In simplest terms, this is because an egg has gone bad when the pores on its shell begin to allow too much air (and thus bacteria) inside. However, if the egg floats to the surface, it is old and should be discarded. “I probably wouldn’t cook it sunny side up," says Donovan, "but I would still scramble it or bake with it.” If the egg stands up on its end or even floats slightly, it’s a little past peak freshness, but should still be edible. If the egg sinks to the bottom it’s very fresh and should be good to use. When you’re dealing with an older egg that looks fine on the outside, and you want to avoid a big stink, try this: Place your egg in a glass or bowl filled with cold water. Yaoinlove // Getty Images Using the Water Test to Determine an Egg's Freshness “Eggs are porous, and this layer prevents bacteria from getting in.” Once the bloom has been washed away, however, eggs require refrigeration for protection. There is some farm science behind this: “When eggs are laid, they come out with a protective layer on them called the bloom,” says Donovan. Once they’re rinsed-only necessary if the eggs are covered in dirt or chicken droppings-they’ll need to go straight into cooler temps, where they can wait out the rest of their shelf life. If you’re sourcing eggs straight from your own chickens, Donovan says they’ll stay good for up to two weeks on your kitchen counter or otherwise unrefrigerated if left unwashed. (“Store-bought eggs will already be older because of shipping,” she explains-hence the shorter shelf life.) Donovan, however, gives a slightly longer shelf life-six weeks in the fridge for farm-fresh eggs, and four weeks in the fridge for eggs from a grocery store. Per the FDA, for the best quality, you should use eggs within three weeks of their purchase date. Read on for her insight into how long eggs really last, along with easy tricks and strategies for telling a bad egg from a good one. For the best tips, we turned to Brittany Donovan of Horse Shoe Ranch, a Pennsylvania farm home to almost 2,000 pasture-raised hens. Luckily, even if the carton with the expiration date is long gone, or, for those lucky enough to have their own backyard coops, you never had a carton in the first place, there’s more than one way to tell if an egg is still good to use. We’ve all been there: You’re about to whip up a hearty breakfast (or maybe gathering ingredients for a homemade cake!), when you reach into the fridge for the eggs and… can’t quite remember how long they’ve been sitting there.
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