How To Check The Freshness Of Eggs At Home And In The Store (on Water And Other Methods) + Photos And Videos

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Learning to check eggs for freshness: the most effective methods

Eggs are the basis for preparing various dishes, which every hostess knows about. In addition, they provide the body with many nutrients. But to get this effect, you need to consume only fresh products. Otherwise, you can cause serious harm to health. To protect yourself from negative consequences, you need to figure out how to check the freshness of eggs before buying and at home.

Content

• 1 Why stale and rotten eggs are dangerous

• 2 How long does the freshness of the product last

  2.1 Table: terms and conditions for storing eggs at home

• 3 Checking the freshness in the store

• 4 Home methods for determining suitability

  • 4.1 Clearance
  • 4.2 We use water
  • 4.3 Video: Water Testing Workshop
  • 4.4 Visual inspection of content
  • 4.5 Alternative methods
• 5 What to do if already cooked
• 6 Video: how to avoid buying a spoiled quail egg

Why stale and rotten eggs are dangerous

Eating stale chicken eggs is fraught with salmonella contamination

The danger of such products lies in the likelihood of salmonella infection, which provokes food poisoning and the development of salmonellosis. This ailment is quite dangerous and, in the absence of timely therapy, can be fatal. But this only applies to chicken eggs. Quails are carried at a temperature of 40 ̊С, and in these conditions the bacteria that cause salmonellosis do not survive.

But the next danger is typical for both types of eggs, since regardless of their origin, they are a source of allergens. But if at the dietary stage (up to 7 days after demolition) the likelihood of an undesirable reaction of the body is minimal, then as the shelf life increases, it increases.

How long does the freshness of the product last?

For better storage of eggs, certain conditions should be provided

Only fresh food can be good for our body. To protect yourself from possible negative consequences, you should figure out the optimal storage time for eggs.

Table: terms and conditions for storing eggs at home

Product	Conditions	Shelf life fresh	Boiled storage
Chicken eggs	At 20 ° C	20-21 days	10-12 hours
	At 1-2 ° C	Up to 90 days	7 days
Quail eggs	At 20 ° C	30 days	10 hours
	At 1-2 ° C	60 days	One week

Checking the freshness in the store

You can determine the freshness of eggs in a store or market by visual cues, smell and sound. Start by inspecting the shell: it has a rough and dull surface when fresh. This applies to both chicken and quail eggs. The damaged ones will have a noticeable shine.

Next, take the egg in your hand and shake it. You should not hear any sounds while doing this. If the egg gurgles, you should refrain from acquiring it. The shell of fresh produce has a scent like lime. If it is absent, it is likely that the eggs have been stored for quite some time. Their shells intensively absorb the odors of the surrounding food.

If electronic scales are available in the store, the suitability of a product for use can be determined by weight. The mass of fresh chicken eggs ranges from 35 to 75 g, depending on the category, quail eggs - 12 g. Lower weight indicators indicate their spoilage.

Eggs that are too light in weight are spoiled

You can also check by means of a special device - an ovoscope, which is designed for translucent eggs. The location of the yolk in the center testifies to the freshness of the product. If there are dark areas near the protein, this indicates that the egg has been in place for a week or two, but is still good for consumption.

Spoiled food does not show through at all.

Using an ovoscope will give the most accurate result

Home methods for determining suitability

There are several ways to make sure your products are fresh at home. They are suitable for both quail and chicken eggs.

To the light

1. Hold the egg near the light from a 100W or more lamp and examine it. If you notice an air gap between the shell and the film, the product is not quite fresh. The permissible size of the puga (this is the name of this formation) is 9 mm and 4 mm (for chicken and quail eggs, respectively). If the layer is more than these indicators, they should not be used.
2. Also look for drops of blood. Point and mobile formations are harmless, they arise when the chicken oviduct is damaged. But if you see a blood ring, which is the circulatory system of a dead embryo, the product cannot be used.
3. The multiplication of microorganisms leads to the formation of dark spots. They can also be detected when the egg is translucent. The use of such products is permissible after heat treatment. But it's best not to risk it and throw those eggs away.
4. If you have an ultraviolet lamp at home, try it out. Enlighten the product and carefully examine the color of the content. Fresh chicken and quail eggs should have a deep red hue, while spoiled ones should be lavender or gray.

We use water

The spoiled egg will rise up

To check the following method, you need a glass, which must be filled with water to a level of at least 10 cm. A deep bowl is also suitable. Dip the egg into the container and watch its position. If it sinks to the bottom, it means that the product is fresh, and if it floats up, it is unusable.

A chicken egg with the final shelf life will sink to the bottom with one end, and the other will be located on top. It must be consumed in the near future and only boiled or used for baking.

Video: master class on testing with water

Visual inspection of content

Break the egg into a flat plate. You can safely eat a product with a bulging round yolk and a shape-retaining protein. The spoiled egg starts to spread.

If the yolk has acquired a bright orange color, blood got into it at the stage of formation. Do not give up such eggs: after heat treatment, they become safe. They are used to make pancakes, pancakes, cutlets.

On the left - a fresh egg (thick white and convex yolk), and on the right - stale (since it has no shape and spreads)

Alternative ways

Pay attention to the markings. If the eggs contain the date of its application, they are classified as dietary, that is, they were laid no more than 7 days ago. The absence of this information indicates that the product belongs to the table type. These are eggs that have already been stored for 7-25 days.

What to do if already cooked

Fresh eggs smell good after boiling and are difficult to clean

Determining how fresh a boiled egg is is also quite simple:

1. First you need to clean it . The shell is removed from a fresh egg with difficulty; it is easily separated from a stale product.
2. Then cut it open. The presence of dark blue or green spots on the yolk is a sign that the egg is not fresh.
3. You can also apply the method used for raw eggs here and smell them. If there is a smell of hydrogen sulphide, the use of such a product in food must be discarded.

Video: how to avoid buying a spoiled quail egg

Following simple guidelines will help you avoid using a stale product. To eliminate the possibility of harmful bacteria getting into food, be sure to wash the egg before using it. This advice is especially relevant if there are remnants of blood, feathers or droppings on the surface of the shell. And in the process of cooking, first break the product into a plate and make sure that there are no impurities and unwanted odors.