18/02/2024
I posted this photo of my floating egg on my stories recently, and I’ve had a few questions about it so I thought I would elaborate.
Whilst the egg floating to the top of the water doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s bad, it’s a sign that it’s not fresh and much more likely to be off.
To perform the float test, gently put your egg into a bowl or large cup of water. If the egg sinks, it is fresh. If it tilts upwards but still touches the bottom it’s a bit older but probably still ok. If it floats it’s old.
This is because as an egg ages, the small air pocket inside it gets bigger as water is released and replaced by air. If the air pocket becomes large enough, the egg can float.
While this strategy may tell you whether an egg is fresh or old, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good or bad. An egg can sink and still be off, while a floating egg may still be fine to eat.
To check if your egg is buoyant, but still ok, crack the egg into a bowl and check it for an off smell or unusual appearance before deciding to use or throw it away. A spoiled egg will have an unpleasant odor when you break open the shell, either when raw or cooked.
For me personally, I would normally throw away a floating egg. But given that it may still be OK, if you want to use it, and it smells and looks fine, just make sure you thoroughly cook it. I would definitely never use anything other than fresh eggs raw if you do eat raw eggs.
And don’t forget, eggs are a superfood 🥚 ❤️
