Eggs are staple diet in many families (vegans and pure veg exempted) so it’s necessary that these be stored safely for health as well as cleanliness. We have even genre called Eggetarians who consume only eggs but lets not digress into that. Wrong storage or consumption can cause salmonella sickness and especially with the advent of avian flu we must be even more careful to consume fresh eggs. How do we find and store fresh eggs? Read on….
We are used to buying eggs and storing it for days because, we can. With refrigerators drastically changing the way we look at food storage. In earlier days everything was consumed the same day and fresh food was made the next, depending on the weather. Fridge has become the boon for nuclear families and working couples/parents. There are also odes eloquently waxed on midnight snacks from leftovers in the fridge. It’s become so integrated in our lives that we cannot think of a life without it.
We do know nothing lasts for ever except maybe plastic. Eggs too come with an expiry date and that expiry date just gets a little pushed in the fridge. Yeah the stored eggs can be kept for a number of days and for a regular preparation of eggs they are fine. As long as they are fully cooked (hard boil, Indian omelette, bhurji etc) Eggs in the fridge will see their albumin getting thiner and thinner. When it comes to its use in baking and almost eating raw, you have to make sure its fresh. Even for a good sunny side up or a poached egg, fresh egg is king.
How do you know if the eggs you have is fresh or not? Here’s an interesting way to find out real time.
Checking for Fresh Eggs
Put the egg in a glass of water.
- If it sinks to one side, it’s fresh,
- If it stands upright in the water, it’s not fresh but still edible. Eat it hardboiled or as an omelette or any form which fully cooks the egg.
- If it floats, trash it big time.
Egg Storage
Guess the place for our eggs in the fridge? Always by the door right? It’s like a default option and even the companies provide the holders right at the side of the door. Guess what? Don’t store it there. They should ideally be stored in the main body of the refrigerator to ensure that they keep a consistent and cool temperature. Get a good box if required. Leftover raw egg whites and yolks should be put in airtight containers and stored in the refrigerator immediately.
| Fresh shell eggs | By best before date |
|---|---|
| Leftover yolks or whites | Within 2 to 4 days |
| Hard Boiled eggs | Within 1 week |
| Prepared egg dishes | Within 3 to 4 days |
| Pickled eggs | Within 1 month |
| Frozen whole eggs (blended) | Within 4 months |
Another tip I saw in another site was always keep the pointy end down while storing. Not sure how effective is that but I do it all the time and it has never really backfired.
Source – www.eggs.ca
