Can we all agree that store bought eggs just don’t match up to farm fresh eggs?
What is a downfall of buying fresh?
It doesn’t come equipped with a “use by” date on the side of the carton.
So, how do you know if the eggs in your fridge, or on your counter, are still fresh and ready or safe to eat?
Try the Sink or Float method when wondering how to test farm fresh eggs.
When we first got laying hens I was completely uneducated and had to rely on a lot of self learning. We were getting an abundance of eggs and I wasn’t sure how to properly store them or when I had to use them up by! That was when I went back to my roots and remembered that grandma’s tricks always work!
Store bought eggs come in a carton with a use by or expiration date printed on the side. They also are typically at the end of their “storage life,” so once you’ve gotten them home the store bought go bad much faster than farm fresh eggs.
Room temperature kept eggs are good for typically around 2 weeks whereas refrigerated eggs can last up to 3 months!! Yes- you read that right.
There are a couple of things that can change these timelines a little…
First– don’t wash the eggs until you are ready to use them. The shiny coating on a farm fresh egg is called the bloom which is a protein layer that the hen naturally produces to protect the egg after laying. Washing the egg will remove the bloom and the egg will start to become stale, faster!
Second– Make sure you are keeping them in a cooler/dry place. You want them to stay at room temperature and dry or else they will have to cool off in the fridge.
Third– Watch for any cracks, if there is a crack in the egg it wouldn’t be considered kept full and safe!
Now onto testing. Sink or float? It is truly as easy as that.
Use this 3 category guide to give you your freshness indicator!
Sink or Float: How To Test Farm Fresh Eggs
How To:
- Fill a cup 3/4 of the way full. Make sure to leave room as water will rise once the egg is put into the cup!
- Place the egg gently into the cup of water.
- Observe the egg!
Freshest: the egg will sink and lay flat.
Less fresh: the egg will sink but sit upright. (This egg is 1-2 weeks old. It is still useable and has some fresh life left to it!)
Not fresh (bad): the egg will float to the top of the water. Recommended to throw out!
You will also be able to smell a difference in a good vs. bad egg. A good egg shouldn’t have any smell as a bad egg smells like, well- rotten eggs!
Turns out that keeping and making sure farm fresh eggs are actually fresh is pretty easy. So no need to be hesitant at your next farmers market.
If you are keeping chickens like us, however, you might need grandma’s tricks to use up those eggs in abundance too.
Enjoy that beginner homestead life! There really is nothing like it.
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Love, light and a little grace….
-Olivia
Olivia Whalen is mama to three young girls who is devoted to creative learning, exploration and free range imagination. Olivia enjoys thinking outside of the box when it comes to preparing homemade baby food or meals for her family. She most enjoys allowing the little minds in her life to flourish and with that you will see her write about creative kid crafts, recipes that fit a family budget and keep everyone asking for more, tips and tricks for a tiny babe, and beginner homesteader fun! Some of her hobbies include gardening, hiking, reading, cooking or just basking in motherhood.