It’s worth turning shop-bought eggs upside down. The reason is clear

Do you love eggs? Of course you do. You can prepare them the classic way – hard-boiled – as well as soft-boiled or in other forms. Homemade scrambled eggs, fried eggs or poached eggs are definitely worth it. Home-grown eggs are ideal for preparing these dishes. However, they aren’t always easy to come by, so you end up heading to the supermarket. Even there, though, you’ll undoubtedly find high-quality eggs. When buying them, however, it’s very important to check the use-by date, or to use a little trick at home to make the eggs last longer.

Check your eggs as soon as you get home

Eggs are traditionally sold in cardboard cartons. Typically in packs of 6 or 10, or in other sizes. Each egg has its own compartment in the carton. The reason is clear: they simply mustn’t get knocked about or dented. However, the position of the egg itself within its compartment also plays a very important role. This is the first thing you should check when you look at the eggs.

Tip: Eggshells in garden beds. Proper use ensures a great harvest.

The position of the egg is not insignificant

That’s right. Look at which part of the egg is facing upwards. Ideally, it should be the wider end of the egg. The narrower end should, logically, be at the bottom. If the eggs are placed in the carton exactly like this, their shelf life will be extended; they’ll simply stay fresh for longer.

Photo: Radek Stepan

A few guidelines for storing eggs properly

These days, eggs don’t necessarily have to be kept in the fridge, but most of us store them there anyway. This is because we can be sure of a constant temperature, which should be below 20 °C. Be careful about storing eggs in the fridge door, as the temperature there fluctuates quite frequently due to the door being opened and closed. This can cause eggs to go off much more quickly. Otherwise, eggs should stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 weeks or even longer.

The water test reveals how fresh an egg is

It’s not at all complicated. Fill a bowl with water and then place an egg in it. If it’s really fresh, it will sink to the bottom. Otherwise, if it floats in the middle of the bowl, it is no longer as fresh. It should still be safe to eat, though. Throw away any egg that floats to the surface.

Sources: Author, Meta

Photo and photogallery: Radek Stepan