cooking question

[mickeym]

I have eggs in my fridge, with a "sell by" date of August 4. I don't ever understand the 'sell by' thing because that doesn't tell me how long it's GOOD for.

So, these eggs--still usable? How long do y'all keep eggs?

Comments

[macbyrne.livejournal.com]

They're probably fine; as long as they've been refrigerated. It's just a sell-by date for the stores. I've used eggs long after the date, adn they were fine.

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

Oh, they've definitely been refrigerated.

Thank you! (I think breakfast in the morning is going to eggs scrambled with some cheese and mushrooms, yum!)

[linda3m.livejournal.com]

The real difference between fresh eggs and older eggs is the strength of the membrane separating the yolk from the white. So if you're scrambling the eggs, the age doesn't matter so much. It matters more if you need to separate the eggs.

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

Huh. I had no idea. I don't actually eat eggs all that often -- it freaks me out that you can see the itty bitty umbilical cord. Heh. But every so often I overcome my squeamishness and want scrambled eggs, or even better, deviled eggs. I'm not sure I've ever even made a recipe of any kind that called for separating them -- though I know stuff like merengue and so on calls for it.

Thanks! Wanna come over for breakfast? :)

[linda3m.livejournal.com]

The chalazae (umbilical cord) also breaks down as the egg gets older, but some recipes call for straining the raw egg to get rid of it.

[kaiz.livejournal.com]

Eggs last a LONG time. Even unrefrigerated. 2 weeks is nuthin', seriously.

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

Hee! Well, I have no idea how long ago I bought these. Been a few weeks, anyway. But I guess if the sell by date was only a couple of weeks ago... :)

Breakfast at my place tomorrow, about 8a... :)

[kaiz.livejournal.com]

LOL! I've had my own adventures with OMGHOWOLDARETHESEEGGSSHIT! and my father was a food chemist, so, yeah. :-) Also, 8am is too fucking early!

[kaiz.livejournal.com]

Oh, and yeah, food websites will tell you 4-5 weeks, but vickita totally has it right :-)

[vickita.livejournal.com]

FWIW, the age-old test for telling if an egg is bad is to put it in a bowl of water (the water should be deep enough to cover the egg). If the egg just hangs out on the bottom of the bowl, it's pretty fresh. If it sits on the bottom, but kind of at an angle, it's still okay. If it stands on its pointed end on the bottom, it's okay to eat, but probably best for baking or boiling. And if it floats completely, toss that puppy out.

As eggs age, they lose moisture, and the volume of gas inside the shell increases, so they become more likely to float.

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

All righty! I'm learning all sorts of things tonight about eggs, that I never thought I'd be learning :) Thank you!

[vickita.livejournal.com]

Y'welcome! I love eggs. Mmmm, eggs. And FWIW, I've never actually had one that failed the water test, no matter how long I'd kept them around. They really do keep a lot longer than you'd think.

[miafeliz.livejournal.com]

Oh... thanks for that. I am like mickeym and have them but don't cook them often.

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

My rule for eggs is if they're more than a week past their sell by date I cook them completely (ie scramble, hard boil or bake with them) instead of using them for soft boiled or fried. They last a pretty long time. You should be fine! :D

[rosebee.livejournal.com]

See this wonderful little page:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Food_Product_Dating/index.asp

Eggs = can be kept safely in fridge for 3 to 5 weeks after purchase

:)

[surevesta.livejournal.com]

Fill a container with water higher than the eggs and if they float then they're bad if they sink they're good.

[flambeau.livejournal.com]

Two things I've learned about eggs: it's almost impossible to get a truly fresh egg unless you keep your own chickens, and it takes forever for eggs to go bad. Have fun putting them in water! :) If you feel iffy about them, crack them separately in a cup before using them. If they've gone bad, trust me, you can smell it. ;)

[shinycuba.livejournal.com]

I was about to post the same advice as vickita! But I have to admit, I really love eggs ;) I buy them per 10 most of the time, and they don't often make it past two weeks in my fridge, hee. Enjoy breakfast, scrambled eggs sounds gooood!