Grandma’s Easy Hack to Check if Your Eggs Are Going Bad!

My grandmother was a master in the kitchen, using every trick in the book. She had a special drawer just for toothpicks, which she used to check if cakes were ready. She would also touch and poke pork chops to determine if they were done to her liking, and she never wasted bacon grease, using it to flavor numerous dishes.

She seldom relied on expiration dates on packages, perhaps because these dates only started to appear in the 1950s, long after she had become an experienced cook. Instead, she had her own methods to assess the freshness of ingredients.

Her favorite method to test eggs was quite simple yet effective: she would place an egg in a glass of water and observe its behavior, a technique she swore by.

Checking Egg Freshness

Whether you’ve picked up your eggs from the local grocery store or directly from a farm, it’s useful to know which ones to use first. A simple and enjoyable way to find out is by using my grandmother’s water test: just fill a glass with water and gently place an egg inside.

If the egg sinks, it’s very fresh. If it settles on the bottom but tilts slightly, it’s not as fresh but still good to eat soon. An egg that floats is older, but don’t be fooled by this alone. It might still be okay to eat. Check for any cracks first—if it’s cracked and floating, better to throw it out to avoid the risk of bacteria.

If the floating egg appears normal and smells fine when you crack it open, it should be safe to consume, though it’s wise to cook it thoroughly (think baked dishes) rather than preparing it lightly cooked or raw.

The Science Behind Why Fresh Eggs Sink

Eggshells are naturally porous, allowing air to enter and moisture to escape over time. As an egg gets older, it loses moisture, and an air pocket within it expands. This growing air pocket makes the egg less dense and more buoyant, eventually causing older eggs to float.

Tips for Purchasing Fresh Eggs

To ensure you’re buying the freshest eggs, it’s important not to just grab any carton off the shelf. Follow the USDA’s recommendation to choose eggs that are well within their sell-by or expiration date, clearly marked on the package.

Before purchasing, open the carton to check for any cracks, stickiness, or discoloration, which could indicate the eggs are damaged or contaminated, according to Jen Bruning, MS, RDN, Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Give the eggs a sniff too. A bad odor is an obvious sign they’re not safe to consume. If everything checks out, store your eggs in the refrigerator as soon as you get home and aim to use them within three to five weeks of the sell-by/expiration date.

For additional information on egg freshness, look for the USDA grade shield on the carton, which includes a three-digit code indicating the day of the year the eggs were processed, starting with January 1 as “001” and ending with December 31 as “365.”