Are Eggs Still Good: How to Find Out

There are several ways to tell if eggs are still good. A helpful and proven method is the water test. You can even use it to estimate how old the eggs are.

Eggs are still good – you can quickly find out with these methods

Eggs have a best before date. According to the regulations, the best-before date in Germany is 28 days. Basically, you should only eat eggs that are still good, otherwise there is a risk of salmonella poisoning. With the water method, you can quickly see if the eggs are edible.

1. Fill a large glass or – if you have several eggs – a bowl with water. Then carefully put the eggs in.
2. If the egg stays on the bottom of the water tank, you can use it with confidence. In this case it is a fresh egg.
3. If the egg is standing more or less vertically in the water with the tip pointing upwards, it is around 14 days old. So the egg is still good.
4. However, as soon as the egg no longer shows with the tip but with the slightly flattened part upwards, the egg is already over 21 days old. It’s approaching its sell-by date.
5. Eggs that float on the water are usually more than 28 days old. If you still want to use the egg, you should examine it carefully before processing it.

Egg still durable – these characteristics provide information

In addition to some characteristics of the cracked eggs, the shake test also helps to determine whether the egg is still good:

• In older eggs, the albumen is already considerably thinner than in fresh eggs. If you shake the egg and hear a gurgling noise, it is an older egg.
• If you have already cracked the egg, there are also some indications of whether the egg is still good or not. The older the egg is, the faster the yolk will melt. In the case of very fresh eggs, on the other hand, the yolk bulges up, which is clearly visible.
• You can also use the so-called hail line to find your way around. As long as you can still see the thick white thread, the egg is fresh.
• Last but not least, you usually smell when an egg is no longer good. The egg yolk then gives off an unpleasant, putrid smell. In this case, you should discard the egg immediately.