How to tell when the eggs are ready. How to know if eggs have not spoiled and are safe to eat

Sometimes it may happen that a product may be left in the refrigerator or you bought something in a store, but do not trust the expiration date.

It's good if external signs you can see that the product is fresh or not, but what to do with the eggs?

A simple check will help you understand whether the eggs can be used in an omelet, scrambled eggs or other dish, or whether they should be thrown in the trash.

Check the expiration date

The packaging of eggs always contains information about the expiration date, which you should pay close attention to. The supplier guarantees that, subject to storage rules, the product will remain fresh.

In general, eggs can be eaten for some time after the expiration date, but before doing so, it is strongly recommended to check their freshness using the methods described below.

In a store, when purchasing, you can look at the packaging date and expiration date, but when buying homemade eggs at the market, you cannot do this. We can only rely on the honest word of the grandmother from whom we buy.

Shake the egg

One of the proven and simple ways determination of eggs for freshness is folk method- This is to gently shake them near the ear, while the fresh egg should not create any noise and there should be no sensation of movement inside the shell. But the contents of an egg that is not fresh will shimmer noticeably inside the shell.

If you don’t hear any extraneous sounds when shaking, then you can safely eat the egg - it’s fresh. If splashes or squelching sounds are heard, it means that air has entered the egg and expanded the natural air bubble. It is no longer recommended to eat such an egg.

Submerge the eggs in water

For more precise definition freshness, you need to place one egg in a deep container with cold water. If it is left lying on the bottom in a horizontal position, it means it is very fresh, since a fresh egg fills the entire shell and has a small air pocket in its blunt part and is relatively heavier than those that have been stored for a certain number of days.

Eggs, slightly raised at an obtuse angle upward, are no longer fresh, but can still be used in preparing hot dishes.

Over time, water gradually evaporates through the pores in the shell, thereby increasing the air pocket. After some time, within two to three weeks, the egg will stand in a submerged glass of water with the blunt end up, and then will float to the surface, which is a clear sign that the eggs are expired.

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.

  • You can safely throw away those that have floated to the surface (spoiled) if you do not want to get poisoned or get salmonellosis. The incubation period of the disease is up to 72 hours.
  • Those that stand vertically at the bottom or dangle inside the water are still edible, but they can no longer be stored; they must be used immediately.
  • Eggs that have sunk and lie at the bottom of the dish are fresh. They can be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of +4 degrees.

Some housewives add salt to the water, holding the opinion that such a solution will allow them to obtain a more accurate result, but there is no difference :)

Hold the egg up to a bright light

Bring the egg to a light source (it doesn’t have to be a lamp; sunlight from a window may be enough) and look at it carefully: the fresh one will “see through”, and the old one will have noticeable darkening (the proliferation of microorganisms leads to the formation of dark spots).
Long expired products are distinguished by the absence of any gaps at all. The use of such products is permissible after long heat treatment. But it’s better not to risk it and throw away these eggs.

For a more accurate check, hold the egg up to the light coming from a lamp of 100 W or more and examine it. If you notice an air gap between the shell and the film underneath it, then the product is not entirely fresh.
The permissible size of the puga (as this formation is called) is 9 mm and 4 mm (for chicken and quail eggs, respectively). If the layer is larger than these indicators, they should not be used.

By the way, if you have an ultraviolet lamp in your house, just use it on your eggs. Those of them that will acquire a bright red tint are fresh, the rest are lighter, the older, and those that are lavender or gray are best thrown away.

Check the white and yolk

During the cooking process, first break the product into a plate and make sure there are no impurities or unwanted odors.

Important! If the product emits the smell of hydrogen sulfide, this indicates the process of protein rotting, that is, the egg is already rotten.

Break one of the eggs into a flat dish and pay attention to the condition of the yolk and white. If the yolk is convex and the white is viscous and tightly gathered around the yolk, the egg is very fresh. Due to the viscous and dense layer of protein, the egg is better held in place.
Over time, the dense layer becomes relatively liquid and the yolk noticeably moves away from the center. And after two to three weeks, the egg white takes on a watery consistency.

Obviously, over time, chemical changes occur inside the eggs and these changes in consistency have a negative impact on their future use.
1. Egg number one is freshly laid; this egg has a dense yolk, spherical and convex in shape. It is surrounded by a dense layer of protein, around which there is a more liquid layer.
2. The second egg is a week old, the yolk is still firm and holds its shape, but the white has acquired a more watery consistency, so it has begun to spread. However, this egg is quite edible.
3. And the third egg clearly shows signs of not being fresh, the egg is 2-3 weeks old - the yolk is flat, the white is watery. Best used for baking.

When breaking a raw egg, you may have noticed small white strings on the sides of the yolk, but few people attach importance to this feature. It turns out that these are special protein flagella that are woven into small cords - chalazae.

If the egg has been fertilized, a red dot forms on the yolk - the germinal disc. Chalazae are needed to fix the position of the yolk inside the egg. Thus, no matter how you turn the yolk, its germinal disk will be located at the top, where it is warmest.

The presence of such flagella in a broken chicken egg indicates the freshness of the product, since chalazae tend to dissolve over time. If you find such a cord on at least one side of the yolk, it means that this is a recently laid egg.

The color of the yolk does not indicate the freshness of the egg, but depends on the chicken's diet. Yolks of a rich yellow-orange color are found in country chickens that eat grain, grass and worms, as well as in poultry farm birds that are fed specially formulated feed with additives for color.

It is important to know that the color of an egg shell depends solely on the breed of chickens and the color of their plumage, but their nutritional value does not depend on the color of the shell - white and brown are equally useful. The only thing is that brown eggs have much stronger shells.

How to store eggs

Always store eggs in a cool place, the temperature should not exceed 10 °C.
It is better to give preference and store them in a special designated place in the refrigerator, away from smelly foods.
By the way, eggs that have passed all the tests and are found to be suitable :) are best stored not on the refrigerator door, but on its top shelf, in a plastic container.

Stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 days:

  • fresh proteins;
  • fresh yolks - provided that the shell is intact and completely covered with water;
  • all ready-made egg dishes.

Boiled unpeeled eggs are stored outside the refrigerator for the same amount of time. In cold conditions, a hard-boiled, unrefined product can be stored twice as long - 1 week.

Simple raw foods have a fairly long shelf life in the refrigerator. chicken eggs. It can reach 3-4 weeks. But with damaged shells - no more than 2 days.

Frozen melange (egg mass) can be stored for 4 months.

Helpful Tips:

When eating eggs, Special attention need to pay attention to hygiene. This advice is especially relevant if there are remains of blood, feathers or droppings on the surface of the shell.
Always wash eggs before using, this way you will protect yourself and your loved ones from various types of infections. Moreover, they should be washed immediately before consumption (use), so if you do this right away and put the eggs in the refrigerator, you can only harm them (or rather yourself): during washing, the protective layer of the shell is slightly erased, opening the pores into which bacteria can easily penetrate .

  • Buy only fresh eggs and use them before the expiration date.
  • Pay attention to the “glossyness” of the shell: fresh product it has a rough and matte surface. Stale eggs acquire a yellow tint. Damaged ones will have a noticeable shine.
  • Eggs from the same batch should have the same color; if this is not the case, we recommend choosing a different tray, because perhaps a dishonest seller deliberately placed some “old” eggs in the “new” ones in order to increase his profit.
  • The shell of the fresh product has a smell reminiscent of lime. If it is missing, the eggs have probably been stored for quite some time. Their shells intensively absorb the odors of surrounding products.
  • As for the shell, it must be strong, without cracks or chips. Pathogenic bacteria can get into the egg through microscopic cracks, and no one wants to get salmonellosis. Therefore, do not hesitate to open the egg cassette in the store and inspect the eggs very carefully.
    Important! The presence of cracks or other damage on the surface is unacceptable.
  • Store eggs in the refrigerator - at temperatures below 6°C, salmonella bacteria do not multiply. At room temperature their number is increasing. Please note that subsequent cooling will not help the situation.
  • Keep eggs separate from others food products, in the coldest part of the refrigerator, and do this no longer than the established time limits and then the question of how to determine the freshness of eggs will disappear by itself.
  • When preparing dishes using raw eggs, use only very fresh eggs.
  • Cook the eggs for at least 5 minutes in boiling water.
  • Do not beat the eggs directly into the frying pan or into the dough, do it immediately above the plate, so if you get a low-quality product, you can throw it away without damaging the rest of the ingredients and the need to wash the dishes.
  • If eggs have expired, they can still be eaten for some time, but only if thoroughly cooked. Salmonella bacteria are killed at a temperature of 70°C.
  • If the shell of an egg is damaged, it must be cooked immediately. This product can no longer be stored.
  • To make boiled eggs easier to peel, add a little salt to the water, and when ready, cool them in cold water for 5 minutes, changing the water to colder water in between. But in any case, you need to remember that if boiled eggs are difficult to separate from the shell, this is a sign of their freshness.

According to GOST, chicken eggs are divided into categories depending on their weight. For example, category III eggs are the smallest and weigh from 35 to 50 grams, and the most large eggs, the highest category, weigh from 75 grams or more.

Egg marking

Each egg must have a stamp (marking) indicating its age.

1. If there is a letter “D” (dietary) - rejoice, these are the freshest ones, which are stored for no more than a week. In them, the white and yolk are very dense, motionless, and the air cavity does not exceed 4 mm. It is usually marked in red.

2. A diet egg lay somewhere for a week, dried out, the white in it began to shrink, and the yolk began to dangle. The air cavity already occupies 8-9 millimeters. The manufacturer marked it with the letter “C” (table) and sent it to the retail chain. Such an egg must be purchased and eaten within a month, otherwise it will no longer be suitable for food.
A table egg can be stored in the refrigerator or in the cold for up to 3 months. The markings on such a product are usually blue.

3. If the eggs contain the date of its application, they belong to the dietary category, that is, they were laid no more than 7 days ago. The absence of this information indicates that the product is of the table type.

Advice: To quickly determine the freshness of eggs right in the store, take them in your hand and shake them. There shouldn’t be anything dangling in the diet.
If there is a slight movement in it, it is a table egg, not the first freshness. And if everything inside is shaking, it’s better not to buy these - health is more expensive.

Egg categories

  • The letter “B” (highest) denotes the egg of the highest size - more than 75 grams.
  • Choice egg is marked with the letter “O” and weighs more than 65 grams.
  • Next comes the most common category with the number 1 and an egg weighing more than 55 grams.
  • The second category is assigned to eggs over 45 grams, and the third - to the smallest ones at 35 grams. and higher.

So, the first sign in the labeling means the shelf life, read - the age of the egg; the second is the category, that is, its size. The beginning of the code can be the letter “D” or “C”, which means “dietary” or “table”, respectively. A dietary egg is one that cannot be stored at sub-zero temperatures and must be sold within 7 days. The day of his “birth” is not counted. That is, “dietary” is not some special variety, but simply a very fresh egg. T
Now let's look at the categories - the second part of the code. She talks about the mass of the egg. Let's start with the smallest ones - from 35 to 44.9 grams - this is the third category, the second - from 45 to 54.9 grams, large eggs weighing from 55 to 64.9 grams - the first category. The largest ones - weighing from 65 to 74.9 grams - fall into the "select" category, designated by the letter "O".
Based on the above, we conclude - the best eggs are marked D-1.

By the way, in books with recipes for dishes, eggs are traditionally indicated in 2 categories (with a weight of 40 grams or more). And the size of the egg depends on the age and size of the hen - the older and larger the hen, the larger the eggs.

Advice: If there are electronic scales in the store, the suitability of the product for consumption can be determined by weight. The weight of fresh chicken eggs ranges from 35 to 75 g depending on the category, quail eggs - 12 g. More low performance weights indicate their depravity. Eggs that are too light in weight are definitely spoiled.
If there are no scales readily available, simply lift several or all of the available packages one by one, the one that turns out to be the heaviest will be the freshest.

In stores, eggs can be sold in packages. Each package must have a label indicating the above markings and categories. Moreover, it must be pasted in such a way that when opening the package the label breaks: it is a guarantor of authenticity.

Well, friends, we have finally thoroughly understood the issues of how to buy fresh eggs and check their quality right in the store or at home. It is enough to go through all the stages once to remember all the subtleties and become an expert in this matter.

Well, if you forget something, look at the article again :). So add it to yours and share it. useful knowledge with others.
Based on materials from blog.liebherr.com, domavar.ru, zdorovo3.ru

    It is quite difficult to determine the freshness of an egg by appearance, but since eggs are quite often used in the preparation of some dishes and simply for food, you need to know how to determine their freshness. You should lower an egg into a pan with cold, slightly salted water; if it lies horizontally, then this egg is fresh, if it is 3 weeks old, then it will stand vertically, but if it is rotten, then it will immediately float up. What's the focus? At long-term storage the egg dries, the air chamber is on blunt end There are more eggs. Sometimes you have to use cracked or slightly broken eggs when cooking; their freshness can be determined by smell, or, in order not to risk breaking them into a separate bowl and examining them for color and smell.

    I will not repeat myself, but I will note one more aspect.

    In our family for a long time kept chickens, so it’s easy for me to tell the difference fresh egg it just looks stale.

    A fresh egg has a shell of pure, even color - white or brown, depending on the breed of chicken. The top of the egg is covered with an imperceptible film, which gives it a soft matte tone. This film preserves the egg for a long time; if you wash it, the film will be washed off and the egg will quickly deteriorate.

    When the eggs are already stale, then the color of the shell becomes dirty-gray, and if it is already completely unusable, then the egg darkens, this is noticeable even if it is not broken. There is no glow from within that a fresh egg has.

    Another sign that eggs are not very fresh is when they are shiny. This means that the matte film is broken. Of course, it is not at all necessary that such eggs are rotten, but this is a signal that they are more than one day old.

    There are many ways to determine whether an egg is fresh or rotten.

    1. Look at the egg in the sunlight or in the light of a lamp; if you don’t see anything dark, then the egg is normal.
    2. When shaking, you can hear a bubbling sound if the egg is rotten.
    3. twist the egg, a fresh one will not spin.
    4. put it in water, the rotten stuff will float up.
  • How to check whether an egg has spoiled or not. I check this way, I put the egg in cold water, if it floats, it means it’s better not to risk it, such an egg is not the freshest.

    You can shake a chicken egg near your ear, and if you hear a knocking sound (as if there is another egg in the egg), the egg is probably spoiled.

    There are at least three ways check whether the egg is fresh or already rotten.

    1. Sinks or floats?. Pour cold water into the bowl until the water level is twice as high as the egg. Place the egg in the water and watch - if the egg sinks, it is most likely fresh (in addition to this, a fresh egg is lying on its side). If the egg mostly reaches out to the surface of the water, and the sharp end is at the bottom, the egg is about three weeks old. But if the egg does not sink, but floats on the surface of the water, it is definitely spoiled and cannot be eaten.

      What do you hear? Bring the egg to your ear and shake it well several times. If you don’t hear anything, the egg is most likely still fine. If you can clearly hear side sounds, gurgling, squelching, throw it away.

      What's inside? For this test you will have to break the egg. It is better to break it onto a flat plate or saucer so that you can clearly see the contents. When examining the white and yolk, pay attention to the shape of the yolk. In a fresh egg, the yolk should be above the white and should fit tightly to it. If the yolk is a little buried in the white, and the white looks quite transparent, the egg can still be eaten, but it is already three or four weeks old. In this case, it is better to cook it so that the yolk does not remain liquid (you never know)). If the yolk looks too flat, and the white seems too runny and watery, then the egg is clearly stale and it is better to simply throw it away.

  • Determine egg freshness can be done in several ways:

    • using salted water (dip an egg into a container with salted water: a fresh one will lie horizontally, an old one - vertically, a rotten one - will float on the surface of the water)
    • shake the egg. When fresh, the filling will not bottle up or make suspicious sounds.
    • to the light. To do this, you need powerful lighting, bright sunlight will do. A fresh egg is filled evenly; a rotten egg will have thick spots.
    • You can also compare by weight. Of course, by eye, but nevertheless, a spoiled egg is somewhat lighter than a fresh one of the same size.
    • If you wash the shell with a fragrance-free detergent and smell it, the smell of a spoiled egg can be felt through the shell, because hydrogen sulfide destroys the inner membrane and seeps through the pores of the shell

    The shelf life of eggs is on average 30 days, however, they are considered dietary only 7 days after they are laid by a chicken.

    I always determine the freshness of an egg by lowering the egg into water. If it floats up, it’s not fresh, but that doesn’t mean it’s rotten. A rotten egg can be identified when broken by a green color and a terrible, stinky odor.

    The first thing you should always do is look at the light; there are no spots in the light, which means the egg is normal. If you have any doubts, proceed to the second step.

    The second method is to spin it on the table (fresh ones don’t want to spin).

    To be more convincing, take the third step - lower it into the water, it floats up - throw it in the trash, such an egg cannot be consumed.

    The most effective method to check whether the eggs are rotten or not, this is to smell the eggs) It sounds very funny, but it’s true. If there is a bad smell coming from the eggs, it means the eggs are rotten.

    In addition, you should know that eggs are only edible for 15 days, after which you can throw them in the trash.

    There are several ways to determine whether you have a good egg or one that is already spoiled and rotten. The most popular method is to put the questionable egg in a container of water. Moreover, you need to pour water much more than the height of the egg itself. And if the egg remains at the bottom of the container with water, then the egg is not spoiled. And vice versa, if the egg is afloat, then most likely it is spoiled.

    You can also simply shake the egg next to your ear. Shake and listen, a good egg makes almost no sound. But the spoiled, rotten one will gurgle, you will hear splashing inside the egg. Well, I can suggest a way to determine the quality of an egg - spin it on the table around its axis. A good egg will not spin.

    You can check the freshness of any egg using various methods. For example, through water, to do this, pour only cold water into a bowl and put the egg in to check, if the egg immediately sinks to the bottom, then it is fresh. And if it sinks and lies on its side, then it is also fresh If the egg does not want to sink at all and floats on the surface of the water, then this is an indicator that it is already spoiled and cannot be eaten.

    You can test your hearing and shake the egg near your ear, and if it starts to gurgle and squish there, then it is already spoiled.

    You can also break an egg into a bowl and look at its appearance, a good egg can be seen right away, but if there is some kind of unpleasant smell, then you need to throw it away immediately.

    You can put the egg in a container of water, if it floats up, it’s spoiled

There are many traditional methods to determine the freshness of eggs.

1. Inspect the egg shell: a fresh egg has a hard shell. If the shell is soft, the egg is definitely rotten.

2. A fresh egg shines through in the sun, that is, you can see the yolk inside it.

The operation of a special device for candling eggs, the ovoscope, is based on this phenomenon. It consists of a camera and a lamp built into it. The chamber has oval holes in the shape of eggs. When examined with an ovoscope, a fresh egg’s contents are not dark, almost transparent, and the yolk is less noticeable than an old one. Even through the ovoscope, the air chamber at the blunt end of the egg is clearly visible: during long-term storage it increases in size.


3. Shake the egg well in your hand. If you feel that the yolk is moving from side to side, then it is better to throw out such an egg.

4. Place the egg in the water. A fresh egg will remain at the bottom, an old one will float to the surface.

5. Boiled fresh eggs are harder to peel than old ones. And the shells come off easily from stale ones.

6. Place the egg on a flat surface on the table and twist it vigorously. A fresh egg will not spin at all. But a stale egg spins freely.

7. A fresh egg is heavier than a stale one. But not everyone is able to determine the freshness of eggs by weight...

Did you know that...

  • The shelf life of table eggs is 25 days.
  • Based on freshness, eggs are divided into dietary and table. If an egg was laid by a chicken no later than seven days ago, it is a dietary egg; a week after its appearance, the egg becomes a table egg.

ABOUT maximum benefit eggs can only be said if they are fresh. After lying in the refrigerator for a month, they lose their nutritional value and become hazardous to health. Once ingested, an expired product causes serious intoxication, which may have death. Therefore, it is important to be able to independently determine the degree of freshness of such a product and understand the acceptable expiration dates. Later in the article we will tell you in detail what to look for when buying chicken and quail eggs, how long they can be stored and where is the best place to do it.

How to tell if an egg is fresh: chicken and quail

The unique structure of the eggshell allows the inside to retain its properties for a long time. beneficial features. But for this, certain storage conditions are important. Otherwise, the inside of the product will begin to dry out, and a foul-smelling chatterbox, unsuitable for further use, will form.

There are many ways to check the freshness of eggs at home. And for this it is not at all necessary to drag a microscope and the rarest chemical reagents into the kitchen. You can even judge the suitability of these products in a store. Let's look into the details.

Did you know? Today, the world's largest egg producer is the People's Republic of China. About 160 million pieces of these products are produced there every year. Many experts attribute this to the fact that chicken first appeared in this country. And this happened somewhere in 1400 BC.

At the time of buying

Experts advise against making “blind” purchases. In their opinion, it is important visual assessment goods. Therefore, when you go to the supermarket or market to buy eggs, inspect them carefully. Recently laid specimens will be distinguished by their matte shell surface. But those that have already lain for several days will be characterized by a specific glossy shine. But you should not rely only on this verification method. Experts warn that savvy sellers resort to various tricks in order to successfully sell products. One of these is rubbing or washing each specimen.
To ensure that your purchase does not disappoint with an unpleasant-smelling substance, When choosing an egg tray, compare it with the rest of the range. Ideally, the entire dozen should have the same shell color and gloss level. If you have a diverse set in front of you, most likely the seller mixed old and fresh eggs. Smell them. Severely expired boxes will have a strong, unpleasant odor.

Important! The shell of a fresh egg has a specific odor that is very reminiscent of lime.

It also doesn't hurt to scramble a raw egg. If you hear distinct chattering inside, you should refuse the purchase. After all, chatterboxes are not suitable for consumption.

Do not ignore what is indicated on the product expiration date. By informing you about this, the manufacturer guarantees the freshness of the product provided it is stored correctly. Always choose fresh products and try to use them before the expiration date on the package.

When cooking

Many consumers do not take stamps on egg trays seriously and continue to eat expired products. According to experts, in reality he is still a short time retains its suitability. But before using it, its freshness needs to be double-checked.

This is done in the following ways:


Important! Eggs are a source of salmonellosis, so they need to be cooked for at least 5 minutes. boiling water. Keep in mind that salmonella bacteria lose their viability at a temperature of +70 °C.

Video: checking eggs for freshness with water

Upon opening

Break the shell and visually assess the condition of the inside. In recently laid specimens, the white will be viscous and tightly packed, and the yolk will be convex. If the egg has been sitting for a long time, you will see a liquid, spreading white and a flat yolk.

What is the danger

The stereotype about the exceptional benefits of chicken and quail eggs has clearly taken root in society. But if the rules for their storage were violated, then the nutritional value of this protein food and the saturation of the body is vitally important. necessary substances you won't have to talk. In this case, as medical statistics show, we will talk about poisoning and its consequences.

Moreover it is wrong cooking eggs, use dirty dishes, as well as infected kitchen equipment threatens development salmonellosis. The bacteria that cause this disease live in egg white, yolk and on the shell. Their source is the laying hen. Moreover, even experts will not be able to recognize infected specimens by external signs. Neither the color of the shell, nor the smell, nor other visual features of the product will reveal this.

Did you know? The Chinese dye eggs red every time a newborn arrives in the family. According to folk legends, such a ritual guarantees the baby a long and happy life..

When eating expired or contaminated eggs are hazardous to health: homemade mayonnaise, raw sugar-egg mixture (white or yolk), as well as all dishes that have undergone insufficient heat treatment. It can be fried eggs, poached eggs and even traditional scrambled eggs. Therefore, doctors strongly recommend strictly monitoring the expiration date of such products and preparing them at high temperatures.
Signs of egg intoxication become obvious during the first 24 hours after eating low-quality food.

The eater experiences:

  • vomit;
  • nausea,
  • weakness;
  • pain in the abdominal area;
  • gastroenteritis developing against the background of the disease (when inflammation of the mucous membranes of the small intestine occurs);
  • diarrhea (as a rule, stools are very liquid, similar in consistency to congee and are characterized by dark green or yellow color);
  • increase in body temperature to 39-40 °;
  • bloating;
  • signs of colitis resulting from inflammatory processes in the large intestine;
  • spasms;
  • decreased appetite;
  • dysfunction of the central nervous system(appears when severe poisoning and is expressed by headaches, dizziness, insomnia, lethargy);
  • malfunctions of cardio-vascular system(pressure decreases, pulse rate and heart rhythm change);
  • bacterial infection and sepsis (with such symptoms the outcome is fatal).

Important! To extend the shelf life of eggs at home, lubricate their shells pork fat, vegetable oil or Vaseline and place in a cold room where the temperature is below +10 °C. As alternative option you can wrap each piece in plain paper and fold it with the sharp ends down, covering it with burlap.

The manifestation of the listed symptoms largely depends on the victim’s immunity. But with any degree of egg poisoning, it is important to protect the body from dehydration.
For this purpose it is recommended:

  • solution of "Regidron" or "Oralit";
  • any sorbents ( Activated carbon, “Smecta”, “Polyphepan”);
  • immunomodulatory drugs (multivitamin complexes, Methyluracil);
  • antibiotics that are prescribed by a doctor individually;
  • limiting the consumption of dairy products, raw vegetables and smoked meats (it is advisable to provide the patient with a gentle diet during this period).

If after 24 hours the disease continues to progress, you need to seek medical help without wasting time.

Shelf life of eggs

What time is chicken and quail eggs will be fresh, depends largely on their origin and storage conditions:

  • If we're talking about about industrial production, the shelf life of such products is limited to 28-30 days;
  • but homemade products can retain their nutritional value throughout the quarter;
  • if all requirements for temperature conditions and the degree of humidity in the room, then fresh goods will not deteriorate even after a month (this applies to cellars and refrigerators);

  • Boiled eggs are good for 2 weeks (provided they are hard-boiled and stored in the refrigerator);
  • When cooked product is at room temperature, after 48 hours it can no longer be consumed;
  • even in the refrigerator, soft-boiled eggs spoil after just 2 days;

  • no way long-term storage specimens with broken shells are not subject to treatment (they are recommended to be used on the same day);

  • if the shell splits during cooking, such a specimen can lie in the refrigerator for 4 days;
  • in the case when you have prepared shelled eggs for some purpose, they must be used 3 days after storage in the refrigerator;

  • Easter dyes will not deteriorate for 15 days, provided that only natural dyes were used for them;

  • and here Easter eggs that were stained with chemical reagents can be suitable for no more than 17 days;

  • Easter copies in thermal film must be eaten within 3 days.

Did you know? If you keep an ordinary fresh egg for several days in 9% table vinegar, its shell will harden so much that it will not break even if it hits the floor hard.

Where and how best to store eggs

To store such products, most consumers prefer a compartment in the refrigerator door. But experts express their indignation about this, which is associated with a sharp temperature drop. In such conditions, eggs quickly lose their nutritional value and do not represent any gastronomic value.

Experienced housewives advise choosing a place for this type of product where it is always cold. Under no circumstances should you put the tray in the freezer.

In a refrigerator

Each piece must be fixed in a stable position with the sharp end down. It is important that the eggs do not touch. It is better to leave them in a special stand or tray, arranged in cells. Don't forget to close the container, because eggshell very sensitive to nearby odors. From the refrigerator it will absorb everything nearby.
Make sure that the temperature in the chamber is at the level +2...+4 °С. Never wash shells before storing. Such manipulations shorten the shelf life.

Eggs are valuable food product which is used in every family. They are eaten as independent dish or used as additional ingredient V different recipes- soups, baked goods, cutlets. They buy them in dozens and use them gradually as needed. However, there are times when the shelf life is called into question. How to determine the freshness of eggs at home?

The freshness of a chicken egg depends on the time of production and storage conditions.

Eggs can be divided into several types.

  1. Dietary - the freshest, the shelf life of which is at low temperatures does not exceed 7 days.
  2. Canteens - 25 days at room temperature and 90 in the refrigerator.

Boiled chicken eggs can be refrigerated for up to 14 days if they are hard-boiled. And if soft-boiled, then no more than two days. Cracked and peeled - no more than three days, and broken raw - only two days.

Easter, painted in natural dyes(onion peel, vegetable juices), are stored for no more than two weeks. If painted with artificial paints, the shelf life increases by another one or two days. Colorful thermal film, which does not allow air to pass through, greatly reduces freshness, these eggs should be eaten within the next three days.

And if you keep chickens, you can safely store fresh eggs for up to 3 months, in the refrigerator, of course. When buying homemade eggs on the market, even from a trusted seller, do not store them for a long time, make allowances for the fact that they have been collected for sale for more than one day.

Most people keep eggs in the refrigerator; there is a special shelf for them on any door. But it turns out that it is not recommended to store them in this way, because the refrigerator is often opened and closed, so the food on the door is subject to temperature changes, which does not have the best effect on their freshness. But the vegetable compartment is best suited for eggs - these are closed containers with a constant temperature. The optimal mode is from +2 to +4 degrees.

Before putting eggs in the refrigerator, they should not be washed - the shelf life will be reduced to 12 days, because the protective film is washed off, the pores open, and the penetration of bacteria inside increases.

The shell has a porous structure and easily absorbs foreign odors, so place the eggs in a closed container with the pointed nose down, then the yolks will be located in the center, and nothing will interfere with the supply of oxygen to the contents. Try not to let the eggs touch each other.

Many housewives, in the old fashioned way, keep eggs outside the refrigerator, for example, in enamel pans. This storage method is possible if the temperature does not exceed 20 degrees. The eggs stay fresh for three weeks. It is recommended to wrap each one in any paper and place it with the sharp end down.

Salt is an excellent preservative. Dissolve salt in water at the rate of 1 tablespoon per liter of water, lower the eggs into it and place in a cool, dark place. In this way, eggs can be stored for up to one month.

How to tell if eggs are fresh

Determining the freshness of an egg at home is quite simple. If you have a sneaking suspicion that the egg is stale, try a few proven methods.

If the eggs industrial production, that is, they were demolished by chickens at a poultry farm, then each of them is stamped with the exact date of manufacture. This is very convenient because you can always check how fresh the egg is.

On diet eggs The marking is applied in red, canteens are stamped in blue with the obligatory indication of the category:

  • highest (HV) – large, reaching 75 g;
  • selected (SO) – quite large, 65-74.9 g;
  • first (C1) – from 55 g;
  • second (C2) – from 45 g;
  • third (C3) – from 35g.

Be sure to check the date of manufacture when purchasing and give preference to poultry farms in your region.

To the light

There is a special device called an ovoscope; by the way, it’s easy to make with your own hands in just 5 minutes. It shines through the eggs and determines their freshness. If the yolk is in the center, then the product is suitable for consumption. The presence of darkened areas near the white means that the testicles have been lying around for a week or two, but they can be eaten without any problems. And stale eggs are not translucent at all.

Since you most likely do not have a device, bring the egg to a light source with a power of at least 100 W and take a good look at it in the light. The following factors indicate that eggs are not fresh:

  • an air gap of more than 9 mm between the shell and the protective film;
  • blood ring or large clots (pinpoint blood spots are allowed).

If you have an ultraviolet lamp, a fresh egg will show a bright red color, while a spoiled egg will show a pale purple or gray color.

One of the most popular home methods is to determine the freshness of eggs in water. This method was also used by our great-great-grandmothers, who did not have a refrigerator and were not familiar with GOST standards for storing eggs.

Immerse the egg in a glass of cold water and monitor the result:

  • lies on the bottom on its side - fresh, recently demolished;
  • at an angle: a sharp nose at the bottom, a blunt one floating up - a week-old egg;
  • stands in the middle of the glass with the blunt tip up - the egg is two to three weeks old;
  • floating on the surface - rotten.

Egg shells are porous and breathable. The moisture inside evaporates over time, leaving air, which lifts the testicle upward. The “older” the egg, the higher it will rise in a glass of water.

Visual inspection

Start your inspection with appearance shell, it should be rough and matte. Stale eggs have a characteristic shine and gloss. Cracks and chips are not allowed unless you yourself did not save the egg on the way home.

Fresh eggs smell like lime, but if the smell is hydrogen sulfide, the egg is rotten.

Shake the egg. Fresh food will not make sounds, but spoiled food may gurgle with its contents.

Break the egg onto a plate. The white may have a greenish or yellowish tint due to carbon dioxide, which gives the color. If the yolk is round and convex and the white holds its shape, then everything is fine. If the yolk is loose or flattened, the white is transparent and does not separate from it, then the product is edible, but the shelf life is already running out. Sometimes in broken egg there are pinpoint blood spots - this is normal and not scary. If you feel uncomfortable, remove the clot.

Perhaps you have noticed protein flagella along the edges of the yolk? They are designed to hold it in the middle of the egg so that the embryo is in the warmest place. The presence of these flagella indicates freshness; over time they dissolve.

A stale egg will have an unpleasant odor, spread - the white is runny, and the yolk becomes flat.

The color of the yolk or shell does not in any way indicate the age of the bird; it depends on the bird’s food and its breed. This also does not affect the nutritional value, except that brown eggs have a stronger shell.

Eggs rank third among food poisoning after meat and dairy products. Poisoning often occurs due to the Salmonella bacterium; the incubation period is only 72 hours, develops rapidly, and if urgent measures are not taken, death is possible. The biggest danger of infection is eating raw eggs; the bacterium “lives” on the inside of the shell under a protective film.

Recently, quail eggs have been very popular; you cannot become infected with salmonellosis from them, since when quails lay eggs, the eggs are released at a temperature of 40 degrees, and all bacteria die.

If you have allergic reactions to egg products, then you need to eat only fresh dietary eggs. The longer they are stored, the greater the likelihood of allergies.

Try not to buy dirty eggs with adhering droppings or feathers - this indicates poor hygiene in the keeping of chickens.

Conclusion

If you have doubts, break the egg into a separate container before adding it to food, make sure there is no unpleasant odor and foreign impurities. Dirty shells should be washed first to prevent harmful bacteria from getting into the dish. If eggs are not cooked in the recipe, then use only diet eggs or freshly laid homemade ones.

Buy fresh eggs and do not use them if they are past their expiration date.

Mother of two children. I'm leading household for more than 7 years - this is my main job. I like to experiment, I constantly try different means, methods, techniques that can make our life easier, more modern, more fulfilling. I love my family.