In the kitchen, it is difficult to do without such an important and sometimes irreplaceable ingredient as an egg. Housewives use it to prepare various dishes, for example, cutlets, salads, sandwiches. Also, many people like to eat boiled eggs as an independent snack. You can’t even talk about scrambled eggs or an omelette for breakfast, since these are traditional things. In short, this product is very popular and in demand. However, probably everyone at least once faced a situation when eggs have been lying in the refrigerator for some time or even outside it. And then a reasonable question arises about whether they can be eaten. So that unnecessary doubts do not arise, you need to know how to determine a rotten egg or not. This skill will protect against poisoning, spoiled food and subsequent health problems.
By smell
Determining the freshness of a product by smell is one of the most accurate ways. Although the human sense of smell is not as accurate as, for example, some of our smaller brothers, it will still be able to suggest the right decision.
Take out the egg and smell it first without breaking it. If you already smell a suspicious aroma, then most likely the product is spoiled. But to make sure of this, get a deep bowl and break the shell. Pour the contents of the egg into a plate and smell again. If you smell the unpleasant smell of hydrogen sulfide, then do not even think of cooking any food from this egg. If the smell is not so sharp, but still alarms you, you can consult with a relative or loved one who is at home at the moment. Let them also smell the egg and express their opinion about its freshness.
Of course, this method cannot be called one hundred percent effective. Many factors affect the result. Yes, if you are sick and have a stuffy nose, your sense of smell may be inaccurate. The same applies to cases when something is already being prepared in the kitchen, and therefore many aromas are mixed in the air. Because of this, you can misperceive the smell of the egg and make the wrong conclusion. In this case, ventilate the room, wait a couple of minutes and smell the contents of the egg again. If you still don’t like the smell, then don’t risk it and go to the store for new ingredients.
Examine the shell
When buying, pay attention to the condition and appearance of the shells. Feel free to open the packages and inspect the eggs. As a rule, most packages are made of cardboard or foam, they are easy to open without any deformation or damage.
First, assess the overall appearance of all the shells. They should be clean, even, without chips and cracks. If there are traces of droppings and dirt on the shell, give preference to another manufacturer. Sticky dirt of various nature indicates non-compliance with the rules of basic hygiene at the poultry factory. You should not buy a product that was manufactured in poor conditions.
Importantly! See how the eggs look from above and from the sides. Also, lift each testicle to check for cracks and holes. Do not buy broken eggs, even if there is a big discount on them. Harmful bacteria and various infections can enter the product through the holes. The desire to buy food cheaper can cost you medicine and trips to the doctor.
But even good, clean and whole eggs must be washed before cooking. Wipe them with a sponge dipped in soapy water and rinse under running warm water. Then wipe dry with a kitchen towel, and then you can start cooking. If you don’t plan to cook something right away, you don’t need to wash the eggs beforehand. This way, you will remove the protective film, and then the risk of bacteria entering the eggs during storage will increase.
Shake and listen to the sounds
Another effective way is to shake the egg in your hand, listening carefully to the sounds that come from it. The fact is that a fresh egg should not make any sounds. But the rotten product will slosh. This is due to the fact that the liquid evaporates from the egg when poached. The yolk and protein gradually dry out, and the space inside increases. When shaking, the yolk and white will move and hit the walls of the chambers. It is this movement that will create the sloshing sound. Such ingredients cannot be bought.
Be careful when checking the product in the store. Do not shake the eggs too vigorously to avoid accidentally breaking or crushing them. Otherwise, you will have to pay the store for spoiling the goods. Although the cost of eggs does not exceed 20-30 hryvnias, there is still no need to spoil your mood and spend extra money.
Check for light with a lamp
Checking the contents of the egg for light will help you determine if it is rotten or not. You can check both indoors and outdoors. The necessary condition is sunny weather or the power of lighting devices is at least 100 W.
Hold the egg up to the light or point a table lamp at it. The following signs will tell if the egg is spoiled:
- the yolk is strongly shifted to the right or left side;
- the contours of the chick embryo are clearly visible;
- the presence of a blood ring around the yolk;
- there are multiple blood clots;
- the protein is colored pink or has dark spots.
All the listed signs indicate that the egg is stale and dangerous bacteria have dissolved in it. Throw away such a product or do not buy it.
Importantly! In a fresh egg, the yolk will be located in the center or its displacement will be extremely slight. There should not be any blood clots inside, let alone a clear blood ring. Protein should be exclusively white, without a pink tint.
Check the white and yolk
If you are going to cook something with eggs, you will need to break them. At the same time, you can check their freshness. Prepare a deep bowl and break the product into it. You need to assess the condition of the white and yolk. First of all, pay attention to the integrity of the content. If the white and yolk immediately separated from each other, this indicates that they are not fresh for the first time. The liquid should pour out uniformly and collect evenly at the bottom of the bowl. If the liquid has spread to the bottom, and it also has a liquid structure, then it is better to drain such an egg and not cook it.
Characteristics of the yolk indicating spoilage:
- the yolk is flat;
- bursts quickly;
- freely separated from the protein.
Importantly! The color of the yolk will not help you determine the food suitability of the product. The fact is that the color of this element depends on the breed of the bird and its diet. The rich orange color of the yolk, golden and pale yellow color is allowed.
What to pay attention to when examining protein:
- color – ideally it should be smoky, hazy, but you can also eat an egg with a transparent white;
- shade – a pink or iridescent shade indicates infection of the egg with a blue pygmy bacillus;
- spots – green and black spots are signs of fungus, so such eggs should be thrown away immediately and should not be eaten under any circumstances.
Many housewives are frightened at the sight of blood spots and clots inside the egg. However, they do not indicate its rottenness. Blood appears due to the destruction of blood vessels, but it does not affect freshness. Of course, if there is a lot of blood, then it is suspicious, and then it is better not to risk it.
Another point that causes controversy is the color of the yolk after cooking. If it is slightly overcooked, a green rim will appear around the yolk. There’s nothing wrong with that, you can eat the egg. Also, the rim can be a result of cooking in water with a high iron content.
How to check the freshness of eggs in water
Another way to understand that an egg is already rotten is to immerse the product in water. You will need a wide glass or a deep bowl. But it is more convenient to use a glass, especially a transparent one. So you will immediately see the result.
Fill the glass with water. Note that the liquid level will rise when the egg is lowered. So do not fill the container to the top, otherwise the water will just spill out. Pour only cold water – you can either filtered or from the tap, there is no difference. Then carefully lower the egg. Analyze the result:
- sank to the bottom and lies on its side – fresh;
- sank to the bottom, but stood up with the sharp end down – an egg for several weeks, it should be eaten only after long-term heat treatment;
- floated to the top or hung in the middle of the glass – it is rotten, it must be thrown away.
Importantly! Why does a rotten egg float to the top? Because over time, as already mentioned above, the yolk and protein dry out, and the free space inside increases. As a result, the product becomes lighter, which is why it is pulled up.
Should you check the freshness of an egg with your tongue?
There is a rather original way of checking. It is used mainly in markets. Traders offer buyers to check the egg … With the tongue! It is necessary to lick the upper and lower edge of the product. The blunt, that is, the lower edge, should be distinguished by a warmer temperature. This means that the egg is fresh.
However, it is not recommended to resort to this method of verification. First, it is impossible to achieve an exact result. It is extremely doubtful that the buyer will be able to feel the difference of half a degree. Secondly, the eggs in the markets are unwashed, and it is not a fact that no one touched or licked them before you. So it is better to refuse such a method and not succumb to the persuasion of merchants.
Check the label and determine the expiration date
Be sure to check the expiration date before buying. Manufacturers indicate it with the marks “Suitable for …” or “Use until …”. You can also see the inscription “Implement by ..”. However, remember that the implementation date does not mean the expiration date. Realize means to sell eggs in a specific store by a certain date. After this period, the product must be removed from the counter. But the eggs may still be edible.
Learn the rules and terms of storage
It is best to store eggs in the refrigerator. However, contrary to established opinion, they should not be placed on the refrigerator door on a special shelf. Due to the fact that the door is constantly opened and closed, temperature changes occur. This negatively affects the state of the eggs. They will quickly become unusable. Therefore, it is recommended to store them on the shelf of the refrigerator, and not on the door.
If the eggs were first in the refrigerator, and then for some time outside of it, then they will have to be thrown away. The maximum permissible storage time for eggs outside the refrigerator is 2 hours (if they were previously in the cold).
If the eggs were first stored at room temperature (for example, in a pan in the kitchen cabinet), then they should not be transferred to the refrigerator. Temperature changes cause sweating of products. Due to this process, the shell becomes more sensitive, its pores open, and therefore bacteria can penetrate inside.
Importantly! The shelf life of eggs is 1 month. It is allowed to eat them within a week after the end of this period. But first, be sure to check the freshness of the egg using any of the methods listed above! Pay attention to what you eat, and then the food will bring only benefits.