How long do eggs stay fresh?

Question

How long can you keep eggs in your fridge before they go bad?
I'm talking about regular, uncooked eggs.

Answer 1

I know this: A chicken will lay an egg every ~1 to 2 days. They don't sit on them until they have a 'clutch' of about 7 or 8 eggs which is typically 2 weeks. So- I've always figured that if it's good enough to become a chicken, it's good enough to eat.

I've got chickens and have eaten eggs that are just minutes old, and can't tell the taste difference between those and ones that have been in the fridge for a month. So- eggs keep surprisingly well.

'course- when you buy them in the store- you never know how old they were on the day you bought them. I've heard that store bought eggs are often 2-3 weeks old.

Answer 2

Well, in a perfect world, they don't really go bad, because most of the bacteria that could affect an egg with unbroken shell are actually on the outside surface of the shell. Assuming there aren't any defects in the shell and the eggs are kept well refrigerated at all times (not in the door! Every time you open the door, they experience room temperature, so your food in the door goes through numerous temperature fluctuations every day, which can be very very bad for eggs)

That being said, eggs will still age. Older eggs can lose the calaezae, the protein anchor that sort of holds the yolk in place. You can tell how old an egg is when you crack it into a dish: if the yolk kind of collapses into a flat blob without breaking, it's older, while younger eggs have... um... perkier yolks. So if you're going for perfect poached or fried eggs, you're better off with younger, fresher eggs, but if you're going to mix them into something like a cake, it doesn't really matter.

As far as food safety is concerned, I really wouldn't keep your eggs around for more than a month; the USDA recommends you only keep them around for 3-5 weeks. Keep them well refrigerated and don't wash them -- the shells are coated with a food-grade mineral oil to keep external bacteria from passing through the pores in the shell and infecting the egg.

Answer 3

Usually, around a month past the expiration date. I use them up way before that though! The expiration date is early, to make sure that they are good. They don't want to go to court! So they want to be on the safe side. If it smells ok, they should be. Trust me, if an egg is rotten, you'll be able to smell it!

Answer 4

I would adhere to the expiration date---also, never place the eggs in the door of the fridge, this is the warmest part of the fridge.

Answer 5

It depends on how fresh you buy them. If they are fresh you can keep them for a month (3 weeks). If you are not sure than break it and you will see if the yolk is strange and smelly than is better to not use that egg.

Answer 6

Check the expiration date on the carton. That will tell you how long your eggs are good for.

Answer 7

i don no bout chu but ma eggs r fallin out ma oshaga child!

Answer 8

There is a date on the carton.

Answer 9

you can tell if they are good by if they float or sink when put the egg into pan of water.....

Answer 10

until the expiration date