Which nourishes well and satisfies the feeling of hunger due to its high calorie content. This is a real gift of nature, because one eaten egg contributes to the intake of protein, calcium, iron, vitamins A, E, B and other microelements.
Sometimes eggs are stored in the refrigerator for a long time and it is hard for the hostess to remember how long they have been there. Before using them to prepare certain dishes, you need to check the suitability of each of them in order to protect yourself and your family from food poisoning.
Ways to determine the freshness of eggs at home
We will not consider complex experiments to determine the freshness associated with the use of ultraviolet light, temperature measurement, etc. After all, you can check the suitability of the product at home using simple methods.
How to find out if an egg is rotten or not on the water
This is the most popular method . If the egg is fresh, it will immediately sink in water and will continue to lie at the bottom. If it rises with the blunt end up, while the sharp end lies in the water, then most likely the egg is already a week old. If the testicle floats freely in water, then it is at least two weeks old. And if it pops up like a fishing float, then it is better to throw it away, since its freshness is more difficult to establish, but one thing is for sure - it is more than a month old.
Instead of plain water can be used saline solution. To prepare it, one incomplete tablespoon is dissolved in 500 ml of water, although the concentration is no longer so important here, since the “old” product will float even in pure water.
This is due to the fact that under the shell there is a shell consisting of two layers, which freely passes air, light and moisture unilaterally. The shell in the blunt part of the testis is divided, forming an empty airy part (pugu). It is of great importance for the embryo, because through it the exchange of gases between the body and the external environment is carried out. The more the product "lives", the larger the size of the pug.
At the same time, the shell passes through itself not only the natural gas mixture. Bacteria, including those that cause decay processes, freely penetrate through it. Before a hen lays an egg, it is considered sterile. But as soon as it is “born”, its contents become vulnerable to microorganisms. When putrefactive bacteria get inside, gases and an unpleasant “aroma” begin to be released. The specific smell of a rotten product is the smell of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that accumulates due to protein rotting. The gases that accumulate in a spoiled product have a lower density, so such an egg will certainly float in water.
Checking for freshness with light
Contents can be viewed through a light source with a power of at least 100 watts. The freshness of the product is determined by detecting puga, as mentioned above, puga is the air layer between the thin egg film and the shell. It is located at the blunt end of the product. If the product is fresh, then there is no scare, it appears after a while as a result of evaporation of moisture and compaction of the contents under the shell.
In a dietary product, the puga should not exceed 4 mm, in the dining room - 8-9 mm. Dietary protein product should have a uniform and dense yolk. When the testicle is translucent, the yolk should be placed in the center. In a table egg, a slight shift is possible, but if the yolk is nailed to the shell, then there is only one conclusion - it is no longer fresh. Visibility of an embryo in any category is excluded.
Sometimes, when viewing a product in the light, you can see slight blood inclusions, they are acceptable even in fresh products, but under one condition, they must be small and punctate. If the droplets of blood look like a ring, then such a product should be thrown away, since even heat treatment will not make such a testicle suitable for consumption.
If the protein has a pinkish color, and the yolk is orange-red, then this indicates that the blood got in during its formation. The presence of dark spots indicates that microbes have begun to multiply under the shell.
External signs of a spoiled egg
- Look closely at the surface of the shell. In fresh products, it will be dull or slightly rough. Old eggs have a smooth and shiny shell with a bluish tint.
- The next step is to take the product in your hand and squeeze it a little so that you can feel slight vibrations inside, then shake it. Fresh product is always full inside, therefore, shaking will not let you feel any changes.
- If, when shaking, you feel as if something is flopping and pouring inside the egg, then you are holding a "talker" in your hand, which is unsuitable for use. However, this method does not give a 100% guarantee of egg freshness, it only allows you to weed out the "talkers".
How to determine the yolk and protein
If you bought eggs in the store, but when you came home you suspected their unsuitability, then break one on a plate. A fresh egg should have a fluffy and voluminous protein, more like jelly, with a less dense layer located on top. If the layers of protein are almost indistinguishable, and the yolk is flat, then this egg can no longer “boast” of its freshness, but it is suitable for eating.
What happens if you eat a spoiled chicken egg
The use of products of dubious quality is always fraught with unpredictable and ill-advised consequences. It all depends on the organism, its persistence and the degree of spoilage of the product. For example, some have spoiled egg will cause mild indigestion, and in others provoke a severe form of poisoning. Whether doctors will save a person who decides to eat an unsuitable product, or whether the victim of poisoning will earn a lifelong gastrointestinal disorder, there is no exact answer here.
Video: how to check the freshness of eggs at home
Eggs are used to prepare many dishes and snacks. But unfortunately, like any other products, they deteriorate over time. The freshness of a chicken product can be tested using several methods. Some we have already discussed with you in this article. And to consolidate the material, we suggest watching a short video on how not to spoil dishes with a rotten product.
Good afternoon, site visitors and regular readers. Today we will talk about ways to check eggs for freshness - rotten egg or not? Eggs are a source of protein, vitamin A and riboflavin, some nutritionists claim that this product can lower cholesterol levels.
The ingredient is often used in baking, for making batter and scrambled eggs, fried, baked, boiled, or eaten raw. give us the most dietary product!
A rotten or simply spoiled egg that does not yet have a characteristic odor can cause severe food poisoning. Low-quality products are found both on the market and in large supermarkets, so you need to know how to determine the freshness of the purchased product.
A dietary egg - up to 7 days of proper storage - is the freshest to eat.
If the egg is a baking ingredient or just a frying dish, it must be broken into a flat plate before use, and take a closer look.
- In fresh specimens, the yolk looks like a ball or oval around which the protein gathers.
- The transparent liquid has an elastic consistency, sometimes has a greenish or yellowish tint caused by the presence of carbon dioxide. But such a product can be safely eaten.
- The yolk, which has sunk almost to the bottom of the plate, indicates that the expiration date of the egg is coming to an end. It is worth using the ingredient only when the protein is transparent and gathers around the oval base.
- It is necessary to throw away the component if the yolk has literally spread over the plate, although its shell is not damaged, and the protein is more like water with an unpleasant fragrance.
How to check eggs for freshness video
Swimming lessons
How to check eggs for freshness in water? A product that needs to be cooked without breaking can be tested with a bowl of water. There should be a lot of liquid so that the egg can be distinguished: the egg sank to the bottom, or floated to the surface.
Fresh ingredients usually fall like a rock and don't move. Ingredients that are a little over a week old also sit snugly at the bottom of the container, but the blunt end rises slightly.
Eggs aged 2-3 weeks take a vertical position, the sharp end looks down. They are still suitable for consumption, but preferably after careful heat treatment.
A product that has completely floated to the surface of the bowl should be thrown away without regret, because it is definitely spoiled.
This method works because, over time, liquid and carbon dioxide evaporate from the chicken ingredient, but the concentration of oxygen rises, which pushes the egg out of the water.
shake and listen
You can’t test products with water in the store, and in order not to buy a dozen rotten copies, experts advise bringing each one to your ear, after shaking it, and listening.
If nothing is heard, and the hand does not feel how the yolk hits, the component can be taken. But eggs that make a squelching sound should be returned to their place, because they are not suitable for consumption.
Identify by color or smell
Some people claim that a spoiled chicken product has a specific flavor that comes from the shell. But this statement will be true for rotten specimens that are too stale on store shelves.
Others argue that fresh eggs have a matte shell, with an even color without spots and inclusions, while the coating of old ones acquires a bluish tint and becomes shiny.
Light and temperature will reveal the truth
In good light, the product is worth looking at in the sun: if the yolk is clearly visible and floats strictly in the middle, you can safely buy. For rotten components, the yellow filling is closer to the shell, sometimes sticks to it, and is difficult to see.
There are suggestions to try the blunt and sharp end with the tongue: if the first is warmer than the second, the ingredient is fresh. Missing eggs have the same temperature on both sides.
The method is very doubtful, because it is quite difficult to fix the difference without a thermometer. Additionally, there are risks of licking off some kind of bacteria, or even tasting salmonella.
Marking to help
How to check eggs for freshness? The “young” dietary eggs, which are no more than a week old, fall into the category of the highest grade. The first indicates that the product is from 7 to 14 days old, the third indicates that the chicken ingredient will soon become unfit for human consumption.
Sometimes eggs are divided into dietary and table eggs, which can be seen on the blue label. On some varieties, they put the date when they were demolished. Therefore, when buying a product, you need to carefully examine it, and read the corresponding inscriptions.
The only way to test the freshness of a boiled egg is to break the shell, because they pass the water and shake tests. The approximate shelf life of such varieties is about a week, provided that the shell remains intact.
Blood blotches are just pieces of blood that got into the egg from a burst capillary at the time of formation. They are a kind of guarantor of freshness, because over time they dissolve in protein.
How to check if a quail egg is rotten or not
We told you how to check eggs for freshness at home using water and candling. Watch the video, let's just say - disgusting!
What does a rotten egg taste like?
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Liked the article? Share with friends in social networks: The first thing you need to pay attention to is the egg shell. Inspect it carefully, if the egg is fresh, then its shell is hard, matte, there are no blurry spots of a suspicious greenish or brownish color on it. If the shell is soft - the egg is definitely rotten, if it is stained - most likely harmful microflora, such as mold, has started up under the shell. Please note that there are no cracks on the shell, an unfavorable environment can penetrate through them and the egg will deteriorate faster.
2 step
The next step in checking the freshness of an egg is its translucence. In a self-respecting store you can find a special device - an ovoscope. This is a special metal round box with cells for eggs with a built-in lamp at the bottom. A fresh egg is translucent in the light, it should not have dark spots. When translucent, the air chamber is visible (see photo for the previous step). In a fresh egg, it is small, if the egg has been lying for a long time, then the air bubble increases.
3 step
If the eggs are stale in the refrigerator and the previously purchased and later ones are mixed up, or if you can’t use the ovoscope in the store, you can easily check the freshness of the egg at home by lowering it into water. If the egg has sunk, it is dense and fresh. If it floats to the surface, then this egg is no longer useful for food - it is rotten. In order not to accidentally add such an egg to scrambled eggs, it is better to check the eggs before cooking.
4 step
And one more way to determine the freshness of an egg that is not yet rotten, but is no longer fresh either. When the egg is carefully broken, the yolk should be uniform in color, convex and solid. If the yolk is too pale, with whitish inclusions and flat, then the testicle has already grown old and its nutritional values \u200b\u200bare greatly affected.
Eggs are a product necessary for our life. In addition, they are protein suppliers to our body, with them we are definitely not threatened with hunger. But often, when buying this product in a store, we think about how to check the freshness of eggs.
There are several ways to determine the freshness of eggs.
1. Shaking.
With this method, you can determine whether the egg is usable or not. If the egg dangles inside, then the product is spoiled. But it is impossible to determine how many days the egg is in this way.
2. Visual.
One more remedy can be advised, how to check the freshness they tend to change their appearance depending on age. Eggs that have been laid recently have a matte finish. But the egg, which has lain a little, acquires a bluish hue of the shell. In addition, the surface becomes shiny. Therefore, look carefully, and all the secrets of the "egg life" will be revealed to you. 
3. Curious naturalist, or thermal.
Here you just need to measure the temperature of the egg. Of course, you don’t have a thermometer, so you need to rely on improvised means, namely your tongue. It is necessary to attach an egg to it, first with a blunt, and then with a sharp end. Feel the difference? So you have a fresh testicle in front of you. Experts say that a fresh egg has a blunt end that is warmer than a sharp one. In an egg of dubious quality, both ends have the same temperature.
4. Dietary.
Selling eggs can also tell a lot about the freshness of this product. All eggs are divided into table and diet. Diet eggs include eggs that were laid no later than seven days. They usually have a marking date on them. Table eggs are those that were born from seven to 25 days ago. Blue paint is used for their marking, there is no date. After coming home, it is worth checking your research to be completely sure of the quality of this product.
5. Scientific and technical.
It is necessary to enlighten the eggs with ultraviolet rays. A fresh egg is red. The older the egg, the dimmer this color becomes, turning into lavender. No ultraviolet? Then check without it. Just look at the light. The older the egg, the more dark spots it has. A rotten egg is not visible at all.
6. Dive.
One of the most is a solution talking about how to check the freshness of eggs. We make an 8% solution regular salt and dip the egg into it. If the egg lies on the bottom, its age is up to 6 days. If the blunt end rises up at an angle of 45 degrees, then it is up to ten days old. If standing upright, the egg is 11-12. If it floats in solution, then the age can reach 17 days. If a blunt end protrudes from the water to the surface, then the egg is more than 17 days old.
7. The last frontier.
Brushing is perhaps the most elementary way that can tell you how to check the freshness of eggs. Fresh eggs are cleaned much worse.
8. Measuring.
We check the air chamber, which is located inside the egg. For fresh, it should be no more than one centimeter. If the life of the egg is long enough, then the chamber will be longer, as the egg begins to dry out, and the space freed up as a result of this is filled with air.
9. Final.
Usually in fresh it forms a high ring above the yolk. Although this method cannot be called unambiguous. There is another sign: if the protein is too liquid, and the yolk is close to the shell, then the egg is old.
Sometimes even the most responsible housewife cannot remember how long chicken eggs lie in her refrigerator. A stale product can cause poisoning for the whole family, so be sure to check the suitability before cooking. The problem of expired products can be not only in spontaneous markets, but also in supermarkets that have a promoted name.
Eggs contain vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats, amino acids. They take pride of place not only in the adult, but also in the children's diet. In terms of importance, they can be put in second place after milk.
You should not start cooking until you are convinced of the excellent quality of the eggs. Do not forget that they can be demolished a few weeks before they hit the shelves. How can you tell if an egg is rotten or not?
Why are they useful?
The protein in this product is fully digestible human body. It is better to eat them boiled or fried. But raw can be dangerous if they have an infection. They are rich in magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc and other useful elements.
They must be eaten by people who rarely go to the sun, because they contain a lot of vitamin D. It is simply indispensable for strengthening bones. Lecithin has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the liver, brain activity, strengthens the walls of blood vessels. Luten improves vision, and choline prevents the development of cancer cells. Folic acid is indispensable if you are planning to become a mother.
The shell contains more than 30 trace elements, approximately 2 grams of calcium. It is useful to use it in combination with lemon juice. Grind the shells, mix and add to food by a teaspoon.
But to get all these benefits, you need to eat only a good fresh quality product.
How to check the quality?
How can you tell if an egg is rotten? Expiry date, unfortunately, some unscrupulous consumers indicate unreliably. Therefore, the hostess must learn to determine the freshness of the egg "by eye". Then it will be possible to avoid indigestion and other serious diseases that are treated only in a hospital.
Rotten and fresh differ according to the following main criteria:
- The three-day product does not have an unpleasant odor, unlike the spoiled one;
- If you shake a fresh egg, there will be no noise inside;
- The contents are rotten if they do not sink in a container of water;
- Unroll it - if it does not stop for a long time, then it has been lying for a long time.
The easiest way to recognize a rotten egg is to smell it. Stale has a characteristic smell that is difficult to confuse with any other. Another criterion is the yolk. It should not shake or knock on the walls. If you put it in the light, then the yolk should be clearly visible. On a flat surface, the rotten will spin for a long time - this is another method that helps determine freshness.
Many people know how to identify a rotten egg by placing it in water. This method is based on the laws of physics. Fill a glass with two-thirds of the water and place the egg in it. If it is “not older” than 3 days, then it will immediately sink in water. Week-old eggs will remain tilted, while rotten ones will float on the surface.
This is because they are not sealed. Microorganisms can enter the pores that are present on the shell. If putrefactive processes have already begun, then gases will be released, which are raised to the surface.
Of course, these methods can not always be used in the store. The quality of the product is affected not only by weight, but also by the time it was demolished. Eggs that are not yet three days old are assigned the highest grade. A week-old product is classified as the first grade, and a three-week old product is classified as the second.
How can you identify a rotten egg without cracking it?
Its surface should be uniform, without cracks and chips. If the shell has a grayish tint and there is no shine, then it is already stale.
There is another way to check that will help the buyer in the supermarket to determine the freshness of the product. You need to use an ovoscope - a special device for transillumination. When a dark yolk is immediately visible, and it is closer to the shell or sticks to it, blackouts are visible, which means that the product is “old”. The damaged ones are not visible at all. If you do not have a device, you can bring the product to a light source and make sure that there are no dark spots under the shell.
When you break an egg, carefully inspect the yolk. In a fresh product, it is tight and convex. If it is not the first freshness, then the yolk will be flat, and the protein will be watery. Fresh ones are much harder to clean than old ones.
How to store?
IN fresh they can be stored for quite a long time, but not more than six weeks. They must be placed in the refrigerator separately from other products.
They absorb odors very quickly. In addition, infections can enter through the pores if infected meat or fish lies nearby. To close the pores, grease the shell with vegetable oil.
You need to fold them with a sharp "nose" down. Then the yolk will not affect the air layer, and "settle" in the center. Store in this position in the refrigerator for up to five weeks. If the shell is cracked, they should be eaten as soon as possible.
It will not be difficult to figure out how to determine a rotten egg when cooking. If it has already completely deteriorated, then an unpleasant smell will be felt immediately as soon as you pick it up. A rotten egg will be different from a normal one when boiled. The protein will curl up, and as you break it, you will smell an unpleasant odor. Although the bacteria will die from high temperatures, you can’t eat it - poisoning is inevitable.
As you can see, every housewife can check the quality of an egg without violating the integrity of its shell. We wish you more fresh tasty and healthy dishes!
Egg is the product that is very often used. But many people do not know how to identify a rotten egg. In this article, we will teach you how to do it.
Every week you bring home huge packages with a variety of products presented on the shelves of markets and supermarkets. On the one hand, this makes your life much easier, and on the other hand, it complicates it, because not everyone can constantly keep in mind the expiration date of all this gastronomic variety. We are sure that you are not sure how long these products will last, and this problem is familiar to many firsthand.
This is especially true for eggs. Despite the fact that this is a very delicate product, its appearance does not change over time, and therefore it is almost impossible to determine the freshness of an egg “by eye”. Of course, it's no secret to anyone that you can break an egg and try to determine its freshness by smell, but there are other ways. Here are some ways to check the freshness of eggs:
1. Examine the shell
The shell of fresh eggs is slightly rough and dull. In spoiled ones, it will be smooth to the touch and shine in the light. If the shell is soft or stained, the egg is rotten.
2. Shake
Shake the egg lightly in your hand. If you feel that the protein is dangling inside, then it is rotten.
3. Check the egg with a lamp
To test the freshness of an egg, hold it up to a powerful light source. Dark spots that appear under the shell will indicate that the product is spoiled.
4. Spin
Lay the egg on a flat surface and make it spin. Rancid will turn on its axis more times than fresh. Unfortunately, only those who have already rotated eggs can use this method.
5. Check the white and yolk
Break one of the eggs and pay attention to the condition of the yolk and protein. If the yolk is convex, and the protein is viscous and tightly gathered around the yolk, the egg is very fresh. However, if the yolk is flat and the protein is liquid, this is a sign of a stale egg.
6. Submerge the eggs in water
Place the eggs in a deep bowl cold water. If they remain lying on the bottom in a horizontal position, then they are very fresh. Eggs, slightly raised with an obtuse angle upwards, are no longer the first freshness, but can still be used in the preparation of hot dishes. Eggs that float to the surface are spoiled and should not be eaten! We recommend that you get rid of them as soon as possible.
Eggs float to the surface because, over time, the moisture inside evaporates through the shell and the resulting "free" space is replaced by air. The more air inside the egg, the higher it floats. And, of course, the older it is.
Eat fresh food and stay healthy.
If you've forgotten how long eggs keep in your fridge, you can spend a few simple tests for freshness:
shaking
If you hear "squishing" sounds when shaking, then the air chamber has already reached a large size and the protein has become watery. The yolk "tumbles" in the egg if it is not too fresh.
breaking up
Crack an egg onto a plate.
Fresh eggs have a high bulging yolk holding a ring of albumen. If the yolk is flat and the watery white is spreading on the plate, the egg is not particularly fresh, it needs to be quickly processed in the kitchen.
Immersion in water
Put the egg in tumbler with water. Very fresh eggs will remain at the bottom. Week-old eggs will be angled flat end up. If the egg floats on the surface of the water, then it is already at least three weeks old. The air chamber of this egg has reached such a size that the egg floats.
translucence
Hold the egg, the freshness of which you doubt, to a bright light source so that the light falls from behind. Fresh raw eggs let in light.
No matter how you turn the egg, the yolk is always centered. In older eggs, the yolk begins to "wander".
And finally some more interesting facts
Do brown hens lay brown eggs?
But no! The color of a hen's plumage has nothing to do with the color of the eggs. The color of the egg shell depends only on the genes of the chicken.
Do brown eggs taste better?
And again you are on the wrong track! The taste of eggs is directly dependent on the feed and the health of the chicken. Under equal conditions, there are no differences in the taste and nutritional value of white and brown eggs.
The content of the article:
The freshness of eggs is the most important factor to pay attention to when buying them. This is a very popular product, because they are easy to prepare, very nutritious, contain many components valuable for the body. But all this applies only to fresh, rotten ones are not suitable for food and can harm health. Checking eggs for freshness is quite simple and directly at the time of purchase and at home.
What is the difference between store and domestic eggs
Stores usually sell eggs obtained from poultry farms. Eggs from a bird kept by a private trader are called domestic. Both the first and the second natural product, and those and others can be dietary and dining.
The difference is as follows:
- Taste qualities. Due to differences in the diet and the characteristics of keeping domestic and factory poultry, the taste of the eggs they produce also differs. Domestic chickens are daily on fresh air under the rays of the sun, closely communicate with the rooster, eat natural food: grain, worms, grass. Factory birds constantly live in special chambers without access to individuals of the opposite sex, receive special balanced food and vitamins. Therefore, domestic eggs are usually fertilized, and their taste is richer.
- Nutrition. Both those and other eggs contain many enzymes, proteins, amino acids and vitamins that are beneficial to the human body.
- Harmlessness. The health and hygiene of birds at the factory is strictly monitored, vaccinated against diseases. Health and hygiene poultry- entirely on the conscience of its owner. So those who want to buy homemade eggs should take care of finding a conscientious seller who can be trusted. On the other hand, it is not known exactly what additives and antibiotics were fed to factory chickens and how this will affect the consumer who ate their products. It is expensive for a private trader to buy "chemistry", so homemade eggs are safer in this regard, especially for allergy sufferers.
- Shell color. White or brown eggs can be both domestic and factory birds. But since the products are usually sorted in large-scale production, factory eggs can be distinguished by the uniformity of the shell color. In domestic eggs, on the same tray, all shades from cream to coffee brown can be present.
- Size. Private owners keep birds on the farm different ages. And since the young ones lay small eggs, and the old ones - large ones, then the owner's tray is usually inconsistent. But factory products are calibrated by special machines in size.
- Yolk color. It is believed that the yolks of domestic products are bright yellow, bright orange, and the color of the yolks of eggs from factory poultry is less saturated. But recently, a factory-made product can also boast of such a yolk color - due to special additives in bird feed.
- Smell. Just as the smell of a hospital's medicinal smell differs from the homely cozy aroma of a muffin, the smell of factory eggs is also different from the smell of homemade ones. In the first - sterility and emptiness, in the latter, depth and richness are felt.
- Price. It is customary to pay more for exclusiveness and quality. Therefore, store-bought ones are cheaper than homemade ones. Moreover, due to the fact that egg-laying in poultry occurs mainly in the warm season, domestic eggs become much more expensive during the cold period.
This is interesting! Why do stores sell only chicken and quail eggs? Because it is these birds that rush most often, 10 times more often than, for example, geese and ducks. But the latter, by the way, are 5 times more likely to suffer from salmonellosis. The safest in this regard are quail. They, the smallest, and even ostrich, the largest that you can buy, are the most nutritious, they contain 5 times more phosphorus, potassium and iron than chicken ones. Made from kilogram ostrich egg You can feed the whole family with an omelette!
Egg freshness levels
According to the degree of freshness, dietary and table eggs are distinguished. Here are their differences:
- Diet eggs. This is the freshest product. The bird took it down no more than one week ago. In stores, such eggs are marked with the letter “D” in red, but it is difficult to find them on sale. Usually such products are obtained from domestic chickens or bought in the market or on a small farm. They are the most delicious. Moreover, the best are those that were demolished 3-4 days ago and ripened in a dark place with room temperature. All enzymes of such eggs are in excellent condition and are easily absorbed by the body. Protein and yolk are elastic, thick, do not spread over the pan, but lie compactly on it. At diet eggs there is only one drawback: boiled, they are disgustingly cleaned, the protein sticks to the shell and falls off in pieces.
- table eggs. Diet ones become canteens as soon as 8 days have passed since the bird laid them down. These are mostly sold in stores. They are marked with a blue letter "C". The shelf life of table eggs is 25 days. They are wonderful boiled for salads, as they are easy to peel. They spread well in a pan, and the older, the larger the diameter.
How to check eggs for freshness when buying
In an ideal store, an ovoscope will be brought to your request to check the freshness of the eggs for sale. With this device, you can see what the size of the air chamber is inside the product, and understand whether it is of high quality. But you can do without an ovoscope. Use the following ways to check if the egg is rotten or not.
visual inspection
Even just for appearance An attentive buyer can determine the freshness of eggs.
A suitable product can be distinguished from an unsuitable one by:
- By shell. If it is rough, dull and hard, the egg is fresh. A soft shell with dark spots (traces of microbial growth) means that it is rotten. A smooth, glossy shell with a blue tint indicates that it is old and may be spoiled. True, it happens that sellers wash and even rub the surface of the eggs to give them a marketable appearance. But it’s better not to take risks, such “wetted” products will be stored worse. By the way, make sure that the shells of all the eggs in the tray are uniform. But if matte is interspersed with glossy, this indicates that the seller put an older product on the fresh one and it cannot be called conscientious.
- By smell. It is unlikely that eggs emitting a stink will be put up for sale, but, nevertheless, one cannot fail to mention this sign. Fresh product does not smell like rotten meat. Its shell gives off the smell of lime. How older egg, the more it absorbs environmental odors and loses its lime aroma.
- into the light. You can check the egg with a bright lamp (at least 100 watts) or a powerful flashlight. This method is also called candling (from the English “candle”), because in the old days the product was shone through with their help. The eggs at the blunt end have a so-called pug, an air chamber. The larger this chamber, the older the product. For dietary eggs, such a scare should be up to 4 mm in size, and for table eggs - no more than 9 mm. The yolk of a fresh product is in the center or slightly offset if it is at the edge of the shell or blurred so much that it is difficult to determine the location - you have spoiled products in front of you. The presence of an embryo or a clot formed into a ring is unacceptable. Dark spots signal multiplication of microbes, it is with such eggs that you can be poisoned. A pink tint in the protein and a red-orange tint in the yolk occur when it enters the blood chamber, this is not a product that is unhealthy, but its benefits are minimal.
Remember! Do not break all the eggs in one dish or in a common bowl with any other ingredients of the dish, if you are not sure of their freshness, so as not to spoil good products rotten. It is better to double-check one at a time in a separate cup.
shaking
Unsuitable eggs can be identified simply by picking them up, shaking or twisting them. Namely like this:
- weighing. If there is a scale nearby, weigh the egg. Instances heavier than 75 g belong to the highest category. The shell can be marked with the letter "B". Selected eggs (marked "O") weigh from 65 to 75 g. Eggs of the first category weigh from 55 to 65 g, the second - from 45 to 55 g, and the third - from 35 to 45 g (marked with the numbers "1", "2 ” and “3”, respectively). By weighing the product, you can understand whether the weight corresponds to the marking. If, for example, a selected egg weighs less than it should, this indicates that you are facing a marriage: it has become lighter because it has dried up, water has evaporated from it. Having learned the weight of the egg, you can also decide what is better to buy - large from old hen, in which more water, but less nutrients, or shallow from young - such are the most nutritious. It is believed that category 1 eggs have the best and most balanced composition.
- Shaking. This is how you can easily define a "talker". If you feel the contents of the egg dangling inside, it means that you have a rotten product in your hands. This happens when the egg shrunk during storage, and the inner shell separated from the shell.
- spinning. To recognize the freshness of eggs in this way, you need to be able to scroll a rotten egg on a flat surface at least once. So you can compare: rotten will make more turns, i.e., it spins longer than fresh.
Please note! Sometimes in stores there are eggs with different markings. If the label says "Premium", it means that the content of the chickens was strictly controlled and was almost perfect. If they have been raised as a home, free-roaming and eating natural food, their eggs are labeled "Organic" or "Bio-egg". "Fortified" means that the product has more useful substances such as selenium or iodine. It is impossible to verify the accuracy of this information. Therefore, it is better not to flatter yourself, it is highly likely that all this is a marketing trick.
How to check eggs for freshness at home
At home, more informative methods for checking the freshness of the product are available, and all manipulations take a little time. So, let's look at how to check eggs at home.
Simple Ways
To prevent poisoning and spoil the taste of dishes, it is recommended that you always check the eggs before using them, even if you are basically sure that you bought a fresh product.
It can be done:
- Breaking an egg. Before adding a raw egg to any other food, break it into a separate bowl and inspect. Fresh will have a fluffy, slightly spreading jelly-like protein with a thin, moist and more liquid surface layer. The yolk will rise above the white. If the layers of the protein do not differ, and the yolk is flat, this means that the product is of low freshness. But you can eat such an egg. Bad smell from an egg - a sign of microbial reproduction, this should not be eaten even after heat treatment, you can get poisoned.
- Having boiled an egg. A quickly and smoothly peeling hard-boiled egg with a dent on the side (the place where there was air between the shell and the membrane) signals that the product is tableware and has been stored for some time. The freshest boiled egg is disgustingly peeled, much more difficult than a stale one, the place of the air sac is not noticeable. Ease of cleaning will not give even his "bathing" in cold water after boiling.
- With the help of water. A very reliable way to accurately determine the freshness of the product. Before checking the eggs in the water, it is worth remembering that the older it is, the more fright in it, that is, the more air, and the better it will swim. Pour water into the container (at least 10 cm) and lower the raw specimen there. The fresh dietary product will remain horizontal. If the egg came off the bottom with a blunt end, this means that the bird laid it more than a week ago and you have a table product in front of you. A product that has surfaced for at least a month is spoiled.
Complex Methods
You can check chicken eggs in more complex ways. For example, like this:
- By measuring the temperature of the shell. Wash the egg well, preferably with soap. Rinse and dry until completely dry. Then touch the tip of the tongue to the sharp and blunt end alternately. If a blunt one seems to you unequivocally warmer than a sharp one, this is good, then you are dealing with a fresh product. But if you do not feel the difference and the temperature of the shell seems to be exactly the same from either end, then the egg has a solid age.
- With the help of ultraviolet. Enlighten the copy under ultraviolet rays. The bright red color of the insides will indicate that it is fresh. The paler the color, the older the product. An unfit egg under ultraviolet rays will appear purple inside, and may also have dark spots.
Attention! Do not forget to look at the expiration date indicated on the package or marked on the egg itself. If you have a choice, try to buy copies stamped on the shell, because the sticker on the package can be re-glued.
Egg storage rules
Always wash eggs before use and hands after touching this product. If you are making a dish using raw eggs, take exclusively fresh, better quail. You need to cook them for at least 5 minutes after boiling water.
- Storage temperature. It is best to store them in a dark, cool place. The most suitable option is a refrigerator. The fact is that at temperatures below 6 ° C, Salmonella bacteria do not multiply. But at room temperature, this process accelerates, and subsequent cooling will not correct the situation.
- Shelf life. Table eggs are stored for no more than 25 days, provided that there is no damage to the shell. A product with a cracked shell should be used immediately.
- Storage Features. To keep the egg fresh for a long time, it is necessary to store it with a blunt end up. It is also necessary to ensure the integrity of the natural protective layer on the shell, which prevents air from penetrating inside. That is why it is not recommended to wash the product if you are going to store it for a long time, because water washes away the protection. It is also required to ensure a constant temperature during storage of eggs, its differences will shorten the shelf life.
Please note! Eggs boiled for Easter in large numbers, can be stored in the refrigerator for a week, and at room temperature - no longer than four days. Preservation will improve if you oil their shells. sunflower oil. This will close the pores and prevent air from entering the product.
How to check eggs for freshness - look at the video:
By adhering to the above tips and carefully checking eggs for freshness when buying and immediately before use, you can protect yourself and your family from food poisoning.
It can be quite difficult for many housewives to answer the question of when the eggs stored in the refrigerator were purchased. Not to mention the fact that it is not known how long they lay in the store. Therefore, the question of how to check eggs for freshness often becomes very relevant. This article will cover all the subtleties of identifying "old" eggs and talk about how to conduct simple but effective freshness tests.
Checking chicken eggs for freshness at home
Eggs are considered a valuable source of trace elements and vitamins. "Chicken caviar" is used as independent dish or prepare various dishes based on it.
But if fresh this product only benefits the body, then eating spoiled eggs can lead to poisoning, which leads to serious health problems, even death.
Reveal the product that was stored long time You can also in the supermarket.
So, the freshness of eggs is determined by the following criteria:
- Surface structure. The shell of fresh eggs is matte and slightly rough to the touch. Old ones will stand out with a glossy sheen and turn out to be smooth.
- Smell. The eggshell has the ability to absorb the smells of surrounding objects, like a sponge. If fresh food smells of lime, then over time they will attract extraneous aromas.
- Sound and vibration level when shaking. If you bring a raw chicken egg to your ear and shake it slightly, in the case when it is fresh, there will be no extraneous sounds. Gurgling and vibration occur if the product has been stored for a long time.
- Product weight. If a fresh egg weighs between 55 and 70 g, then as a result long-term storage this figure will decrease.
- View of the egg in the light. If possible, you need to bring the egg to a window or lighting fixture. When the product is fresh, it will be perfectly visible, in addition, there are no dark blotches inside. And the "air chamber", located in the wide part of the egg, will be barely noticeable. The longer the product is stored, the greater this formation.
- Reaction to spin. If there is a flat horizontal surface near the counter, place an egg on it and spin it with your fingers. A fresh product will quickly stop its movement, and the one that has been stored for a long time, just like the boiled one, will wrap itself in a “top”.
