Tip of The Day: How to Tell if Your Eggs are Still Fresh

Eggs are a versatile, nutrient-rich food. Most of us buy them in crates because it’s cheaper and more convenient. More often than not, we use quite a  good number within a week or two of purchase. Then we forget the rest for a while. When we finally remember them, we may not remember how long they’ve been sitting there. Sometimes, we take the risk of cooking and eating them and at other times, we simply throw them away because we are afraid that eating them may result in food poisoning.

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Today, I’ll be sharing three easy ways to determine if your eggs are fresh, not so fresh or stale. Feel free to pick whichever works for you.

Float Test

This method is quite popular. To perform the float test, gently set your eggs in a bowl or bucket of water. If the eggs sink to the bottom, they are still fresh. If they are a few weeks old but still good enough to eat, they will stand on one end at the bottom of the bowl. But if they float on the surface, kuku dispose of them because they are no longer edible.

The Sniff Test

This is the oldest and most reliable way of determining if your eggs are good or bad. This is because while fresh eggs shouldn’t have a smell, rotten eggs give off an unmistakable smell whether they are raw or cooked. So, if you can’t tell if your eggs are bad, just crack them into a clean plate and give them a good sniff.

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Visual Inspection

Your eyes can also help you determine if your eggs are fresh or stale. All you need do is check the shells to ensure that they are not cracked, powdery or slimy. Cracks or sliminess can indicate the presence of bacteria. While powdery appearance on the shells may indicate mould. If the shells appear dry or undamaged, crack the eggs into a clean, white bowl. Look for any green, black, blue, pink discolouration in the yolk. This may indicate bacterial growth. Also, if you notice that the yolk or the egg white is runny, then know that the egg is old; it may not be bad but its quality may have declined. In conclusion, these tests are easy enough to perform. Most importantly, they will prevent you from throwing good eggs away. However, even eggs that pass these tests should be fully cooked to a safe temperature before consumption.   References Food Hacks: Wonder how to Healthline   Featured Image Source: Britannica

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• Addressing the Challenge of Malnutrition in Developing Countries

This article was first published on 23rd July 2020

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