How to Tell If an Egg Is Bad
April 7, 2009 | In: Cooking
Tell If An Egg Is Bad
People all over the world have enjoyed their breakfasts with eggs for a long time now. Apart from being part of a meal, eggs have also made it to parties and other family gatherings. But not all eggs are good all the time.
Eggs sold in the grocery stores have a limited lifespan. In other words, they can’t stay fresh for a long time because they also become bad eggs after a certain period of time. Be careful then when you buy your eggs as you can be a victim of food poisoning if you happen to eat a bad egg.
So how can you find out if an egg has gone bad? Can you tell just by looking at its shell or you need to apply some techniques? Do learn the proper ways then of choosing the good eggs from the bad by reading some of the tips we will share with you below.
You have to know that an egg has a small air pocket inside. This is located at the large end and not at the other side. A fresh egg normally has a pocket of about one-eighth of an inch in depth and as big as a dime. An older egg will already have a bigger air space.
With these information provided, one effective way then of telling if an egg is bad is by submerging it in cold water. A fresh egg will normally remain on the bottom of the pan while an older egg about three weeks old will stand on its small end. What about the bad egg? You can tell right away if it floats.
This technique was given as an advice to cooks way back in 1750 by a certain Hannah Glass. Of course, nobody can deny that it still works today so always keep this in mind.
If you need to crack open the egg, the best way to check for a bad egg is to smell it. Older eggs are prone to bacteria and gas buildup. The gas present in a bad egg is hydrogen sulfide which creates the rotten egg smell. If the smell is bad, that only means that you have a bad egg so throw it away right there and then.
The blood spots also known as meat spots are not an indication of a bad egg. The spots come from a broken blood vessel as the egg is developing. On the contrary, their presence means that you have a fresh egg.
Related posts: