If it sits up in a vertical position and floats, then it is really quite stale. However, if they sink, but stand on one end at the bottom of the glass or bowl, theyre not as fresh but still edible. If you pop a fresh egg in, and it sinks and sits horizontally on the. Want to master Microsoft Excel and take your work-from-home job prospects to the next level? Jump-start your career with our Premium A-to-Z Microsoft Excel Training Bundle from the new Gadget Hacks Shop and get lifetime access to more than 40 hours of Basic to Advanced instruction on functions, formula, tools, and more. If the eggs sink to the bottom and lay flat on their side, theyre still fresh. And don't forget about those leftover egg cartons, which make good seed and fire starters, bird feeders, and candle-making molds.ĭo you know of any other ways to test whether or not an egg is good to eat? Share your method with us in the comments.

If you’re sure the egg is expired, you can either toss it in the trash, or use the shells as fertilizer for their calcium content. Fresh eggs sink to the bottom, while expired eggs will float. There are also lots of things you can do with those discarded eggshells, like make your teapot super clean, fertilize soil, and make sidewalk chalk. The first thing to do with expired eggs is give them a float test. You can put a flashlight right next to the eggshell to light up the insides, but historically, a piece of cardboard with a small hole in it was used, with a light source behind it and the egg in front. Personally, though, I don't think this method is as reliable.ĭon't Miss: Organic, Cage-Free, Natural: The Truth Behind Egg LabelsĪdditionally, there is the candling method, which is used primarily for testing egg quality before they're sold, but it could help determine freshness too, though it's more difficult to see at later stages. If you can hear liquid sloshing sound inside the egg, it's probably gone bad, but if you hear nothing, it's fine to eat. Some people also claim you can hold an egg up to your ear and shake it to test for freshness. But older eggs have had more time for the air to penetrate the shells, so they're more buoyant and will float.

A bad egg will float because of the large air cell that forms at its base. If they sink to the bottom and lay flat on one side, they are fresh and good to eat. Simply fill a bowl with cold tap water and place your eggs in it. Fresh eggs have less air in them, so they sink to the bottom. This is not a myth fresh eggs sink while bad eggs float to the top. The reason this method works is that the eggshells are porous, which means they allow some air to get through. Fill a bowl with enough cold water that the collected chicken eggs can be covered by about 2 inches when submerged. Image via FDA Why the Float Test Works So Well

Eggs float or sink