Eggs provide many excellent health benefits and make delicious meals. With that said, there's nothing more frustrating than opening the fridge and smelling that nasty sulfuric "flavor".
A strong odor is a sign that your eggs have gone bad. However, it is much easier to know that the eggs are on the verge of expiration than to wait until they spoil.
Is the expiration date on the package the only indication that your eggs have gone bad? Or can you use them after it expires?
Below you will find five methods that will make it easy to determine the freshness of eggs. So grab the box and get ready to learn something interesting.
Why are eggs disappearing?
Eggs must be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 2 to 5 degrees Celsius. Depending on their condition, their shelf life will vary.
- Raw whole eggs (in shell) - 4 to 5 weeks from date of packaging or within 3 weeks of purchase
- Raw whole eggs (with slightly damaged shells) - up to 2 days
- Raw egg whites - up to 4 days
- Raw egg yolks - up to 2 days
- Hard-boiled eggs (in the shell) - up to 1 week
- Hard boiled eggs (peeled) - use same day for best quality.
There are also a few dates that manufacturers print on packaging that are important when deciding whether or not to toss them. The packaging date tells the consumer when the eggs have been cleaned, sorted and packaged. The item must be sold within 45 days from that date. The date after which the product is no longer good is sometimes marked instead of the date of sale.
Can you eat eggs after the expiration date?
With meat, cottage cheese, and herbs, it's pretty easy to tell if they've gone bad. Since the egg is hidden in the shell, you cannot visually and smell them. Therefore, many people throw away eggs according to the expiration date.
Even though eggs deteriorate in quality after a certain date, they can still be eaten for a few more weeks, especially if they are stored properly. Refrigeration preserves egg quality and prevents bacterial growth. Eggs are definitely bad if you smell bad, but there are a few signs that can be seen a couple of days before.
How to tell if an egg has gone bad
Smell test
The smell test is the easiest way to tell if an egg has gone bad. If the eggs are past their expiration date, you can tell if they are fresh by simply smelling them.
Step 1: Smell the egg. Eggs that have gone bad have a smell of sulfur, which is difficult to confuse with something. If there is no smell, the egg can be consumed.
Step 2: If you're unsure, break the egg onto a clean plate or bowl and sniff again. If there is an unpleasant odor, discard the egg.
Step 3: Wash bowl or plate with hot soapy water before use.
Egg in a cup method
This one step method is reliable way check if the eggs have gone bad. The shell is porous and the liquid inside evaporates over time. More air in the egg causes it to float on the surface of the liquid. Fresher eggs sink and older ones float.
Step 1: Fill a bowl with cold water and place the eggs inside. If they sink to the bottom and lie on their sides, they are fresh. If they are a few weeks old, they will sink to the bottom, but will stand in the water with their tips. If they float to the surface, they are no longer fresh enough to be eaten.
Listen to the eggs
This method is the same as above.
Step 1: Hold the egg to your ear and shake it.
Step 2: Listen. If you hear any sounds inside the egg, it has most likely gone bad. If you haven't heard anything, you can eat the egg.
Open up and sniff
You cracked an egg into a frying pan and noticed that it looked weird. Usually, most continue to cook the egg, hoping that heat treatment will save them from bacteria. Here is a way to avoid this:
Step 1: Crack an egg onto a flat surface.
Step 2: Examine the egg. If it is fresh, the yolk should be bright yellow or orange, and the white should not spread much. If the egg is old, the yolk will be paler and the white will spread quickly.
If the yolk is pale and spreading, you are more likely to smell a bad odor. Eggs should be odorless. You may not want to fry this egg, but the remaining ones in the container can be hard-boiled.
Flashlight Test
This looks more like a fun experiment for kids than a kitchen hack, but worth a try. Believe it or not, a flashlight can be used to determine the freshness of an egg or to assess the development of chicks in a fertilized egg. Since you probably don't study embryonic egg development if you're reading this article, use this method at home to find out if eggs have gone bad.
Step 1: Enter a dark room with a flashlight. Candles were used in the past, but it is more practical to use a small flashlight.
Step 2: Hold the flashlight at the larger tip. Tilt the egg by quickly flipping from left to right. This will illuminate the inside of the egg.
Step 3: Examine the contents of the egg. This will allow you to see the size of the air cell. According to the University of Florida, “Fresh eggs have an air chamber thinner than 3.175 mm. As the eggs age, air replaces the liquid that evaporates and the air pocket gets bigger.”
It's highly likely that millions of edible eggs end up in the trash every year. Lack of knowledge on how to determine the freshness of eggs leads to the fact that many simply throw them away. Of course, even if your egg passed all the tests, it needs to be thoroughly cooked before being eaten. Some eggs contain bacteria that cause digestive tract diseases such as salmonellosis. Salmonella can be present in eggs that look and smell normal, so it's important to cook them properly.
The article was prepared based on www.littlethings.com.
Eggs are a product that can be found in any refrigerator. Have you ever boiled eggs and noticed that they are spoiled? Or perhaps the packaging does not indicate the date by which the product must be consumed, is it possible to eat them at all or is it better to send them to the urn? Determining a spoiled egg is not difficult. In this article, we will tell you how to determine that an egg has gone bad, and how to determine that it can be consumed. If eggs have been in your refrigerator for a very long time, you just need to determine if they are fresh in order to eliminate deplorable situations.
PUT THE BOILED EGG INTO WATER. Dip the boiled egg immediately in cold water and cool. Otherwise, you simply cannot peel it from the shell without nerves. Before adding an egg to other foods, first break it over an empty dish and check for freshness. But you can check this in another way, simply by lowering it into a jar of salted water. The spoiled one floats, the fresh one sinks to the bottom, and the medium-fresh egg stays floating in the middle.
If you are cooking a dish and you only need protein for it, pierce the egg on both sides with a thick needle. The protein will flow out, and the yolk will remain in the shell and can even be stored in it for some time. It is best to beat the protein when it is fresh and chilled, but in no case in an aluminum pan - this will darken it. Rubbing the yolk is best when warm and together with sugar.
How to test a rotten egg
What does expiration date mean? This is the period of time when the products are the freshest, tastiest, recommended for cooking culinary dishes. It does not mean at all that after this period has passed, the eggs have deteriorated, they are simply inferior in taste to those that are fresher.
The manufacturer's code (letter and number) is indicated on the product.
Here are some little chicken egg secrets. Stop arguing which came first, the chicken or the egg. Just cook with pleasure! Every good housewife yearns for all her dishes to be irresistible and to try them all. However, such food can only be prepared with the finest and freshest ingredients. For raw materials such as vegetables or meat, you can recognize their freshness at a glance. But how do you know fresh eggs from those who are spoiled?
Most women who already have culinary experience have experienced this odorous smell when the corrupted eggs burst. If we call it an insightful fragrance, we will be very gorgeous, and it will not even tell the essence. If you never want to experience this scene as grotesque, follow our advice!
In many countries, it is customary to indicate the packing time on the eggs themselves. Because they can be sold without packaging by the piece. The manufacturer is obliged to inform about the period of consumption.
In order to avoid a temperature difference, the eggs should be in the coldest part of the refrigerator. The refrigerator door is categorically not suitable for this, because it is here that the temperature regime can fluctuate.
If you don't have a bunch of homemade eggs from your grandma and rely on those you bought, then you can't trust pretty packages but codes! Eggs are coded from zero to three, with zero eggs being the best, mostly from biochips. Animal advocates are still passionately debating whether the environment in which a chicken is having a real impact on egg quality. But if you try it yourself, you will realize that it is simply better!
For the easiest test to see if an egg is really fresh, all you need is a clear bowl of water. It's a good idea to know the freshness of an egg before you knock it! Put an egg in water, and if it lies at the bottom of the container, it's really fresh. If it lies only on the top, and the wider part floats, then it has been about a week. The problem occurs when the egg floats in water or even floats to the surface. Such an egg is either already corrupt, or soon it will be!
Do not put unwashed eggs that have lain on the table in the refrigerator. In many countries, it is customary for eggs to be kept in kitchen cabinets and not put in a refrigerator. Given that the chickens are given all the necessary vaccinations, nothing will happen to the eggs in the cabinets.
If you do not know if the eggs in your refrigerator are fresh, or there are such suspicions that they have been lying for more than 1.5 months, you need to know the signs of rotten eggs, with which you can easily determine whether these eggs can be used in cooking .
A quality egg looks like an animated movie!
The quality of an egg that you have already verified is intact will only be revealed by clicking on it. If the yolk doesn't drip, it stays in a regular circle, and the white forms a second or more regular circle, then the egg will certainly be excellent! If the whites and even the yolk run, then it's better to use the egg in the pie!
Although more and more consumers prefer to buy Czech products when shopping for food, more and more food is delivered to the Czech Republic from abroad. If we disregard the hypocrisy of that section of society that says something else and actually does something else, the barriers to realistic satisfaction of domestic food buying preference must be able to discern the origin of the food in question. But he gets around and disguised.
How to spot a rotten egg
When a boiled egg has a greenish tint, it has been boiled for too long or there is an excess of iron in the water. It can be eaten.
If you find blood spots in the egg, it can also be eaten, it is quite fresh. This does not affect the taste of the egg itself.
How to Fix Czech Eggs
The point, of course, is that the name of the company does not automatically indicate the country of origin, and this company can also sell eggs from abroad without breaking any laws. But the most common camouflage is the principle that products encapsulated in a Czech egg are products from abroad, although this is not against the law.
Which signs and logo guarantee that it is a Czech egg
Consumers, however, do not usually check the consistency of the label and the eggs themselves, and this is exactly what manufacturers use to give eggs of domestic origin the same packages of "Czech eggs" but foreign eggs, most often Polish. There are ways to learn our balls from others, but there are. One of them is the obligation to indicate the country of origin on the eggshell packaging if the payment is covered by plastic packaging. In this case, however, there is often a problem reading the letters, either because of their size or because the lettering is blurry and blurry.
How to tell if an egg is rotten or not
Ideally, if the egg is of good quality, it should be in a glass on its side.
If the egg is located in a vertical position in water, it was packed a relatively long time ago, but nevertheless it is still suitable for cooking.
A better, more visible, and therefore easier option is to move according to the log, but you need to know which ones. The guarantee of the internal origin of eggs is, on the one hand, the Regional Award for Nutrition, especially the logo "Czech product - guaranteed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry" and the logo and inscription "Regulations of the Czech Guild". In both cases, it is the visible symbol of the Czech flag. Due to the lack of general knowledge, it can be said that the logo is already used by about a third of the Czech manufacturers participating in the guild standards system and by more than sixty percent of the manufacturers on the Czech market.
An egg that is not fresh enough will not sink. It can still be used in cooking. It needs to be broken into a bowl in order to determine if it is fresh, pay attention to the protein. Eliminate that it is spoiled by smell. An egg that cannot be used is with a pungent odor.
A fresh egg will not make any sounds.
Finding freshness is so hard so far
However, the logo that identifies domestic production, to some extent replaces what is, especially for eggs, a key mark of quality, which is freshness. In addition, consumer eggs can be sold no more than twenty-eight days from the snack date and should therefore be delivered to retailers as soon as possible.
It is true that only eggs that were delivered to the store no later than four days after laying, and only eggs that were brought to the store no later than nine days after harvest, can be sold as "fresh eggs". On the 10th day after the starter, eggs can no longer be sold as retail and fresh.
When there are any sounds in the egg, this does not mean that it cannot be eaten, such an egg is quite fresh.
In an egg that is far from the first freshness, the yolk will burst very quickly.
If it floats on the protein, this is also an indicator that the egg is old and it is better not to use it in cooking.
The day after the snack, the egg was actually delivered to the respective store, but the consumer did not know at first glance. But only at first glance - part of the code that indicates the eggs - is the identification of the farm in addition to the country of origin, so you can find out when the eggs were sent to the market.
Another option is to list the day of the snack directly on the product packaging, which is also taken into account by some domestic egg producers. In addition, they urge the Department of Agriculture to have the origin of the eggs not only on their shells, but on any of their packaging under any circumstances, but it still remains only in the position of the proposal, which the Department of Agriculture has not yet officially spoken about.
Pay attention to the color of the protein itself. A white with a gray tint means that the egg is very fresh. A transparent protein indicates that the egg is not very fresh, but you can eat it and this will not affect your health in any way.
- The yolk should always be round, if it is flat - such an egg should never be used.
- Do not store eggs with the rest of the ingredients, as they will absorb odors in a very short time.
- If the egg is cracked, it must be consumed within a short period of time.
- Villagers increase the period of consumption of eggs by lubricating them with sunflower oil.
Be careful:
In any case, if the consumer prefers to buy "very fresh eggs", and if he or she still has information about the date of the snack available on egg packages, it would probably be the clearest solution to limit the possible import of eggs into our territory, simply because that transporting the eggs takes some time. Of course, this also means a higher nutritional value and quality of purchased eggs, or something that is of primary interest to the consumer, regardless of the origin of the product.
Currently, about every third egg is sold in our stores from abroad, which is not good news for our breeders and egg producers, but in terms of possible freshness even for the domestic consumer. We found out exactly what happened and why.
Children and the elderly are not recommended to eat eggs with an expired shelf life. It is not necessary to rely on the fact that eggs can be consumed for some time after the expiration of consumption, you must definitely know how to check eggs. Be careful not to harm yourself and your family. Always pay attention to the date of manufacture.
How to prevent this year's event plan? Do you like to go to the market or to the food that has been tearing the sack in recent years? And did you know that they can be legal, both professionals and people who have no idea about the necessary hygiene rules?
Gallery: Food festival checks. Professionals have this situation a lot and a lot. We had confidence in the event organized by the Prague Hygiene Station. But an amateur, he has no aisle for food, he can cook food at home, cut vegetables on the same cutting board as raw meat, and hygiene cannot. What really happened then, where did she ever miss? We have exclusive, detailed information about the events. In addition, we know what measures the organizers of the upcoming Apetit picnic have taken to prevent such horns.
Eggs are a very useful product for human nutrition. This, one might say, is a real gift from God. After all, eating one egg a day your body receives: vitamins - A, E, B, zinc, manganese, iron, calcium and proteins.
Regular consumption of eggs- This is an excellent prevention of many diseases. For example, your eyes will be protected from cataracts, the optic nerves will be strong, and the harmful effects of the environment that surrounds us on the eyes will be neutralized. Eggs are able to stimulate the body's immune system, strengthen joints and bones, and increase the efficiency of the brain. Egg white is the most valuable of all animal proteins. And, most interestingly, an egg is the only one of all foods consumed by a person that is absorbed in the body by 98%, leaving no toxins in the intestines. After that, it seems that there is nothing to object to such a magical product.
True, there is one minus that spoils the rosy picture a little. Excessive consumption of eggs can lead to high blood cholesterol, which is bad for the cardiovascular system. But, and this minus is easy to eliminate. Eggs should be consumed in moderation, along with antioxidants (dried fruits, fresh berries, fresh fruits, vegetables, red wine, and legumes), and they should be fresh.
As the hygienists found out, on another day of the amateur cook, there was no cold and hot water at the stand, gloves were not used, and the eggs were placed in an ice container. Since the day was about thirty-five degrees Celsius, the ice quickly melted, and the eggs floated in warm water all day. Some customers were surprised, even photographed, but many were buying the same dish at this stand.
But the problem wasn't just the preparation of Benedict's eggs, but the hollandaise sauce that served them. It was not properly torn apart after preparation and remained standing outside the cooling zone at the Apetit picnic. Bacteria generation time is from 20 minutes to half an hour.
Here's how to check the freshness of eggs, we will now consider in a little more detail, so that you can always be sure of the quality of the product.
There are several ways to check eggs for freshness.
- First way- simplest. Before you buy an egg, pick it up and shake it. Inside a fresh egg, you will not hear any chatter. If the egg is far from the first freshness, the yolk will hang from wall to wall in it.
- Second way- examination of the outer surface of the egg. If the egg is fresh, its surface will be matte, not smooth or shiny. An old egg will have a surface with opposite qualities.
- Third way– measurement of egg temperature. You can do this with language. How? Very simple. Attach the egg to the tongue first with the blunt end, and then unfold it and attach it with the sharp end. A stale egg will have the same temperature on both sides. And with a fresh egg, you will immediately feel the temperature difference - the blunt end will be warmer than the sharp one.
Attention! you should not check eggs in this way in a store or in the market. It can be applied at home after washing the product thoroughly.
The amateur had two hundred and twenty servings of bread, roast pork, hollandaise sauce, and eggs covered in a semi-liquid yolk. Three days after the event, several suggestions were received from people who took part in the Apetite picnic and who complained of similar problems - diarrhea, fever, chills, stomach cramps. This has been linked to the consumption of Benedict's eggs. The number of patients suddenly rose to one to twenty-four.
On the side of hygiene, the above facts were also investigated, as well as financial sanctions. That you should always keep an eye on the counter, whether you're an amateur or a professional dealer? Visitors to one-time culinary events should, especially during the summer, have a good overview of the cleanliness and quality of the booth, including attendant staff and booth, i.e. the nearest quarter. Insufficient appearance, irritability and lack of cleanliness indicate an operator's lack of respect for hygiene requirements and a clear signal not to buy it, says Jan Jarolimek.
- Fourth way- home. Make a saline solution in a glass and dip the egg into it. Now draw a conclusion: if the egg sank to the very bottom, this is the freshest product. If the blunt end of the egg lifts up, forming an angle of 45 ° with respect to the bottom of the glass, the egg is about eight or ten days old. If the egg stands upright at the bottom, blunt end up, it is twelve to fourteen days old. In the case of a floating egg, everything is already clear, this is not a fresh egg, and it is already more than fifteen days old.
- Fifth way- dietary. Eggs on farms must be sorted and labeled before being sold. Fresher eggs, dietary ones, should be marked with the date of their release on the counter, and older eggs (which are already seven to twenty days old) are table eggs, they are simply stamped in blue.
- Sixth way- determination of egg weight. If the egg is old, there will be more air in it as it dries out, hence it will be very light.
- Seventh way- ultraviolet. Yes, you can determine the freshness of eggs using ultraviolet rays. A fresh egg has a bright red hue, while aging eggs fade to a pale lilac hue.
- Eighth way- cleaning boiled eggs. Once the egg is cooked, start peeling it. Fresh eggs are very difficult to peel, while older ones give the shell without problems.
Well, that seems to be it. Now you are learned, and you will no longer fall for the cunning tricks of sellers and egg producers.
Every week you bring home huge packages with a variety of products presented on the shelves of markets and supermarkets. On the one hand, this makes your life much easier, and on the other hand, it complicates it, because not everyone can constantly keep in mind the expiration date of all this gastronomic variety. Remember how often you opened the refrigerator door and wondered: “How long have these products been there?” We are sure that this problem is familiar to many people firsthand. This is especially true for eggs. Despite the fact that this is a very delicate product, its appearance does not change over time, and therefore it is almost impossible to determine the freshness of an egg “by eye”. Of course, it's no secret to anyone that you can break an egg and try to determine its freshness by smell, but there are other ways. Here are some ways to check the freshness of eggs:
1. Submerge the eggs in water
Place the eggs in a deep bowl of cold water. If they remain lying on the bottom in a horizontal position, then they are very fresh. Eggs, slightly raised with an obtuse angle upwards, are no longer the first freshness, but can still be used in the preparation of hot dishes. Eggs that float to the surface are spoiled and should not be eaten! We recommend that you get rid of them as soon as possible.
Eggs float to the surface because, over time, the moisture inside evaporates through the shell and the resulting "free" space is replaced by air. The more air inside the egg, the higher it floats. And, of course, the older it is.
2. Check the white and yolk
Break one of the eggs and pay attention to the condition of the yolk and protein. If the yolk is convex, and the protein is viscous and tightly gathered around the yolk, the egg is very fresh. However, if the yolk is flat and the protein is liquid, this is a sign of a stale egg.
Cause: over time, protein chains (different substances associated with each other) break up, in connection with this, in an old egg, the yolk and protein do not adhere tightly together.
3. Shake the egg
If, when shaking, you do not hear extraneous sounds, then you can safely eat the egg - it is fresh. If at the same time bursts or squelching are heard, it means that air has got inside the egg and expanded the natural air bubble. This egg is not to be eaten.
4. Pay attention to the expiration date
On the packaging of eggs there is always information about the expiration date, which should be paid close attention. The supplier guarantees that the product will remain fresh if the storage rules are followed. As a rule, eggs can be eaten for some time after the expiration date, but before that it is strongly recommended to check their freshness by the methods described above.
When eating eggs, special attention must be paid to hygiene. Pay attention to the following recommendations:
- Buy only fresh eggs and use them before the expiration date.
- Store eggs in the refrigerator - at temperatures below 6 ° C, Salmonella bacteria do not multiply. At room temperature, their number increases. Please note that subsequent cooling will not save the situation.
- When cooking with raw eggs, use only very fresh eggs.
- Boil the eggs for at least 5 minutes in boiling water.
- If the eggs have expired, then for some time they can still be eaten, but only if carefully prepared. Salmonella bacteria are killed at 70°C.
- If the shell of the egg is damaged, then it must be cooked immediately. It is no longer possible to store such a product.
Where is the best place to store eggs in a Liebherr refrigerator?
Eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 15 days. In the zone of freshness
We buy eggs in the market or in the supermarket. Unfortunately, it is impossible to check this product for freshness right at the counter, you have to trust the stickers with the expiration date. And only at home you can understand whether fresh eggs were bought or not.
It is simply impossible to determine the freshness of eggs, which is called “by eye”. This product can lie for a long time at room temperature and no external manifestations are imperceptible. Often, buyers ask the seller how fresh the eggs are and the answer is always the same: “Fresh eggs, take them.” You can check whether the egg is really fresh by breaking it and understanding the freshness by its characteristic smell. If it is repulsive, then the egg is spoiled. But breaking eggs all in a row is not included in our plans, so we will check the freshness of eggs in other ways.
How to check the freshness of eggs in water
Take a large container, such as a saucepan. You need to pour cold water into it directly from the tap (no more than 10 cm), and then place the eggs in it. You can take turns in order not to get confused and determine the freshness of each product sequentially.
How to understand the freshness of eggs:
- If the eggs fell to the bottom and do not float to the top, then you are lucky - you bought the eggs fresh, fresh.
- If you see that the eggs are slightly raised with a blunt tip up, then this means that the eggs are no longer very fresh. They can still be used, but not fresh, but to cook hot dishes (pastries, scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs).
- If the eggs float, then they are definitely spoiled and such a product is generally forbidden to be eaten. These eggs must be discarded immediately. Do you know why it happens that the egg floats to the surface in the water? Every day the moisture gradually evaporates and this space fills with air. The older the product, the more air it contains and therefore the eggs will float.
There is also a similar way to check eggs, you need to pour salt into the water to make the solution concentrated. You also need to lower the eggs and see: if they lie at the bottom, then the “age” of such a product is approximately from 2 to 7 days. If the egg rises with a blunt end, and the sharp one remains “glued” to the bottom, then such a product is approximately 10 days old. If the eggs float in a saline solution, then such eggs are already about 2 weeks old. If the eggs float to the surface of the salt solution and “stick out” of it, then such eggs are forbidden to be eaten, they are not fresh.
Other Ways to Check Eggs for Freshness
An egg can be broken if one of the eggs tested in water floats up, and then examine the protein and yolk. These components look like this:
- if the protein is liquid, and the yolk has become flat, then the egg is not fresh;
- if the protein is dense and viscous, and the yolk is convex, then the egg is fresh.
Another way to check eggs for freshness: you just need to shake the egg, if you didn’t hear anything, then the eggs can be safely eaten if you hear a “squish” or splash, as well as any other sound, this means that there is air inside, which means This egg is no longer fresh and should not be eaten.
About the expiration date and rules for storing eggs
The manufacturer always indicates the expiration date of the product on the packaging. If the eggs were stored correctly, in compliance with all the rules, then they will be fresh.
What to look for when buying eggs:
- You need to buy fresh eggs, so pay attention to the expiration date of the product. If expired, don't risk it.
- You need to store the eggs in a cold place - in the refrigerator at a temperature not higher than +6 ° C. If you keep the eggs at home on the table, they will deteriorate faster.
- Boil the eggs for at least 5 minutes.
- If the expiration date has expired, then these eggs can be eaten, but only on condition that the eggs were stored in the refrigerator and you need to cook such a product at a sufficiently high temperature (from +70 ° C).
- If you see that the egg has burst, then it is forbidden to store it. It is desirable to prepare something from such a product.
How to find out if an egg is spoiled immediately after purchase or at home? Mikhail
The chicken egg is an important and valuable product of the human diet. Housewives love to use it as the main component of various dishes. And they want this product to be always fresh and of high quality.
Chicken eggs are a popular food product that satisfies the feeling of hunger well, because it has an increased calorie content. One eaten a day becomes an indispensable source of calcium, protein, iron, vitamins of groups B, E, A, and the most valuable trace elements.
Eggs can be checked for freshness immediately after purchase, or a simple test at home before use, after they have been in the refrigerator for a while. To determine whether you are buying fresh eggs in the market or in a store, you must first carefully examine the surface of the shell. Recently laid chicken eggs will have a matte, non-shiny surface.
Older specimens have a glossier and smoother surface. The method is not always relevant, since dishonest sellers can sometimes wash the product before selling, which has a positive effect on the state of its appearance.
In case of difference, the seller could mix fresh and older copies. Another method is shaking the eggs. It is possible to check their condition in this way when buying in order to identify a "talker" - a product that is no longer suitable for consumption. Because if the specimen has been lying for a long time, its insides have dried up and hang out inside the shell.
How to check at home
Sometimes eggs are stored in the refrigerator for a long time. Before preparing any dish, the hostess needs to determine the freshness of the eggs. So it’s really safe to protect your health and loved ones so that dangerous food poisoning does not become the result of using a stale product.
We will not describe the complex methods of how to check the degree of lying eggs, which are associated with the use of ultraviolet radiation or temperature measurements. Let's dwell on the simplest and most affordable ways.
water way
How to check the freshness of eggs with ordinary water? To do this, place them in a container with liquid, poured about 10 cm, and observe. Normal product will quickly go under the water and stay at the bottom. One that has been stored for a week or more will float to the surface with a blunt end. In a situation where it drifts easily on the surface, you can be sure that it is at least 2 weeks old.
When the egg is on the surface, like a fishing rod float, it is advised to get rid of it. He must have been at least a month old. In addition to plain water, it is permissible to use a saline solution. To prepare it at home, it is enough to dissolve a tablespoon of salt in 500 ml of water. There is no need to strictly observe the proportions, since it has been practically proven that old eggs will be on the surface in the shortest possible time, even if they are immersed in a liquid without salt.
It is easy to explain - under the shell there is a shell of two layers, capable of transmitting light, liquid and air. In the blunt part of the testicle there is a fugue - an empty air particle. It is necessary for the embryo during development - through it the process of gas exchange occurs. The size of the fugue increases in proportion to the shelf life of the product.
Bacteria that provoke decay also pass through this shell. After the hen lays the egg, it ceases to be sterile. The smell of a rotten product is also specific - it is the aroma of hydrogen sulfide. Eggs float to the surface, because the gases that accumulate in spoiled specimens have a lower density.
shaking
In order to determine the freshness of eggs in the following way, each of them is advised to first squeeze so that you can then feel any vibrational movements inside. Then it is gently shaken so as not to damage the shell. An unspoiled egg will not give any unusual sensations, you will not feel vibrations inside, because it is complete.
If, when squeezed tightly in your hand and shaken, something inside the egg dangles and rolls, you can be sure that such a product is unsuitable for human consumption. He is also popularly called a "talker", because it creates the feeling that something is hanging inside him. Shaking has one significant drawback - it does not make it possible to find out the shelf life of the egg and the specific degree of its suitability for consumption. It only allows you to select those specimens that are better to refuse to use for food.
translucence
You can check the suitability of an egg by shining it with a source with a power of about 100 watts. The transillumination method allows you to see the pugu located at the blunt end. If it is not there, the product is unspoiled. The puge does not tend to appear immediately; time must pass during which moisture evaporates, and the contents under the shell thicken. In a dietary type of product, the scare should not be more than 4 mm, and in a regular dining room - 8 - 9 mm.
A dietary specimen should have a uniform and dense yolk in consistency. When the product is translucent, the yolk should be visible in the center of each instance. In a table product, the yolk may be located somewhat to the side. But if it is close to the surface of the shell, it is better not to use such an egg for eating. When examining the product, you can sometimes see bloody inclusions.
If they are very small, then they are considered quite normal. If the drops of blood form a ring, set aside such a product, it is unusable. If blood got inside during the formation of the product, then the protein will have a pinkish tint, and the yolk will be orange-red. If dark spots are clearly visible when translucent, then pathogenic microbes began to actively multiply under the shell.
Video "Checking the freshness of eggs"
This video shows an easy way to test chicken eggs for freshness at home.
When buying chicken, you need to be able to choose it correctly, because not only how tasty the dish will turn out (for example, chicken cooked in air grill), but also the health of you and your loved ones depends on the quality of the product. Agree, it is not very pleasant to be poisoned by stale meat.
How to determine the freshness of a chicken
Therefore, every hostess, first of all, should know How to determine the freshness of a chicken. This will be discussed in this article.
Signs of stale chicken
1. Smell. This is the most important and basic criterion for determining freshness. Always trust your sense of smell and it won't let you down. Smell the chicken and determine if you smell sweet-sweet, sour, or putrid. If the chicken is already expired and has begun to deteriorate, it will smell of dampness and mold, but if it frankly smells of rot, then it’s really bad - such a chicken only has a place in a trash can.
2. Color. The chicken that has already begun to deteriorate becomes grayish or grayish-green in color. Small purple spots can often be found near the bird's anus. Remember that in fresh, high-quality chicken, the meat always has a delicate light pink color, and the skin may be slightly moist, with a yellowish tint. You can easily figure out what to eat chicken with if it is initially fresh and healthy.
3. Skin surface. Fresh chicken should be smooth and firm to the touch. If you want to check the freshness of the meat, then press it lightly so that a small indentation forms. If the meat quickly returned to its original state, and the dent disappeared, then you have fresh chicken in front of you. Chicken that has expired or is nearing its expiration date has loose meat, and the dent you made will remain on the surface, and such chicken is unpleasant, sticky and slimy to the touch.
How to choose a quality product
The chicken should be not only fresh, but also of high quality, not treated with third-party chemicals and not old. Try not to buy frozen chicken, as more often than not, manufacturers or sellers give it a "water injection", that is, they simply pump water into it from a syringe. As a result, the weight of the chicken increases by up to 40%. When defrosting such a product, you will find that the actual weight of the meat is much less, moreover, such a chicken is practically devoid of nutrients.
When buying a whole carcass, pay attention to the bird's beak - it should be dry, elastic and slightly glossy. The mouth should be slightly shiny, pink and have no unpleasant odor.
You can find out whether young or old chicken is sold to you by paws. In a young bird, they are soft, whitish in color with veins and small scales. The paws of an old chicken are distinguished by roughness, a yellow tint and large scales. Also, age can be determined by the brisket. In a young individual, the tip of the sternum is cartilaginous and easily bendable, as it has not yet ossified.
Avoid purchasing chicken that has a strong chlorine smell, as it is likely past its expiration date. The fact is that manufacturers often treat chicken carcasses with chlorine (by law, the allowable amount of chlorine should be no more than 0.004%) to increase the shelf life. If the carcass has a strong smell of this chemical, then the manufacturers have added more chlorine than usual in order to keep the shelf life as long as possible. As you understand, such a chicken cannot be eaten.
When going shopping and intending to buy poultry meat, always remember how to determine the freshness of the chicken in order to buy a really good product. Feel free to inspect and feel the chicken in the store, because your health depends on how good the product is.
Eggs are the basis for preparing various dishes, which every hostess knows about. In addition, they provide the body with many nutrients. But to get such an effect, you need to use only fresh products. Otherwise, you can cause serious harm to health. To protect yourself from negative consequences, you need to figure out how to check the freshness of eggs before buying and at home.
What are the dangers of stale and rotten eggs
The danger of such products lies in the likelihood of salmonella infection, which provokes food poisoning and the development of salmonellosis. This disease is quite dangerous and in the absence of timely treatment can lead to death. But this only applies to chicken eggs. Quails lay at a temperature of 40 ̊С, and in these conditions the bacteria that cause salmonellosis do not survive.
But the following danger is typical for both types of eggs, since, regardless of origin, they are a source of allergens. But if at the dietary stage (up to 7 days after demolition) the likelihood of an undesirable reaction of the body is minimal, then as the shelf life increases, it increases.
Important! Stale eggs often provoke allergic reactions.
How long does the product stay fresh?
For better storage of eggs, certain conditions should be provided.
Only fresh products can be useful for our body. To protect yourself from possible negative consequences, you should understand the optimal shelf life of eggs.
Table: terms and conditions for storing eggs at home
Checking freshness in the store
In a store or market, you can check the external data and sound
You can determine the degree of freshness of eggs in a store or market by visual signs, smell and sound. Start by inspecting the shell: in a fresh product, it has a rough and matte surface. This applies to both chicken and quail eggs. Spoiled ones will have a noticeable shine.
Important! The presence of cracks or other damage on the surface is unacceptable.
Next, take the egg in your hand and shake it. You should not hear any sounds while doing this. If the egg gurgles, you should refrain from acquiring it. The shell of a fresh product has an odor reminiscent of lime. If it is missing, it is likely that the eggs have been stored for quite a long time. Their shell intensively absorbs the odors of the surrounding products.
Important! If the smell of hydrogen sulfide emanates from the product, this indicates the process of protein decay, that is, the egg is already rotten.
If there is an electronic scale in the store, the suitability of the product for consumption can be determined by weight. The mass of fresh chicken eggs ranges from 35 to 75 g, depending on the category, quail eggs - 12 g. Lower weight indicators indicate their depravity.
Eggs that are too light in weight are spoiled
You can also check using a special device - an ovoscope, which is designed to translucent eggs. The location of the yolk in the center indicates the freshness of the product. If there are dark areas near the protein, this indicates that the egg has been lying for a week or two, but at the same time it is suitable for consumption. Spoiled products do not shine through at all.
Using an ovoscope will give the most accurate result.
Home methods for determining suitability
There are several ways to ensure the freshness of products at home. They are suitable for both quail and chicken eggs.
into the light
- Hold the egg up to a 100 watt or more lamp and examine it. If you notice an air gap between the shell and the film located under it, then the product is not quite fresh. The allowable size of the pug (this is the name of this formation) is 9 mm and 4 mm (for chicken and quail eggs, respectively). If the layer is more than these indicators, they should not be used.
- Note also the presence of drops of blood. Point and mobile formations are harmless, they occur when the chicken oviduct is damaged. But if you see a blood ring, which is the circulatory system of a dead fetus, you cannot use the product.
- The multiplication of microorganisms leads to the formation of dark spots. They can also be detected by translucent eggs. The use of such products is permissible after heat treatment. But it is better not to risk and throw away these eggs.
- If you have an ultraviolet lamp at home, try it in action. Enlighten the product and carefully examine the color of the contents. A fresh chicken and quail egg should have a rich red hue, while a spoiled one should have a lavender or gray tint.
We use water
A spoiled egg will rise up
To check with the following method, you will need a glass, which must be filled with water to a level of at least 10 cm. A deep bowl is also suitable. Dip the egg into the container and watch its position. If it sinks to the bottom, then the product is fresh, and if it floats, it is unusable.
Important! A fresh quail egg will sink to the bottom, while lying sideways.
A chicken egg with an expiration date will sink to the bottom with one end, and the other will be located on top. It must be consumed in the near future and only in boiled form or used for baking.
Important! Some housewives add salt to the water, being of the opinion that such a solution will provide a more accurate result. But this method is not very efficient.
Video: water test master class
Visual inspection of content
Crack the egg onto a flat plate. Without fear, you can use a product with a convex round yolk and protein that retains its shape. A spoiled egg begins to spread.
If the yolk has acquired a bright orange color, blood has got into it at the formation stage. Do not refuse such eggs: after heat treatment, they become safe. They are used to make pancakes, pancakes, cutlets.
Important! In a spoiled egg, the protein becomes liquid, and the yolk becomes flat.
On the left is a fresh egg (thick protein and convex yolk), and on the right is a stale one (because it has no shape and spreads)
Alternative ways
Pay attention to the labeling. If the eggs contain the date of its application, they are classified as dietary, that is, they were laid no more than 7 days ago. The absence of this information indicates that the product belongs to the table type. These are eggs that are already stored for 7-25 days.
Important! Another way is to check by determining the temperature of the egg using the tongue. The product is applied alternately with a sharp and blunt end. The spoilage of the egg is indicated by the same temperature at both ends. In a fresh product, the sharp edge is colder than the dull one. But this method cannot be called reliably effective.
What to do if already welded
Fresh eggs after cooking smell good and are difficult to peel.
Determining how fresh a boiled egg is is also quite simple:
- It needs to be cleaned first . The shell is removed from a fresh egg with difficulty, it is easily separated from a stale product.
- Then cut it. The presence of dark blue or green spots on the yolk is a sign that the egg is stale.
- Also here you can apply the method that is used for raw eggs and smell them. If there is a smell of hydrogen sulfide, the use of such a product in food must be discarded.
Video: how to avoid buying a spoiled quail egg
Compliance with simple recommendations will help to avoid using a stale product. To eliminate the possibility of harmful bacteria in food, be sure to wash the egg before using it. This advice is especially relevant if there are remains of blood, feathers or droppings on the surface of the shell. And in the process of preparing the dish, first break the product into a plate and make sure that there are no impurities and unwanted odors.
People who at least sometimes go into the kitchen to not only eat, but also cook something, notice useful little things over time. For example, that eggs do not float during cooking, but lie on the bottom. Therefore, the vague suspicions that arise when a raw egg floats in water are not unfounded.
What is there inside?
The difficulties of determining the freshness of such a product when buying are obvious. Especially in supermarkets, where eggs are often sold in closed, opaque packaging. But everything becomes clear when we bring them home and start cooking. If at the same time you have to break them, then the following signs should alert you:
- The smell of hydrogen sulfide.
- Opaque white.
- When broken into a pan or bowl, the yolk immediately spreads.
But how do you test the freshness of an egg without breaking it? Just immerse in water. If the egg floats in the water, it is spoiled or stale.
Why does a spoiled egg float?
Contrary to popular belief, an egg is not hermetic at all. The shell has pores so that the chick can breathe. But in addition to oxygen, microorganisms also penetrate through them. As a result of the vital activity of some of them, putrefactive processes develop and gases are released. If an egg floats in water, it means that a lot of gases have accumulated in it, which are lighter than water.
By the way, even if there are no harmful microorganisms inside that cause rotting and an unpleasant odor, the old egg will still float. Air gradually accumulates between the protein and shell membranes on the blunt side. For the same reason, a stale egg is very light.
By the way, this is why it is recommended to store eggs with the blunt end up so that the yolk does not come into contact with the air chamber. And it is better not to put them in a compartment in the refrigerator door, as its frequent opening leads to the fact that they deteriorate faster.
If the egg does not fully float
When, when immersed in water, the egg immediately goes to the bottom and takes a horizontal position, then we have a very fresh product. But over time, the chemical processes occurring inside change the consistency of the protein and yolk, making them more liquid. Therefore, if the egg floats in the water with a blunt end up, then it is about a week old. So, you can still eat it. If it takes a vertical position, then it is about 2-3 weeks old. An egg that is more than a month old floats completely and cannot be eaten.
deceptive salt
Knowledgeable people add a little salt when boiling eggs so that accidentally broken eggs do not leak out. Therefore, it should be noted that if you first added salt to the water, then the correct definition of freshness will be in question. The fact is that salt increases. If an egg floats in water that has previously been salted, this does not necessarily mean that it is stale. But if it lies horizontally even in salt water, then there can be no fresh product.
How to determine the quality of eggs in the store
So that it does not happen that all three dozen eggs bought suddenly surface, you should try to determine their freshness when buying.
- Look It must be borne in mind that the class of the product must be indicated on the packaging. There are diet eggs that are stored for no more than 8 days, and there are canteen eggs (blue print), which we most often buy. Their maximum shelf life is a month. There is also a class of long-term ones. They can be kept in the refrigerator for about six months, but these are rarely found in stores.
- Examine the surface. The shell should be matte and slightly rough. It is smooth and shiny only in stale eggs.
- Weigh the egg in your hand. If it is old, it will be very light in weight.
- Shake the egg. When it is fresh, the yolk does not move inside. This means that you will not feel that something is hanging in the shell, and you will not hear any sounds when shaking.
Well, now we have figured out what's what, and realized that if the egg floats completely in the water, then it is stale, or even rotten. However, a boiled egg may float up, mistakenly placed next to raw ones, but such confusion rarely occurs. Therefore, it is better not to save on health and throw away a stale product.
It can be quite difficult for many housewives to answer the question of when the eggs stored in the refrigerator were purchased. Not to mention the fact that it is not known how long they lay in the store. Therefore, the question of how to check eggs for freshness often becomes very relevant. This article will cover all the subtleties of identifying "old" eggs and talk about how to conduct simple but effective freshness tests.
Checking chicken eggs for freshness at home
Eggs are considered a valuable source of trace elements and vitamins. “Chicken caviar” is used as an independent dish or various dishes are prepared on its basis.
But if fresh this product only benefits the body, then eating spoiled eggs can lead to poisoning, which leads to serious health problems, even death.
You can identify a product that has been stored for a long time even in a supermarket.
So, the freshness of eggs is determined by the following criteria:
- Surface structure. The shell of fresh eggs is matte and slightly rough to the touch. Old ones will stand out with a glossy sheen and turn out to be smooth.
- Smell. The eggshell has the ability to absorb the smells of surrounding objects, like a sponge. If fresh food smells of lime, then over time they will attract extraneous aromas.
- Sound and vibration level when shaking. If you bring a raw chicken egg to your ear and shake it slightly, in the case when it is fresh, there will be no extraneous sounds. Gurgling and vibration occur if the product has been stored for a long time.
- Product weight. If a fresh egg weighs from 55 to 70 g, then as a result of long-term storage, this figure will decrease.
- View of the egg in the light. If possible, you need to bring the egg to a window or lighting fixture. When the product is fresh, it will be perfectly visible, in addition, there are no dark blotches inside. And the "air chamber", located in the wide part of the egg, will be barely noticeable. The longer the product is stored, the greater this formation.
- Reaction to spin. If there is a flat horizontal surface near the counter, place an egg on it and spin it with your fingers. A fresh product will quickly stop its movement, and the one that has been stored for a long time, just like the boiled one, will wrap itself in a “top”.
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