Eggs are marketed as being very healthy. food product, but you need to understand that this only applies to fresh components. There are many ways to check the freshness of eggs, and some of them can be used in the store, before making a purchase. Of course, the methods that are used at home are more informative and accurate. Therefore, even if you are confident in the quality of the purchased product, you should resort to them before you start cooking.

Regardless of which eggs you need to check, chicken or quail, the manipulation will take literally a few minutes. And this will prevent food poisoning at home.

How to check the quality and freshness of chicken eggs in the store?

If you know how to determine the quality of a product by visual and some physical signs, you can protect yourself from purchasing expired or damaged goods. When choosing chicken eggs, you need to carry out the following manipulations:

• Fresh elements have a matte, slightly rough surface. If the product has been lying around for a long time or has been wiped several times to eliminate any signs of spoilage, its surface will become smooth, almost glossy, sometimes with a bluish tint.
• All eggs from the same batch should look the same (color, mottled spots, size). If this is not observed, it means that the box was replenished for some reason (old eggs were added, rotten ones were replaced).
• At least one element, or better yet several, needs to be shaken. If the process is not accompanied by a change in sensations, this indicates the freshness of the product. If obvious looseness is felt, then the expiration date of the component is already approaching or has even passed.
• For people with a keen sense of smell, their abilities can help. Fresh eggs (both chicken and quail) smell like lime. The shell is prone to absorbing foreign odors even through the plastic and cardboard of the box. If the product has been sitting for several days or weeks, then it will have a corresponding smell.

How to check eggs for freshness using water?

Conducting an experiment with water allows you to get one of the most accurate results possible at home. It only takes a minute of time. With its help you can check both chicken and quail eggs. But in the first case, it is better to use salty liquid (a tablespoon of salt per two glasses of water), and in the second, regular liquid.

The check is carried out as follows:

• Pour water into a container (preferably deep enough and transparent).
• Wash the egg thoroughly under running water to get rid of not only dirt, but also various protective shells.

Tip: Despite the fact that any product can be repackaged, you need to pay attention to the type of packaging. If the date is stamped, it is not so easy to change it (only if you completely change the box, which only the manufacturer has). But if it is pasted in the form of a sticker, it can be re-glued in the store.

• We put the product in water and evaluate its behavior. If he remains lying on the bottom on his side, this indicates his high quality and freshness. If one end rises, then the egg is no longer fresh. You can eat it, but the benefits from it will be minimal. If one end literally floats up, causing the product to take a vertical position (small elements can float above the surface of the water), then it is better to throw it away immediately, it is rotten.

If a product about which you have doubts will continue to be cooked, then it is better to replace it. If it can still be broken, then it will be possible to carry out an additional assessment.

Auxiliary methods for checking the freshness of chicken eggs

There are several other techniques that will help you find out the degree of freshness of the elements. For example, chicken eggs can be illuminated, although the light source must be quite powerful. When exposed to light, a small cavity will appear at one end of the product. If the component is dietary, then the length of the cavity should not exceed 4 mm, if table - 8 mm.

The yolk is ideally placed strictly in the center, but a slight offset is allowed. When this part is nailed to the shell, it is better to refuse to eat such an egg. Sometimes blood inclusions can be detected, but they must be very small and isolated. Dark spots under the shell indicate the beginning of microbial proliferation.

There is another test, although it is not used so often. Wash the egg thoroughly with soap, rinse and wipe until dry. Then we touch the tip of the tongue first to one pole of the sphere, then to the other. It's good if blunt end obviously warmer than spicy. The absence of a temperature difference indicates the impressive age of the element. And, according to some experts, fresh boiled eggs are much more difficult to peel than stale ones, even if you put them in cold water after boiling water.

It is best to break eggs onto a plate, this will allow you to further evaluate their quality and freshness. If the protein is fluffy and more like jelly, and there is a thin wet layer on its surface, then the product is fresh. The yolk should be dense, protruding above the surface of the mass. Mixed layers of whites and a flat yolk indicate a low degree of freshness of the component. It can be eaten, but it will not bring much benefit.

How to check the freshness of quail eggs?

In this case, it is also worth starting the check from the store. The main distinguishing factor in this case will be the weight of the quail eggs. One fresh element must weigh at least 12 g. If this figure is not maintained, the product has already begun to dry out, which means it will deteriorate.

Quail eggs in dubious stores should not be purchased at all. And good supermarkets have very sensitive scales that will allow you to check the product. As a last resort, you need to estimate the weight of several packs of eggs. You need to choose the one that will weigh the most. In addition, you need to use all the techniques that apply to chicken eggs. In this case they also work. True, in order to learn how to apply them in practice, you need to spend some time assessing both fresh and not quite high-quality products.

Eating spoiled eggs is strictly prohibited. Especially if they already have a specific aroma. Contrary to popular belief, heat treatment does not improve the taste of eggs or have a positive effect on their quality.

Eggs provide many excellent health benefits and can be used to make Tasty food. With that said, there is nothing more unpleasant than opening the refrigerator and smelling that unpleasant sulfuric "aroma."

A strong odor is a sign that your eggs have gone bad. However, it is much easier to know that eggs are on the verge of expiration rather than waiting for them to spoil.

Is the expiration date on the package the only sign that your eggs have gone bad? Or can you use them after it expires?

Below you will find five methods that will make it easy to determine the freshness of eggs. So, grab a box and get ready to learn some interesting things.

Why do eggs disappear?

Eggs must be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 2 to 5 degrees Celsius. Depending on their condition, their shelf life will vary.

• Raw whole eggs (shelled) – 4 to 5 weeks from date of packaging or within 3 weeks of purchase
• Raw whole eggs (with slightly damaged shell) – up to 2 days
• Raw egg whites– up to 4 days
• Raw egg yolks– up to 2 days
• Hard-boiled eggs (in shell) – up to 1 week
• Hard Boiled Eggs (peeled) – Use the same day for best quality.

There are also several dates that manufacturers print on packaging that are important when deciding whether to throw them away. The packing date tells the consumer when the eggs were cleaned, graded and packaged. The product must be sold within 45 days from this date. The expiration date after which the product is sometimes marked instead of the sell-by date.

Is it possible to eat eggs after the expiration date?

With meat, cottage cheese and herbs, it's quite easy to tell if they've gone bad. Since the egg is hidden in the shell, you cannot evaluate them visually or by smell. Therefore, many people throw away eggs according to the expiration date.

Even though eggs deteriorate in quality after a certain date, they can still be eaten for a few more weeks, especially if they are stored properly. Refrigerated storage preserves egg quality and prevents bacterial growth. Eggs are definitely bad if you smell something bad, but there are a few signs that can be seen a couple of days before.

How to tell if an egg has gone bad

Smell test

The smell test is the easiest way to tell if an egg has gone bad. If your eggs are past their expiration date, you can tell if they are fresh by simply smelling them.

Step 1: Smell the egg. Eggs that have spoiled have a sulfur smell that is difficult to confuse with anything else. If there is no smell, the egg can be consumed.

Step 2: If you are unsure, crack the egg onto a clean plate or bowl and smell again. If there is an unpleasant odor, discard the egg.

Step 3: Wash the bowl or plate before use hot water with soap.

Egg in a cup method

This one-step method is reliable way check if the eggs have spoiled. The shell is porous and the liquid inside evaporates over time. Large quantity The air in the egg causes the liquid to float on the surface. Fresher eggs sink and older eggs float.

Step 1: Fill the bowl cold water and place the eggs inside. If they sink to the bottom and lie on their sides, they are fresh. If they are several weeks old, they will sink to the bottom, but their tips will remain in the water. If they float to the surface, they are no longer fresh enough to eat.

Listen to the eggs

This method is the same as above.

Step 1: Hold the egg to your ear and shake it.

Step 2: Listen. If you hear any sounds inside the egg, it has most likely gone bad. If you haven't heard anything, you can eat the egg.

Open and smell

You cracked an egg into a frying pan and noticed that it looked strange. Usually, most people continue to cook the egg, hoping that heat treatment will save them from bacteria. Here's a way to avoid this:

Step 1: Crack the egg onto a flat surface.

Step 2: Inspect the egg. If it is fresh, the yolk should be bright yellow or orange and the white should not be too runny. If the egg is old, the yolk will be paler and the white will run out quickly.

If the yolk is pale and runny, you will most likely notice an unpleasant odor. Eggs should have no odor. You may not want to fry this egg, but you can hard-boil any remaining eggs in the container.

Flashlight test

This looks more like a fun experiment for kids than a kitchen hack, but it's worth a try. Believe it or not, a flashlight can be used to determine the freshness of an egg or to evaluate the development of chicks in a fertilized egg. Since you're probably not studying embryonic egg development if you're reading this article, use this method at home to find out if eggs have gone bad.

Step 1: Enter a dark room with a flashlight. Candles have been used in the past, but it is more practical to use a small flashlight.

Step 2: Hold the flashlight at the larger tip. Tilt the egg, quickly turning it from left to right. This will illuminate the inside of the egg.

Step 3: Examine the contents of the egg. This will allow you to see the size of the air cell. According to the University of Florida, “Fresh eggs have an air chamber thinner than 3.175 mm. As the eggs age, air replaces the liquid, which evaporates and the air pocket becomes larger.”

It is highly likely that millions of edible eggs end up in the trash every year. Lack of knowledge on how to determine the freshness of eggs leads many to simply throw them away. Of course, even if your egg passes all the tests, it needs to be thoroughly cooked before eating. Some eggs contain bacteria that cause illness digestive tract, such as salmonellosis. Salmonella bacteria may be present in eggs that look and smell normal, so it is important to cook them properly.

The article was prepared based on materials from www.littlethings.com.

Eggs are a complete source of protein, which is why fans love them healthy image life. But it is very important to monitor the quality of the product used. You can check eggs for freshness immediately after purchase, since this is unlikely to be possible in a store or market.

How to choose eggs in the supermarket

You can tell the freshness of eggs by their appearance. The matte surface of the shell indicates that the egg was laid recently; if the shell is glossy, then most likely the product has been stored for a long time.

Unfortunately, this method is not able to give full information about the condition of the eggs, since sellers often wash and rub them.

Determine by eye even completely rotten eggs almost impossible, but you should carefully study the color of just a dozen. If the colors are different, this may indicate that old and new eggs have been mixed. It is better to purchase a product from one batch, because in this case the chance of buying unusable eggs is significantly reduced.

Check rotten egg or not, you can do it right in the store, just shake it in the air. If you notice that something is rolling around inside, then you definitely shouldn’t take such a product.

Popular methods for checking eggs for freshness

It is much easier to check eggs for freshness at home, since housewives have long come up with several methods for this. effective ways. Can:

• put the product in water;
• twist on the table surface;
• immerse in saline solution;
• inspect the contents of the shell;
• identify by smell.

Method No. 1. Dipping into water

This is the most proven method by which you can determine the freshness of a product. To do this, you just need to place it in a transparent container with water. If the egg floats to cold water, this means that it is far from being the freshest. If it is balanced in liquid, then it is still undesirable to eat it, since this indicates that its shelf life is running out. A fresh egg sinks and lies horizontally on the bottom.

Method number 2. Torsion on the table

This method is very easy to use; just place the egg on a flat surface and twist it. An unusable product will make twice as many turns around its axis as a fresh one.

Method No. 3. Saline solution

You can tell if an egg has gone bad when you use it. saline solution. To do this, pour 1 liter into a glass container. clean water, and add 1 tsp to it. salt. Mix everything thoroughly until the crystals are completely dissolved in the liquid. Next, you need to proceed in the same way as in the method with water, the indicators will be the same.

If the egg floated to the surface during cooking, but remained closer to the bottom during the experiment, then such a product is categorically not recommended.

Method No. 4. Visual inspection of the white and yolk

If a person has already purchased the product, but when he came home he doubted its quality, then he can inspect the contents of the shell. To do this, you need to break an egg, pour it into a plate and evaluate the condition of the product.

A fresh yolk will be thick and the white will be fluffy. Stale yolk spreads quickly and has liquid consistency. If there is no characteristic unpleasant odor, then the product is still suitable for consumption, but it is better not to do this if the yolk is flat in shape and has a whitish color.

Method No. 5. Determination by smell

The freshness of an egg can be easily determined by its smell, since the shell is susceptible to foreign odors. A fresh product has a slight smell of lime, but an egg that has been stored for a long time can smell like anything.

In addition to the basic methods, there are others, for example, an egg testing device. It's called an "ovoscope" and it can be used to check the freshness of food. It operates on the principle of a regular lamp, which is used to illuminate eggs, and makes it possible to detect various defects in the contents of the shell.

It can also be done at home; to do this, you need to find a small box and make a hole in it to place the lamp there. You need to cut another, but very small, hole on top of the box so that the eggs do not fall inside the homemade ovoscope. After this, you can turn on the light in the device, place an egg on top, carefully scroll and examine its contents.

Before consuming the product, you must follow some hygiene rules. First of all, you should not forget about the expiration date and carefully study the packaging. Before cooking eggs, you need to wash them with detergent. You should not put them in water immediately after purchasing, as this will shorten their shelf life.

1. It is necessary to purchase only fresh goods, and not to delay consuming them, since unwashed eggs are stored for 4-5 weeks, and washed ones for 4 days.
2. The product should be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature not exceeding 6°C. If eggs are left at room temperature, salmonella bacteria will actively multiply. There is no point in putting such a product back in the refrigerator.
3. When preparing food, where needed raw eggs, you need to use only fresh products. Cook for at least 5 minutes.
4. If the shell of the egg is leaky and cracked, then it can no longer be stored. If you immediately prepare something from it, then it is completely permissible to eat it.
5. Salmonella die when exposed to high temperatures from 70 °C, therefore, if the eggs have expired, but they look quite normal and do not have an unpleasant odor, then you can try boiling them.

The easiest way to check eggs for freshness is in water; this is an old method that has fully justified itself. If you need to know the degree of freshness quail egg, then this method can also be used. The rules will be the same as for chicken eggs.

Eggs- an indispensable ingredient in many dishes and wonderful nutritious food. It's no secret that there is no dish simpler than fried eggs, which is not easy to spoil, but can easily be complicated and diversified by adding additional ingredients.

Considering this wide range applications of this product and its popularity, many housewives always have a certain supply at home so that, if necessary, they can quickly prepare any dish containing it.

Caring for the health and well-being of our loved ones, we always want to feed them healthy and high-quality dishes made from fresh ingredients. Therefore, when buying products, we carefully select only the most attractive ones, selecting the best for our family. But if the freshness of some goods is easy to check right at the market or in a store, then others are not so easy to figure out.

Conventionally, all methods for checking the freshness of eggs can be divided into 2 groups: methods applicable BEFORE purchase and methods for checking ALREADY PURCHASED eggs.

You can determine the freshness of a given product without paying money for it. To do this, you do not need to perform complex manipulations or spend a lot of time. You can simply evaluate the product according to several criteria:

• Appearance of the shell. A fresh egg has a matte, rough, hard shell. A glossy, smooth, greasy surface of the product indicates that it is stale. It could be wiped down many times, put on a store shelf, trying to hide defects and signs of poor quality. And you definitely shouldn’t buy a soft-shelled egg; its freshness is forever a thing of the past. It's also worth comparing appearance all units of goods in the tray - if some are rough and others are smooth, it means enterprising sellers want to sell the stale product along with the fresh one. Cracks and dents in the casing do not necessarily indicate its unsuitability, but will reduce shelf life and increase the risk of harmful microbes and bacteria entering the contents.
• Sounds when shaken. If you take an egg with your thumb and forefinger and shake it thoroughly, you can hear gurgling or squelching inside - this is a “chatterbox”; it has long since gone rotten. A fresh product should not make almost any sounds, since its yolk is elastic and tightly surrounded by protein, and there is very little air. Over time, air enters through the shell, and the contents of the egg peel off from the shell. The older it is, the more air it contains and the weaker the protein chains become.
• Smell. A spoiled product emits an unpleasant odor even through the shell, so if you feel signs of a stale egg, it is better to refrain from such a purchase so as not to pay for garbage.
• Date of manufacture And best before date. Usually this information is indicated on the packaging. Although the actual shelf life of eggs usually exceeds the date stated by the manufacturer, be wary if you see that the date sticker may have been re-taped, or if this information is not on the product at all.

Determining the freshness of eggs at home

How to check the freshness of eggs in stock? All of the above methods also apply to home inspections. But there are 2 more tests that cannot be carried out during purchase. This is a direct inspection of the contents and a water test for freshness.

If you break the raw fresh egg on a flat plate, it will not spread over the dish, but will keep its shape beautiful scrambled eggs. If the yolk has oval shape and its consistency resembles jelly, rising above the protein that surrounds it and does not spread, which means that this is a fresh dietary product. Many housewives are alarmed by inclusions of blood near the yolk, but in fact they do not bode well, unless there is a blood ring.

Such elements in the egg are the result of burst blood vessels during its formation. They are absolutely not harmful, and are even a sign of freshness, because in the process long-term storage may dissolve in protein.

You can determine the age of a product at home simply and reliably using ordinary water. Although there are suggestions that salted water would be better suited for such a test, they are not confirmed, since the results of experiments with salty and fresh water are the same. You need to take a tall vessel (glass, jar or bowl) and pour water into it approximately twice the diameter of the egg. After this, we simply lower the product into water. Then there are 3 options for the development of events:

1. The egg is sinking. If it sank to the bottom and took a horizontal position, it means the freshness is top level, because this behavior is characteristic of an egg that has been stored for less than a week. This result is due to the small amount of air under the shell. Over time, more and more air enters through it, as well as a variety of bacteria, which can cause a process of decomposition of the contents, characterized by a pungent odor.
2. The product sinks under water and takes a vertical position, touching the bottom only with the sharp end. This indicates that it is still quite suitable for consumption, although it does not boast first-class freshness. Depending on how close to the bottom the egg is located, its “age” can range from one and a half to three weeks.
3. Float position. If the product does not sink, but floats on the surface of the water, you can safely throw it away, this means that it already contains a lot of air and has been stored for about a month, or longer. You can no longer eat it, as it may contain dangerous microorganisms that cause poisoning or even salmonellosis.

It is very important to follow some simple rules hygiene when using eggs in cooking. Here are some tips to help you avoid rancid troubles:

• Always choose fresh, labeled product and pay attention to the expiration date.
• Optimal temperature storing eggs below 6 degrees. Under such conditions, the dangerous salmonella bacterium does not multiply, and vice versa - room temperature is the optimal environment for its spread.
• Washing eggs will help get rid of unwanted guests on the shell, but also deprives them of their natural protection, so when washed, the shelf life is significantly reduced.
• For baking and other dishes, it is best to use fresh ingredients. This will help you cook tasty and safe.
• Boil eggs for at least 5 minutes.
• The product can be used even after the expiration date, but only if proper storage and long-term heat treatment not lower than 70 degrees.
• A damaged shell increases the risk of bacteria entering the contents, so cracked or chipped eggs should never be stored. They must be prepared first, paying due attention to heat treatment.

Eggs are a source of abundance useful vitamins and minerals necessary for our body, but the greatest value is fresh product, so always check the expiration date before purchasing, avoid spoilage by following basic storage rules, and enjoy dietary product with health benefits.

Eggs are one of the main ingredients in cooking. You can't cook without them delicious biscuits or do rosy pastries. But it is important that they are of high quality, so you need to know how to determine their freshness.

How to check eggs for freshness using water

Perhaps the easiest way to determine the freshness of eggs is to put them in water. Take a regular glass, fill it with water and put the purchased product inside. If it sinks completely to the bottom, it means it is fresh and you have nothing to worry about. An egg that is about 7 days old will only slightly raise its side upward, while a two-week-old egg will “stand.” The very old ingredient will rise to the surface.

If you buy a product in a store, you can determine its freshness without leaving the counter. Lightly shake the selected egg; if there is something dangling inside, it means the product has been on the shelf for a long time. This is explained by the fact that over time the egg begins to gradually shrink (from the inside) and separate from the walls of the shell.

Checking the freshness of quail eggs

Quail eggs, just like chicken eggs, can be tested with water. But there is another way. You need to break the egg that you doubt and take a closer look at what's in the middle. First, pay attention to the yolk, it should be neat and whole, have a pleasant color and be located in the center. The protein should not spread much or have clumps, a uniform color and no unpleasant odor - these are the main signs of freshness.

You can also check the freshness of a quail egg using an electronic scale. The point is that a fresh product weighs more, and a spoiled product weighs less. Ideally, it should weigh between 15 and 18 grams.

How to check the freshness of boiled eggs

Definition of freshness boiled eggs at home - it’s not at all difficult. Just peel the product; if the shell comes off easily, it means it’s fresh, and if it’s difficult, then it’s old. If boiled protein has a strange appearance and excessive softness and heterogeneity, then it is better to throw the egg away altogether.

We check the quality with an ovoscope

An ovoscope is a special device used to determine the freshness of eggs by candling. A fresh canned egg should look as light as possible, the yolk should not touch the walls, move smoothly and be only slightly darker than the white. There should be no clots or darkening.

If you see spots or clots, and the yolk moves very slowly and periodically or constantly comes into contact with the shell, then the product Bad quality. In cases where the product is opaque or has a reddish coloration, the product should be discarded immediately as it is not only unfit to eat, it may be dangerous.

What are the dangers of stale and rotten eggs?

The main danger of any stale product is possible poisoning, with all the ensuing consequences. Of course, if an egg has been rotten for a long time, then hardly anyone will think of eating it, even a child, because it smells terrible. Anyone who has broken down a rotten product at least once understands what a real stench is. Well, if it does happen that you or someone close to you ate such an egg, then you need to go to the hospital as quickly as possible.

To avoid unpleasant situations with eggs, follow a few simple tips:

• Always store them in the refrigerator;
• You should not eat a product that is more than 2 weeks old;
• The ingredient should be stored at temperatures below 6 degrees;
• If a product is about to expire, it can be used, but only boiled or fried until fully cooked;
• If the shell is damaged, the ingredient should be used immediately or thrown away; storing it in this form is strictly prohibited.

Always ensure the freshness of the products you use. Have a good mood and culinary inspiration!