5 Ways To Tell If Your Eggs Are Still Safe To Eat

Eggs are an interesting food. Unlike veggies or fruit, you can’t usually tell whether eggs are still good to eat just by looking at them. If they’re in a shell, and the Best Buy date was a few days ago, you might wonder if they’re still safe to eat. Here are a few ways you can tell!

1. Sell-By Date

Eggs are safe to eat for three to five weeks after they’ve been refrigerated. The Sell By date is typically within that period, which means eggs a few days older than that date are still safe to eat. Just be sure to store Chino Valley Ranchers' eggs in a refrigerator at 40°F or lower to maintain their freshness.

2. Egg Float

This is a test your kids will enjoy doing. Fill a bowl at least five inches deep with water and place the egg in it. If the egg drops to the bottom, it is fresh and safe to eat. If one end of the egg seems to float a bit, the egg is still safe to eat, just not as fresh. However, if the egg floats completely and doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl, it is no longer safe to eat.

3. Candling

Did you know you could use a flashlight or other light source to see through an eggshell? Place a light near the large end of the egg and look for air pockets. If you see any, the egg isn’t fresh. The larger the air pocket, the older the egg.

An air pocket grows because moisture in the egg has escaped through tiny pores in the shell, allowing air to come in. This indicates that the egg isn’t as fresh, but not necessarily unsafe to eat.

4. Sniff Test

Hard-boiled eggs can be sniffed to see if they’re still safe to eat. If they smell strange, just throw them out and get a fresh carton of Chino Valley Ranchers' eggs.

5. Egg White Test

Crack one egg on a flat plate and take a look at the egg white. If you see any hints of pink or green, this indicates the egg is longer fresh or safe to eat.