Dates on eggs / how long do they keep for?

CompBunny

Thankyou, I will check the rest with the egg floating test! I forgot about that! What if the egg stands up in the water but doesn't float?

What about the black spot on the hard boiled egg?

PasturesNew

miss_corerupted wrote: »

You'll probably have loads of double yolkers!!

I got one of those from a supermarket's box the other week... hadn't seen one for over 30 years!

teddysmum

CompBunny wrote: »

Thankyou, I will check the rest with the egg floating test! I forgot about that! What if the egg stands up in the water but doesn't float?

What about the black spot on the hard boiled egg?

In this case I break the egg to see what it's like.


The black/greenish area is because of the way it was cooked. Overcooking causes this, as does being left to cool slowly.

~Chameleon~

CompBunny wrote: »

Thankyou, I will check the rest with the egg floating test! I forgot about that! What if the egg stands up in the water but doesn't float?

What about the black spot on the hard boiled egg?

If it stands up then it's fine to eat but will need eating sooner than later. The black spot is a blood spot where a rupture has occurred during the formation of the egg. Nothing to worry about. You don't see them in supermarket eggs are these are checked for any imperfections before being packed off to the stores.

CompBunny

Thanks very much for your help everyone! I feel a lot more confident using the unmarked eggs now Yay for cheap protein!

Minihauk

A friend who keeps chickens told me not to use very fresh eggs for boiling as the shell is not hard enough. I think the shell hardens after a few days in the air. It is more difficult to peel a fresh egg - the white comes away in bits ..... (at least in my experience).
Enjoy your cheap protein.

vgstar44

if you crack a bad egg open before cooking you will know it. Took a good hour to get rid of the smell in my kitchen!!!

Mojisola

Minihauk wrote: »

A friend who keeps chickens told me not to use very fresh eggs for boiling as the shell is not hard enough. I think the shell hardens after a few days in the air. It is more difficult to peel a fresh egg - the white comes away in bits ..... (at least in my experience).

It's not the shell that's the problem. When it's very fresh, the inside of the egg completely fills the shell. As the egg ages a little, the sac shrinks away from the shell which makes it easier to peel after it has been boiled.

cowboymum

zolablue25 wrote: »

I do this also and it is a good, easy, way of telling the state of an egg.

If you are unsure about the eggs provenance I would suggest that you cook them thoroughly. I believe all supermarket eggs are stated as salmonella free but these eggs may not be. Cooking them properly will destroy any salmonella

If these eggs are from a farm that supplies supermarkets I'm pretty sure that all the chickens will be vaccinated against salmonella. There are conditions put on flocks over 50 by DEFRA. I keep bantums and I know that they are not vaccinated. They are kept in v good conditions and v unlikely to have salmonella but I'm still cautious and cook the eggs well.

Steve059

And don't forget that any "leftover" older eggs can always be hard-boiled and pickled.