How fast do eggs spoil

This means that the air pocket in an egg grows larger and the yolk and whites become thinner and less springy. Eventually, it may simply dry up instead of going bad. Despite these changes, an egg may remain perfectly safe to eat for a long time 7. If eggs have been transported and stored properly, they can last for many weeks in the refrigerator and even longer in the freezer 8 , 9. This means you should refrigerate eggs quickly to prevent condensation from building up, which can facilitate the movement of bacteria through the shell 7.

Ideally, eggs should be stored in their original carton in the back of the fridge. This prevents them from absorbing odors and protects them from temperature fluctuations as the refrigerator door is opened and closed 2, 7. It is not recommended to freeze eggs in the shell. If you want to preserve them for longer than the recommended 4 — 5 weeks in the fridge, you can crack them into a freezer-safe container and keep them frozen for a year or more.

Eggs can be stored in the freezer indefinitely, but their quality will start to decline after a certain point. If you live outside of the US in a country where hens are vaccinated against Salmonella and eggs are not washed and refrigerated, eggs can safely be kept at room temperature for 1 — 3 weeks, if desired Eggs can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer after this point to extend their shelf life, but they will not last as long as eggs that have been kept in the refrigerator from purchase.

If you live in the US or another country where eggs must be refrigerated, eggs should not be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours 7. The first step should be to check the sell-by or expiration date printed on the carton. This will be printed as a 3-digit number that corresponds to the day of the year that the eggs were washed and packaged.

For example, January 1 is However, your eggs may still be good for up to several weeks beyond these dates. In this case, the best way to tell if an egg has gone bad is to conduct a sniff test. Other methods, such as candling or the float test, can only tell you if an egg is fresh but not if it has gone bad 7.

Before conducting a sniff test, check if the shell has any cracks or a powdery or slimy appearance. If so, toss the egg. Here are some specifics to look out for:. Keep your eggs in the middle shelf towards the back of your refrigerator, instead of on the door.

Products kept on the door are often exposed to varying temperatures, and items kept in the middle of the fridge tend to stay cooler. Also, take care not to put cracked eggs back in the container even temporarily — this could lead to bacteria, so discard egg shells immediately. Product Reviews. Home Ideas. United States. Fresh eggs will stay at the bottom of the bowl while older eggs float because of the large air cell that forms in its base. When shell eggs are hard cooked, the protective coating is washed away leaving the pores in the shell open for bacteria to enter.

Hard-cooked eggs should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and used within one week. As an Australian household staple, eggs are an important source of nutrition for the vast majority of people. While egg farmers supply a safe, clean, fresh product, it is possible for eggs to become contaminated by the food poisoning bacteria Salmonella.

How many times have you cracked an egg into a bowl of other ingredients, only to question whether the egg has gone bad or not? Unfortunately, eggs are not the easiest ingredient to determine the freshness of as the protective opaque shell hides the condition of the white and yolk. Ever since Rocky started guzzling eggs in the classic, raw eggs have been a popular food among bodybuilders and athletes.

Despite this, many non-athletes are hesitant about consuming uncooked eggs because of the risk of food poisoning. Go to the home page Skip to navigation Skip to content Go to sitemap. One they're in the fridge eggs can last four to five weeks after their packaging date , as long as you know how to store your eggs properly.

But how long do eggs last outside of the fridge if they've been previously refrigerated? The rule of thumb? You can leave eggs on the counter about two hours at room temperature or one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees or hotter before you start to worry, per the Egg Safety Center.

After two hours, you'd be safer to throw those eggs out and get a fresh dozen rather than chance it. Because the temperature change can facilitate bacteria growth, and eggs are particularly susceptible to one particularly nasty bacteria that you've surely heard of before: Salmonella.