How to identify a rotten egg by breaking it. How to check if an egg is rotten? Visual assessment of freshness

How to identify a rotten egg by breaking it.  How to check if an egg is rotten?  Visual assessment of freshness
How to identify a rotten egg by breaking it. How to check if an egg is rotten? Visual assessment of freshness

Eggs are a valuable food product that is used in every family. They are eaten as an independent dish or used as an additional ingredient in various recipes - soups, baked goods, cutlets. They buy them in dozens and use them gradually as needed. However, there are times when the shelf life is called into question. How to determine the freshness of eggs at home?

The freshness of a chicken egg depends on the time of production and storage conditions.

Eggs can be divided into several types.

  1. Dietary - the freshest, the shelf life of which at low temperatures does not exceed 7 days.
  2. Canteens - 25 days at room temperature and 90 in the refrigerator.

Boiled chicken eggs can be refrigerated for up to 14 days if they are hard-boiled. And if soft-boiled, then no more than two days. Cracked and peeled - no more than three days, and broken raw - only two days.

Easter eggs dyed with natural dyes (onion peels, vegetable juices) are stored for no more than two weeks. If painted with artificial paints, the shelf life increases by another one or two days. Colorful thermal film, which does not allow air to pass through, greatly reduces freshness, these eggs should be eaten within the next three days.

And if you keep chickens, you can safely store fresh eggs for up to 3 months, in the refrigerator, of course. When buying homemade eggs on the market, even from a trusted seller, do not store them for a long time, make allowances for the fact that they have been collected for sale for more than one day.

Most people keep eggs in the refrigerator; there is a special shelf for them on any door. But it turns out that it is not recommended to store them in this way, because the refrigerator is often opened and closed, so the food on the door is subject to temperature changes, which does not have the best effect on their freshness. But the vegetable compartment is best suited for eggs - these are closed containers with a constant temperature. The optimal mode is from +2 to +4 degrees.

Before putting eggs in the refrigerator, they should not be washed - the shelf life will be reduced to 12 days, because the protective film is washed off, the pores open, and the penetration of bacteria inside increases.

The shell has a porous structure and easily absorbs foreign odors, so place the eggs in a closed container with the pointed nose down, then the yolks will be located in the center, and nothing will interfere with the supply of oxygen to the contents. Try not to let the eggs touch each other.

Many housewives, in the old fashioned way, keep eggs outside the refrigerator, for example, in enamel pans. This storage method is possible if the temperature does not exceed 20 degrees. The eggs stay fresh for three weeks. It is recommended to wrap each one in any paper and place it with the sharp end down.

Salt is an excellent preservative. Dissolve salt in water at the rate of 1 tablespoon per liter of water, lower the eggs into it and place in a cool, dark place. In this way, eggs can be stored for up to one month.

How to tell if eggs are fresh

Determining the freshness of an egg at home is quite simple. If you have a sneaking suspicion that the egg is stale, try a few proven methods.

If the eggs are industrially produced, that is, they were laid by chickens at a poultry farm, then each of them is stamped with the exact date of production. This is very convenient because you can always check how fresh the egg is.

Dietary eggs are marked in red, table eggs are stamped in blue with the obligatory indication of the category:

  • highest (HV) – large, reaching 75 g;
  • selected (SO) – quite large, 65-74.9 g;
  • first (C1) – from 55 g;
  • second (C2) – from 45 g;
  • third (C3) – from 35g.

Be sure to check the date of manufacture when purchasing and give preference to poultry farms in your region.

To the light

There is a special device called an ovoscope; by the way, it’s easy to make with your own hands in just 5 minutes. It shines through the eggs and determines their freshness. If the yolk is in the center, then the product is suitable for consumption. The presence of darkened areas near the white means that the testicles have been lying around for a week or two, but they can be eaten without any problems. And stale eggs are not translucent at all.

Since you most likely do not have a device, bring the egg to a light source with a power of at least 100 W and take a good look at it in the light. The following factors indicate that eggs are not fresh:

  • an air gap of more than 9 mm between the shell and the protective film;
  • blood ring or large clots (pinpoint blood spots are allowed).

If you have an ultraviolet lamp, a fresh egg will show a bright red color, while a spoiled egg will show a pale purple or gray color.

One of the most popular home methods is to determine the freshness of eggs in water. This method was also used by our great-great-grandmothers, who did not have a refrigerator and were not familiar with GOST standards for storing eggs.

Immerse the egg in a glass of cold water and monitor the result:

  • lies on the bottom on its side - fresh, recently demolished;
  • at an angle: a sharp nose at the bottom, a blunt one floating up - a week-old egg;
  • stands in the middle of the glass with the blunt tip up - the egg is two to three weeks old;
  • floating on the surface - rotten.

Egg shells are porous and breathable. The moisture inside evaporates over time, leaving air, which lifts the testicle upward. The “older” the egg, the higher it will rise in a glass of water.

Visual inspection

Start your inspection with the appearance of the shell; it should be rough and matte. Stale eggs have a characteristic shine and gloss. Cracks and chips are not allowed unless you yourself did not save the egg on the way home.

Fresh eggs smell like lime, but if the smell is hydrogen sulfide, the egg is rotten.

Shake the egg. Fresh food will not make sounds, but spoiled food may gurgle with its contents.

Break the egg onto a plate. The white may have a greenish or yellowish tint due to carbon dioxide, which gives the color. If the yolk is round and convex and the white holds its shape, then everything is fine. If the yolk is loose or flattened, the white is transparent and does not separate from it, then the product is edible, but the shelf life is already running out. Sometimes a broken egg has pinpoint blood spots - this is normal and not scary. If you feel uncomfortable, remove the clot.

Perhaps you have noticed protein flagella along the edges of the yolk? They are designed to hold it in the middle of the egg so that the embryo is in the warmest place. The presence of these flagella indicates freshness; over time they dissolve.

A stale egg will have an unpleasant odor, spread - the white is runny, and the yolk becomes flat.

The color of the yolk or shell does not in any way indicate the age of the bird; it depends on the bird’s food and its breed. This also does not affect the nutritional value, except that brown eggs have a stronger shell.

Eggs are the third most common food poisoning after meat and dairy products. Poisoning often occurs due to the Salmonella bacterium; the incubation period is only 72 hours, develops rapidly, and if urgent measures are not taken, death is possible. The biggest danger of infection is eating raw eggs; the bacterium “lives” on the inside of the shell under a protective film.

Recently, quail eggs have been very popular; you cannot become infected with salmonellosis from them, since when quails lay eggs, the eggs are released at a temperature of 40 degrees, and all bacteria die.

If you have allergic reactions to egg products, then you need to eat only fresh dietary eggs. The longer they are stored, the greater the likelihood of allergies.

Try not to buy dirty eggs with adhering droppings or feathers - this indicates poor hygiene in the keeping of chickens.

Conclusion

If you have any doubts, break the egg into a separate container before adding it to food, make sure there is no unpleasant odor or foreign impurities. Dirty shells should be washed first to prevent harmful bacteria from getting into the dish. If eggs are not cooked in the recipe, then use only diet eggs or freshly laid homemade ones.

Buy fresh eggs and do not use them if they are past their expiration date.

Mother of two children. I have been running a house for more than 7 years - this is my main job. I like to experiment, I constantly try different means, methods, techniques that can make our life easier, more modern, more fulfilling. I love my family.

Good afternoon, site guests and regular readers. Today we will talk about ways to check eggs for freshness - is it a 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 omelettes, 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.

Diet egg - up to 7 days of proper storage - is the freshest for nutrition.

If the egg is an ingredient in baking or just a dish for frying, before using it, you need to break it onto a flat plate and look closely.

  • In fresh specimens, the yolk looks like a ball or oval around which the white collects.
  • The transparent liquid has an elastic consistency and sometimes has a greenish or yellowish tint caused by the presence of carbon dioxide. But such a product can be safely consumed.
  • A yolk that has sunk almost to the bottom of the plate indicates that the egg is nearing the end of its shelf life. The ingredient should only be used when the protein is transparent and gathers around an oval base.
  • It is necessary to throw away the component if the yolk has literally spread across the plate, although its shell is not damaged, and the white looks more like water with an unpleasant odor.

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 using a bowl of water. There must 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 stone 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 lifts up slightly.


Eggs that are 2-3 weeks old take on a vertical position, with the sharp end pointing 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 increases, which pushes the egg out of the water.


Shake and listen

In the store you cannot test the products with water, and in order not to buy a dozen rotten copies, experts advise holding each one to your ear, then shaking it, and listening.

If you don’t hear anything and your hand doesn’t feel the yolk hitting the yolk, you can take the component. 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 spoiled chicken product has a specific aroma that comes from the shell. But this statement will be correct for rotten copies that have been too long on store shelves.

Others claim that fresh eggs have a matte shell, with an even color without spots or inclusions, while the coating of old eggs acquires a bluish tint and becomes shiny.


Light and temperature will reveal the truth

In good lighting, the product is worth looking at in the sun: if the yolk is clearly visible and floats exactly in the middle, you can safely buy it. In 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 ends with your tongue: if the first is warmer than the second, the ingredient is fresh. For missing eggs, both sides are the same temperature.

The method is very dubious, because it is quite difficult to record the difference without a thermometer. Additionally, there are risks of licking off some bacteria, or even tasting salmonella.

Marking to help

How to check eggs for freshness? The highest grade category includes “young” dietary eggs that are no more than a week old. 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 consumption.

Sometimes eggs are divided into dietary and table eggs, which can be seen on the blue markings. Some varieties are marked with the date when exactly they were demolished. Therefore, when purchasing a product, you need to carefully inspect it and read the relevant labels.


You can check the freshness of a boiled egg only by breaking the shell, because they successfully pass the water and shaking tests. The approximate shelf life of such varieties is about a week, provided that the shell remains intact.

Blood spots are just pieces of blood that entered the egg from a burst capillary at the time of formation. They are a kind of guarantee of freshness, because over time they dissolve in the protein.

How to check whether a quail egg is rotten or not

We told you how to check eggs for freshness at home using water and ovoscopy. Watch the video, let’s just say it’s disgusting!

What does a rotten egg taste like?

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The first thing you need to pay attention to is the egg shell. Examine it carefully; if the egg is fresh, then its shell is hard, matte, and there are no spreading spots of a suspicious greenish or brownish color. If the shell is soft, the egg is definitely rotten; if it is stained, most likely harmful microflora, such as mold, have grown under the shell. Make sure that there are no cracks in the shell; unfavorable environments can penetrate through them and the egg will deteriorate faster.

Step 2

The next step in checking the freshness of an egg is to candling it. 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 shines through in the light and should not have dark spots. When shined through, the air chamber is visible (see photo to the previous step). In a fresh egg it is small; if the egg has been sitting for a long time, the air bubble increases.

Step 3

If the eggs have been sitting in the refrigerator and the previously purchased and later ones are mixed up, or you were unable to use an ovoscope in the store, you can easily check the freshness of the egg at home by lowering it into water. If the egg is submerged, it is firm and fresh. If it floats to the surface, then this egg is no longer useful for food - it is rotten. To avoid accidentally adding such an egg to scrambled eggs, it is better to check the eggs before cooking.

Step 4

And one more way to determine the freshness of an egg that is not yet rotten, but is no longer fresh. When you carefully break the egg, the yolk should be uniform in color, convex and whole. If the yolk is too pale, has whitish inclusions and is flat, then the egg is already old and its nutritional value has suffered greatly.

Eggs are a product necessary for our life. In addition, they are suppliers of protein to our body, and with them we are definitely not in danger of feeling hungry. 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.

Using this method, you can determine whether the egg is suitable for consumption or not. If the egg dangles inside, it means the product is spoiled. But it is impossible to determine how many days an egg is in this way.

2. Visual.

We can recommend one more way to check freshness; they tend to change their appearance depending on age. Eggs that have been laid recently have a matte finish. But an egg that has been sitting for a while takes on a bluish tint to the shell. In addition, the surface becomes shiny. Therefore, look carefully, and all the secrets of “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 the means at hand, namely your tongue. You need to attach the egg to it first with the blunt end and then with the sharp end. Did you feel the difference? This means that the egg in front of you is fresh. Experts say that the blunt end of a fresh egg is warmer than the sharp end. An egg of questionable quality has both ends at the same temperature.

4. Dietary.

The sale of eggs can also tell a lot about the freshness of this product. All eggs are divided into table and dietary. Dietary eggs include eggs that were laid no later than seven days. They are usually marked with the date of marking. Table eggs are those that were born seven to 25 days ago. They are marked with blue paint and there is no date. After getting 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 illuminate the eggs with ultraviolet rays. A fresh egg is red. The older the egg, the duller 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. And a rotten egg is not visible at all.

6. Immersion.

One of the simplest methods is a solution that talks about how to check the freshness of eggs. Make an 8% solution of ordinary salt and immerse the egg in it. If the egg lies at the bottom, it is up to 6 days old. If the blunt end rises upward at an angle of 45 degrees, then it is up to ten days old. If standing vertically, the egg is 11-12. If it floats in solution, the age can reach 17 days. If a blunt end protrudes from the water to the surface, it means the egg is more than 17 days old.

7. The last frontier.

Cleaning is perhaps the most basic way to check the freshness of eggs. Fresh eggs are much harder to clean.

8. Measuring.

We check the air chamber that is inside the egg. For fresh ones, it should be no more than one centimeter. If the life of the egg is quite long, then the chamber will be larger, since the egg begins to dry out, and the space vacated as a result of this is filled with air.

9. Final.

Usually when fresh it forms a high ring above the yolk. Although this method cannot be called unambiguous. There is another sign: if the white is too runny and the yolk is close to the shell, it means the egg is old.

Sometimes even the most responsible housewife cannot remember how long chicken eggs have been in her refrigerator. A stale product can cause poisoning to the whole family, so be sure to check its suitability before cooking. The problem of expired products can occur not only in spontaneous markets, but also in supermarkets that have a well-known name.

Eggs contain vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats, and amino acids. They occupy a place of honor not only in adults, but also in children’s diets. In terms of importance, they can be placed in second place after milk.

You should not start cooking until you are sure that the quality of the eggs is excellent. Don't forget that they may be sold out weeks before they hit the shelves. How to determine whether an egg is rotten or not?

Why are they useful?

The protein of this product is completely absorbed by the human body. It is better to eat them boiled or fried. But raw ones can be dangerous if they contain an infection. They are rich in magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc and other useful elements.

They should definitely be eaten by people who are rarely exposed to the sun, because they contain a lot of vitamin D. It is simply irreplaceable for strengthening bones. Lecithin has a beneficial effect on liver function, brain activity, and strengthens the walls of blood vessels. Lutene improves vision, and choline prevents the development of cancer cells. Folic acid is essential 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 in combination with lemon juice. Grind the shells, mix and add a teaspoon to food.

But to get all these benefits, you only need to eat a good, fresh, quality product.

How to check the quality?

How can you tell if an egg is rotten? Unfortunately, some unscrupulous consumers indicate the expiration date incorrectly. Therefore, the housewife must learn to determine the freshness of an egg “by eye”. Then it will be possible to avoid indigestion and other serious diseases that can only be treated in a hospital.

Rotten and fresh differ according to the following basic criteria:

  • A three-day product does not have an unpleasant odor, unlike a 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;
  • Unwind it - if it doesn’t stop for a long time, it means it’s been lying there 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 against the walls. If you put it in the light, the yolk should be clearly visible. On a flat surface, rotten food 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, it will immediately drown in water. Week-old eggs will remain tilted, while rotten ones will float on the surface.

This is due to the fact that they are not airtight. Microorganisms can enter the pores that are present on the shell. If putrefactive processes have already begun, gases will be released that rise to the surface.

Of course, these methods cannot always be used in a store. The quality of the product is affected not only by weight, but also by the time when 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 breaking it?

Its surface should be uniform, without cracks or chips. If the shell has a grayish tint and no shine, then it is already stale.

There is another verification method that will help the buyer in the supermarket 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, darkening is visible, which means the product is “old”. Damaged ones are not visible at all. If you don't have a device, you can hold the product up to a light source and make sure there are no dark spots under the shell.

When you crack the egg, carefully examine the yolk. In the fresh product it is tight and convex. If it is not fresh, the yolk will be flat and the white will be watery. Fresh ones are much more difficult to clean than old ones.

How to store?

They can be stored fresh for quite a long time, but no more than six weeks. They must be placed in the refrigerator separately from other products.

They absorb foreign odors very quickly. In addition, infections can enter through the pores if contaminated meat or fish is lying nearby. To close the pores, lubricate the shell with vegetable oil.

They need to be folded with the sharp “nose” down. Then the yolk will not affect the air layer, and will “settle” in the center. In this position, you can store in the refrigerator for up to five weeks. If the shell is cracked, they need to be eaten as quickly as possible.

Figuring out how to identify a rotten egg when boiling is not difficult. If it has already completely deteriorated, then an unpleasant odor will be felt immediately as soon as you pick it up. A rotten egg will differ from a normal egg when cooked. The protein will coagulate, and when it breaks, you will smell an unpleasant odor. Although the bacteria will die from high temperatures, you should not 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 a product that is used very often. But many people don't know how to identify a rotten egg. In this article we will teach you how to do this.

Every week you bring home huge bags with a variety of products presented on the shelves of markets and supermarkets. On the one hand, this makes your life much easier, but on the other hand, it complicates it, because not everyone can constantly keep in mind the expiration date of all this gastronomic diversity. We are sure that you are not sure how long these products will last, and this problem is familiar to many first-hand.

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 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. Inspect the shell

The shell of fresh eggs is slightly rough and matte. For those that have deteriorated, 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

Lightly shake the egg in your hand. If you feel that the protein inside is hanging out, then it is rotten.

3. Check the egg with a lamp

To check the freshness of an egg, hold it up to a strong light source. Dark spots that appear under the shell will indicate that the product is spoiled.

4. Twist

Place the egg on a flat surface and make it rotate. The rotten one will rotate around its axis more times than the fresh one. Unfortunately, this method can only be used by those who have already rotated eggs before.

5. Check the white and yolk

Break one of the eggs and pay attention to the condition of the yolk and white. If the yolk is convex and the white is viscous and tightly gathered around the yolk, the egg is very fresh. However, if the yolk is flat and the white is runny, this is a sign of a stale egg.

6. Submerge the eggs in water

Place the eggs in a deep container with cold water. If they remain lying on the bottom in a horizontal position, then they are very fresh. Eggs, slightly raised at an obtuse angle upward, are no longer fresh, but can still be used in preparing hot dishes. Eggs that float to the surface are spoiled and cannot 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.

To determine the freshness of an egg without breaking the shell, you can use one of the following methods:

1. Inspect the shell

The shell of fresh eggs is slightly rough and matte. For those that have deteriorated, it will be smooth to the touch and shine in the light. If the shell is soft or stained, the egg is rotten.

2. Check the egg with a lamp

To check the freshness of an egg, hold it up to a strong light source. Dark spots that appear under the shell will indicate that the product is spoiled.

3. Shake

Lightly shake the egg in your hand. If you feel that the protein inside is hanging out, then it is rotten.

4. Twist

Place the egg on a flat surface and make it rotate. The rotten one will rotate around its axis more times than the fresh one. Unfortunately, this method can only be used by those who have already rotated eggs before.

5. Place in water

Dip the egg into a glass of water and evaluate the result:
  • if the egg lies on the bottom in a horizontal position, it is fresh;
  • if the egg stands upright, its shelf life is running out;
  • if the egg floats, it is spoiled and eating such a product is dangerous.

Why does a rotten egg float in water?

The egg is not airtight. The shell has pores so that the embryo can breathe. But, in addition to oxygen, various microorganisms also get inside the egg, which, under certain conditions, trigger putrefactive processes. As a result, gases are released that raise the egg to the surface of the water.

How long can eggs be stored?

Based on freshness, eggs are divided into dietary and table. If a chicken laid an egg no later than seven days ago, it is dietary. After a week, the egg goes into the table category. Their shelf life is 25 days. Eggs will last longer in the refrigerator, but they can also be kept in a room, preferably in a dark place.\

Which nourishes well and satisfies hunger due to its high calorie content. This is a real gift from 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 difficult for the housewife 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 freshness determination experiments involving the use of ultraviolet light, temperature measurements, etc. After all, you can check the suitability of a product at home using simple methods.

How to tell if an egg is rotten or not in water

This is the most popular method . If the egg is fresh, it will immediately sink in the water and continue to lie at the bottom. If the blunt end rises up, and the sharp end lies in the water, then most likely the egg is already a little over a week old. If the egg floats freely in water, it is at least two weeks old. And if it floats 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, you can use a saline solution. To prepare it, dissolve one incomplete tablespoon in 500 ml of water, although the concentration here is not so important, since the “old” product will float even in clean water.

This is due to the fact that under the shell there is a shell consisting of two layers, which freely allows air, light and moisture to pass through one-sidedly. The membrane in the obtuse part of the testicle divides, 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 occurs. The longer the product “lives”, the larger the size of the puga.

At the same time, the shell allows not only the natural gas mixture to pass through itself. Bacteria, including those that cause rotting 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. Gases that accumulate in a spoiled product have a lower density, so such an egg will certainly float in water.

Checking freshness using light

The contents can be viewed through a light source with a power of at least 100 W. The freshness of the product is determined by detecting the puga, as mentioned above, the 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 the puga is absent; it appears after some time as a result of the evaporation of moisture and compaction of the contents under the shell.

In a dietary product, the puga should not exceed 4 mm, in a table product – 8-9 mm. A dietary protein product must have a uniform and dense yolk. When candling an egg, the yolk should be placed in the center. In a table egg, a slight displacement is possible, but if the yolk is nailed to the shell, then there is only one conclusion - it is no longer fresh. Visibility of the embryo in any category is excluded.

Sometimes, when viewing a product in the light, you can see minor blood inclusions; they are acceptable even in fresh products, but under one condition, they must be small and point-like. If the blood droplets look like a ring, then such a product should be thrown away, since even heat treatment will not make such an egg suitable for consumption.

If the white is pinkish in color and the yolk is orange-red, this indicates that blood entered during its formation. The presence of dark spots indicates that microbes have begun to multiply under the shell.

External signs of a spoiled egg

  • Take a close look at the surface of the shell. For fresh products it will be matte 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. A fresh product is always full inside, therefore, shaking will not allow you to feel any changes.
  • If, when you shake it, you feel as if something is flopping and shimmering inside the egg, then you are holding a “chatterbox” in your hand that is unsuitable for use. However, this method does not provide a 100% guarantee of egg freshness; it only allows you to weed out the “chatterboxes”.

How to determine by yolk and white

If you bought eggs at the store, but when you came home you suspected they were unsuitable, then break one onto a plate. A fresh egg should have a fluffy and voluminous white, more like jelly, with a less dense layer on top. If the layers of white 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?

Eating products of dubious quality is always fraught with unpredictable and unpromising consequences. It all depends on the body, its resistance and the degree of deterioration of the product. For example, for some, a spoiled chicken egg will cause a slight stomach upset, while for others it can provoke a severe form of poisoning. Will doctors save a person who decides to eat an unsuitable product or will the victim of poisoning suffer a lifelong gastrointestinal disorder? There is no exact answer here.

Video: how to check the freshness of eggs at home

Eggs are used in many dishes and snacks. But unfortunately, they, like any other products, deteriorate over time. The freshness of a chicken product can be checked using several methods. We have already discussed some of them in this article. And to consolidate the material, we suggest watching a short video on how not to spoil dishes with rotten food.

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the egg shell. Examine it carefully; if the egg is fresh, then its shell is hard, matte, and there are no spreading spots of a suspicious greenish or brownish color. If the shell is soft, the egg is definitely rotten; if it is stained, most likely harmful microflora, such as mold, have grown under the shell. Make sure that there are no cracks in the shell; unfavorable environments can penetrate through them and the egg will deteriorate faster.

Step 2

The next step in checking the freshness of an egg is to candling it. 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 shines through in the light and should not have dark spots. When shined through, the air chamber is visible (see photo to the previous step). In a fresh egg it is small; if the egg has been sitting for a long time, the air bubble increases.

Step 3

If the eggs have been sitting in the refrigerator and the previously purchased and later ones are mixed up, or you were unable to use an ovoscope in the store, you can easily check the freshness of the egg at home by lowering it into water. If the egg is submerged, it is firm and fresh. If it floats to the surface, then this egg is no longer useful for food - it is rotten. To avoid accidentally adding such an egg to scrambled eggs, it is better to check the eggs before cooking.

Step 4

And one more way to determine the freshness of an egg that is not yet rotten, but is no longer fresh. When you carefully break the egg, the yolk should be uniform in color, convex and whole. If the yolk is too pale, has whitish inclusions and is flat, then the egg is already old and its nutritional value has suffered greatly.