1. The Float Test (Water Test) – Most Reliable Home Method
This is one of the oldest and most accurate techniques, and it’s incredibly easy to do.
Steps:
- Fill a bowl or container with cold water—deep enough to completely submerge the egg.
- Gently place the egg into the water.
What it means:
- Lays flat on the bottom: Extremely fresh—ideal for any use.
- Stands upright (still touching bottom): Still good, but not at peak freshness. Best used for baking or hard-boiling.
- Floats to the top: This indicates the egg is old. Air has built up inside the shell. Discard it.
Why it works:
As eggs age, moisture and carbon dioxide inside the egg evaporate through the porous shell, and air takes its place. This makes older eggs more buoyant.
2. Crack and Inspect
Once you crack an egg, freshness becomes pretty obvious.
What to look for:
- Fresh egg: Thick, slightly cloudy egg white that stays close to the yolk. The yolk is round, firm, and sits tall.
- Older egg: Runny, watery white that spreads across the pan. The yolk may flatten or even break easily.
Cloudiness in the white is actually a sign of freshness, as it indicates the presence of carbon dioxide that hasn’t yet escaped.
3. Sniff Test
Your nose is a powerful freshness detector.
- Fresh eggs have a neutral smell.
- Bad eggs have a strong, unpleasant odor (sulfur or rotten smell), whether raw or cooked. If it smells off, throw it away—no exceptions.
4. Check the Julian Date (for Store-Bought Eggs)
Cartons often have a Julian date, a 3-digit number indicating the day of the year the eggs were packed (e.g., 001 = January 1, 365 = December 31).
- Eggs are usually good for 3–5 weeks beyond this date if refrigerated properly.
- If the pack date is over 45 days ago, the eggs are likely near or past their prime.
5. Candle the Egg (More Advanced)
This method is often used by farmers to inspect egg quality without cracking them open.
How to do it:
- Hold the egg in a dark room up to a bright light (like a flashlight).
- You should be able to see the air cell and the outline of the yolk.
Fresh eggs have a small air cell and the contents don’t move much when tilted.
Older eggs show a larger air cell and more internal movement.
This method takes practice, but it’s useful if you’re handling large batches.
6. Shake Test (Less Common)
Hold the egg near your ear and shake it gently.
- Fresh eggs don’t make much sound.
- Old eggs may make a sloshing sound due to the thinning of the egg white.
This method is less reliable but can be used as a quick secondary check.
Final Tip: Storage Matters
- Always store eggs in the fridge, ideally in their original carton to reduce moisture loss and odor absorption.
- Keep them with the pointed end down to help preserve the air cell at the top and keep the yolk centered.