that the mind can and usually does play tricks on a person. I'd be willing to bet that if you blindfolded a person and sat them down to the table they wouldn't be able to tell any difference between store bought eggs and fresh. The wife used to bring home very fresh eggs from a friend that sold eggs that she worked with. Either my taste buds are totally gone or there isn't any difference. I surely couldn't tell any.

On what you are calling fresh was are they feeding the chickens? If it the same as the large producers are using you would not taste a difference. Eggs from free ranges chickens have much more flavor in the spring, summer and fall when they eat greens and bugs. In the winter when the are on chicken feed not so much.

[6bg6ga]

On what you are calling fresh was are they feeding the chickens? If it the same as the large producers are using you would not taste a difference. Eggs from free ranges chickens have much more flavor in the spring, summer and fall when they eat greens and bugs. In the winter when the are on chicken feed not so much.

She used to buy farm fresh eggs year around. I assume part of the time they were fed from feed. Still couldn't tell any difference other than yoke color.

[M-Tecs]

Lots of farm raised chickens never get out of a coop and live on chicken feed year around. Easier collecting the eggs that way.

[Jeff Michel]

Since egg production (a recent regulatory acquisition) is inspected by the same agency that does your meat and poultry. I've had to spend a good bit of time in laying operations. Couple thing to keep in mind about eggs. There is no quality difference between free range chicken eggs and caged operation produced eggs. The caged bird probably receive a better proportioned diet (vitamins and minerals) than it's free ranging cousins. Most operations have dietary specialists and frequently Veterinarians on the payroll. If you raise your own or buy off a local grower, wash them, preferably with water with a very small amount of bleach (less than 200ppm) the likelihood of salmonella bacteria on the exterior is extremely high. The expiration or sell by date means almost nothing, I have three month old eggs in my refrigerator as I type this and they will be hard boiled tonight. If your not certain, candle the egg, you will definitely see blood spots if they are present. . Floating only works with embryonic eggs or after the contents start producing hydrogen sulfide (rotten) Neither condition is particularly desirable is you want to eat an egg. Never hard boil a fresh egg, wait a couple weeks, the difference is huge.And if you are convinced one is better than the other, I would suggest that you eat up and enjoy. Either way, they are an excellent source of protein.

[MaryB]

Before my hearing decided to start going yes I was an audiophile. Repairing electronics you tend to collect things people don't want to pay to fix!

And yes a chicken that is out eating greens and bugs lays eggs that are far tastier than store bought!



Your probably an audiphile also.:bigsmyl2: A simple blind taste test will prove there is no difference in the eggs other than a slightly darker yoke.

[Moleman-]

We have ducks as mainly pets and get 3-5 eggs a day. We just do the water test on them when finding eggs they've hidden. Otherwise they're less than a day old.

[6bg6ga]

Before my hearing decided to start going yes I was an audiophile. Repairing electronics you tend to collect things people don't want to pay to fix!

And yes a chicken that is out eating greens and bugs lays eggs that are far tastier than store bought!

You have to remember Mary that Radio Shack and anything from the big box stores isn't considered to audiophile quality. The true audiophile equipment generally starts at $3-5K and up per piece all separates and nothing intergrated and certainly nothing with built in EQ's or anything for home theater.
I have stacks of commercial equipment that I have repaired that is sitting on my shelves and still on my books. I fix it and then one of our salespersons sells them a new unit to get their commission and I end up with parts and labor in a unit and lost time.

I asked the wife and she seems to be able to tell a difference between the farm eggs and the store eggs so I must be wrong. Maybe too many years in the factory smelling oil vapor, stamping compound, tapping oil to be able to tell a difference.

[Thundarstick]

farm eggs and the store eggs

There is one of the errors! Is not farm vs store! It should be along the lines of free range, or pastured eggs vs caged, or layer mash fed eggs.

As an example. I buy most of my eggs from a neighbor about 1/2 mile down the road, in the country mind you. His birds are penned and fed layer mash and are identical to eggs bought from the grocer.

[6bg6ga]

farm eggs and the store eggs

There is one of the errors! Is not farm vs store! It should be along the lines of free range, or pastured eggs vs caged, or layer mash fed eggs.

The eggs we used to buy were from un caged hens running free eating whatever they found.

Still think an egg is an egg:kidding:

[Thundarstick]

Yep, the chemicals have dulled your ability to perceive the finer points of taste and smell!:kidding:

[brassrat]

Never had a fresh egg but have eaten some chicken from a small Ct. grocery chain. They get eggs and chicken from Amish Pa. It is like every other chicken tastes. One day I bought a, hot, cooked bird and some raw meat. This meat was far superior to any chicken and I wish I knew what happened.

[Plate plinker]

Best chicken and chicken eggs are those that free range eating bugs and such. Far superior in my opinion. And as a side note if you have insect problems around your home get some chickens. Chickens are natural insectivores and very good at it too.

[Shingle]

Sorry I never kept them that long usually goes from hen to table.

[MaryB]

Like the McIntosh Tube amp that took a lightning hit and the insurance company said scrap it? I replaced a few blown capacitors in the power supply and used it for 10 years before I started to lose my hearing... Had a couple guys in town who had some top end stuff and 2 of them too lightning hits. I sold the stuff a few years ago because it is overkill for my hearing these days(tinnitus...). Pair of Magepanar speakers that fried some crossover components...


You have to remember Mary that Radio Shack and anything from the big box stores isn't considered to audiophile quality. The true audiophile equipment generally starts at $3-5K and up per piece all separates and nothing intergrated and certainly nothing with built in EQ's or anything for home theater.
I have stacks of commercial equipment that I have repaired that is sitting on my shelves and still on my books. I fix it and then one of our salespersons sells them a new unit to get their commission and I end up with parts and labor in a unit and lost time.

I asked the wife and she seems to be able to tell a difference between the farm eggs and the store eggs so I must be wrong. Maybe too many years in the factory smelling oil vapor, stamping compound, tapping oil to be able to tell a difference.

[6bg6ga]

Like the McIntosh Tube amp that took a lightning hit and the insurance company said scrap it? I replaced a few blown capacitors in the power supply and used it for 10 years before I started to lose my hearing... Had a couple guys in town who had some top end stuff and 2 of them too lightning hits. I sold the stuff a few years ago because it is overkill for my hearing these days(tinnitus...). Pair of Magepanar speakers that fried some crossover components...

Maggys? Naw. Not efficient not a full range speaker basically no low end under 200 hz. Most Mac tube gear simply doesn't sound good but unfortunately does bring high dollars due to people thinking they are purchasing something. They have a cult following kinda like Bose.

Your chickens wouldn't lay those free range eggs listening to that equipment.

[MaryB]

Hey it is what qualified back in the day! I only had them a little over a year, hearing loss made the amp better off sold and I hated the speakers. My old Zenith MC4000's sound better! And I bought them in 1980! Still have them too, they are my main surround system speakers. Have some Kenwood bookshelf speakers with 8" woofers for rears and I forget where I got the center and it has no name on it.

https://img.ruten.com.tw/s1/5/d1/e7/21713633697255_896.JPG

[Blanket]

free range here. Don't wash and keep in basket on counter. The hens shut down as the days get shorter and those eggs are used for baking

[Moleman-]

Put a light on a timer on the winter so the hens get the same amount of light. Works to keep ours laying all winter

[fast ronnie]

Definitely easier to peel hard boiled eggs when they are NOT fresh! The ones you get in a store are usually several weeks old at best.

[6bg6ga]

The trick is first cooling the eggs and second running them under water when taking the shell off.

[poppy42]

If you knew how old store bought eggs were you probably wouldn’t eat them

[markX]

90 days before they hit the shelf

[poppy42]

90 days before they hit the shelf
Yep, sounds about right. At least 90 days!

[poppy42]

If you wanna know how old it is, boil it. The older the egg the easier it peels. It’s got to do with egg shells being a semi- permeable membrane and moisture content. When we raised chicken the only time I’d even think about store naught eggs was at Easter. And that was only for coloring and big egg hunts when the kids wanted to peel and eat there own. Nothing worse than watching the little ones trying to peel an egg when the shell and inner membrane is stuck to the egg.

[starmac]

Someone mentioned water glass, I always thought it was to toughen up the shell so it wouldn't break, riding on the boats, not to preserve them. I could very well be wrong, never used it for eggs, but have used it several times for busted heads and blocks.

And yes there is a definite different taste in free range eggs and laying mash fed eggs, just as there is in meat depends on an animals diet as to the taste.
Milk is the same way too, what it taste like depends on what the cow has been eating.

[trails4u]

My 5th grade daughter just finished up a science fair project comparing the 'quality' of store bought eggs. vs. our own free range eggs. She tested shell thickness, shell porosity, egg white thickness and yolk color. It was a pretty fun project for both of us...and we learned some things.

Yolk color is predominantly a factor of beta carotene, which is converted to Vit A. Darker yolk = more Vit A....and our eggs presented much, much darker yolks. On a yolk color fan (yes there's such a thing) the store bought eggs averaged a score of 5, whereas ours averaged 11.

Shell thickness was surprisingly similar....with an average of only around .001in difference. They all ranged between .013 and .017 thick. We thought ours would be thicker.....they sure seem so when trying to crack them, but the micrometer don't lie. Maybe the membranes are thicker or tougher? Don't know....we didn't test that.

Shell porosity was interesting......as the store bought eggs were 4x as porous, as we determined by soaking them in a dyed solution, then looking at the inside of the shell for signs of the dye. Even our fresh eggs, after washing and scrubbing the bloom off, were still 1/3 as porous as the store bought eggs.

Egg white thickness/height was also pretty conclusive, as our eggs had tall, thick whites while the store bought eggs were, on average, almost .150in 'shorter', measured with a dial caliper. Our research led us to believe that the thickness of the egg white is a product of age, as the proteins in the egg white break down with age, allowing the white to become thin and runny. Interesting in that the protein composition of the thick part of the egg white is in some ways anti-bacterial.

So there you have it! 'Scientific' proof!! :bigsmyl2:

[6bg6ga]

This has what to do with the topic of "Do you test your eggs for freshness?"

[762 shooter]

Pertaining to egg freshness and peeling hard boiled eggs.

I have 12 Black sexlinks that are egg machines. Peeling fresh hard boiled eggs was a pain even with cooling with ice. I read about steaming the eggs instead of boiling them. I was willing to try it because nothing else worked.

10 eggs fresh from chicken butts to steamer. Six minutes for soft boiled and 12 minutes for hard boiled. 100% perfect peel for deviled eggs. If I hadn't done it I wouldn't have believed it. I'll never boil a hard boiled egg again.

762

[trails4u]

This has what to do with the topic of "Do you test your eggs for freshness?"

As much as anything else in this topic, as far as I can tell. Seems like a 'free-range' discussion about eggs. :razz:

[brass410]

seems like the yoke is on all of us

[6bg6ga]

Well I've learned one thing on this thread and that is range free is fresher tastes better and this is of course without any proof. It just does and thats the truth.

[Adk Mike]

I’ve kept chickens for 21 years so far. I have no plans to quit. I eat fresh eggs every day.
It’s been a great hobby.

[6bg6ga]

I’ve kept chickens for 21 years so far. I have no plans to quit. I eat fresh eggs every day.
It’s been a great hobby.

I guess my question is do you check your eggs for freshness? I would assume you would probably wash your eggs and store them in egg containers in your frig. So, how long do you store them or keep them in your frig? Do you ever check them by placing one in a jar full of water and seeing if the egg floated or sunk to the bottom?

[OldBearHair]

Just got up at 10 am w/ cold symptoms Jan 29, my wife opens the carport door and calls me outside to see baby chickens.There was my little white hen with the feather crown cap with 11 little bittys. Found where she came out from and in the nest there were 13 more unhatched eggs. One had pipped , didn't make it. These eggs went to compost. I didn't bother to see if they were floaters or not!!.. Then on the 31 January we found a second hideout nest. yes you guessed it, they went compost as well. No checking my eggs for freshness. When I take an egg from the nest and it is still warm I think that is about as fresh as it gets.

[trails4u]

Well I've learned one thing on this thread and that is range free is fresher tastes better and this is of course without any proof. It just does and thats the truth.

I do apologize for poaching your thread....I didn't mean to get your blood boiled. Sometimes my brain just gets a bit fried and my thoughts scrambled. To keep things on the sunny side, I'll pony up and answer your original question.

Generally, no we do not, as we get fresh eggs from our own flock. My daughter sells them, so we don't keep them around long normally. We also date the containers as they go in the fridge. We do not wash them prior to refrigeration, as they stay fresh much longer if the bloom is left intact. When they surpass 2-3 months of storage, which is rare, I will float any of them we intend to sell. The ones that float we keep and use ourselves. In many years of doing this, I have never, not once, encountered a 'rotten' egg from storage. The whites thin out a bit....but that's the only negative effect I've ever seen from storing, bloom intact, in the refrigerator.

Over-easy and out. :)

Trails.

[AllanD]

Remember that Eggs "keep" for 21days under a warm chicken...

In a refrigerator they can be kept indefinatly, but there is a caveat to this...

That most modern Refrigerators are "frost free" meaning there is a circulating fan for the cool air
and as is the nature of refrigerated air it is also DRY air, considering this and being aware that
egg shells are porous (the developing chick needs to breath) eggs will "dry out" in the fridge without spoiling.

Even Hard boiled eggs will gradually lose moisture.

All these eggs will fail this "float test".

There is a trick for longer storage of eggs under refrigeration, DIP them in MOLTEN (Quickly for fresh, less quickness is needed for Hard boiled) wax to seal them!
This prevents them from dehydrating and absorbing refrigerator smells. these smells will not technically "spoil" the eggs but will make them unpalateable.

[Lance Boyle]

Being a bit of a foodie I can definitely tell the difference in flavor...


That and how they cook up.

An older egg has whites run all of her the frying pan or a lot more whisps of white floating around when poaching. Fresh eggs sit up nicer, both the yolk and the white.

[ascast]

Found this on the Web


The Best Method for Uncracked Eggs: The Float Test
Just fill a bowl with cold water and place your eggs in the bowl. If they sink to the bottom and lay flat on their sides, they're very fresh. If they're a few weeks old but still good to eat, they'll stand on one end at the bottom of the bowl. If they float to the surface, they're no longer fresh enough to eat.

I grew up on a egg farm. this is the rule. or check ashrae standards. sell by dates and all that are a short standard time to ensure product rotation.