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CNET
18-07-2025
- General
- CNET
Don't Waste Your Eggs. Food Safety Expert Explains Shelf Life
Eggs are one of the most versatile and affordable ingredients in the kitchen, but if you're only paying attention to the best-by date on the carton, you might be throwing your hard-earned money away without realizing it. Whether you're buying in bulk to stretch your budget or just trying to make the most of what's already in your fridge, it helps to know exactly how long those eggs really last. A CNET survey previously found that the majority of Americans are feeling the pressure of rising food costs, and eggs are no exception. To help you avoid waste, we spoke with a food safety expert about how to store your eggs the right way. Here's everything to know about the shelf-life of eggs and best storage practices. How long do eggs last in the fridge? According to the US Department of Agriculture, eggs typically stay good for three to five weeks in the fridge. They "often remain safe to eat for a week or two beyond that date, as long as they've been kept refrigerated," said Zachary Cartwright, a member of the Food Safety and Quality Management Division at the Institute of Food Technologists and lead food scientist at Aqualab by Addium. There are ways to maximize an egg's freshness. Cartwright says you should keep your eggs in their original carton and "with the pointed end down to help maintain their freshness by keeping the air cell at the top. This slows moisture loss and keeps the yolk centered." It's also important to store eggs in the coldest part of your fridge rather than the door since the temperature fluctuates in that area, he says. Hard-boiled eggs that are still in their shell stay good for about a week in the fridge, according to the USDA. Why do we refrigerate eggs? The USDA recommends that eggs from a hen be stored in the fridge as soon as possible."In the U.S., eggs must be refrigerated due to the washing process that removes the natural protective coating on the shell, making them more susceptible to bacteria," Cartwright says. "In some other countries, eggs are not refrigerated because they retain their protective coating. However, once eggs are refrigerated, they should remain so to prevent condensation, which can promote bacterial growth." According to State Food Safety, the U.S. washes its eggs to prevent the spread of salmonella. The USDA also recommends that eggs from a hen be stored in the fridge as soon as possible after they are gathered. Can I freeze eggs? Cooked eggs freeze extremely well. David Watsky/CNET Yes, but not in their shells. One option for freezing eggs is to crack them and then beat them together before storing them. Or you can freeze the egg yolks and whites separately. According to the USDA, the whites are more optimal for freezing because the texture stays the same, but if you want to freeze the yolks, you'll need to add salt and corn syrup or sugar to help with the consistency. Individual eggs can be frozen separately in ice cube trays and muffin pans, and they can stay frozen for up to one year. You can also cook scrambled eggs or egg bites and store them in the freezer for two to three months. Although eggs can spoil, they often stay fresh much longer than you'd think. How to test egg freshness If you want to check if your eggs are still good before you crack them, you can perform a simple float test with your egg and a glass of cold water. First, fill a large glass with cold water, then gently drop the egg inside. If the egg sinks and turns to its side, it's still perfectly good to eat. If the egg sinks, but stays upright, it's also still OK to eat, but it is an older egg and should be used soon. If the egg floats straight to the top of the water, that's your sign that it has gone bad and should be thrown away. The egg float test: The egg on the right has spoiled, according to experts."This test works because air builds up inside the egg as it ages, making it more buoyant," Cartwright says. One important thing to remember about the egg test is that if one of the eggs in the carton passes the test, that doesn't mean all of them will. Individually test each one before cooking it and pay attention to the smell after you crack the egg open. "A strong, sulfur-like odor is a clear sign the egg has gone bad," Cartwright says. Something else to look out for is "unusual coloring, such as a pink, green or iridescent hue in the egg white or yolk, which can indicate bacterial contamination," Cartwright adds. Is the best by date on eggs accurate? It's best to keep your eggs stored in their original says that the best by date on eggs is "a guideline, not a strict rule," adding that eggs are often good for one to two weeks after the date printed on the carton, as long as they've been refrigerated. "As eggs age, their quality diminishes -- they may lose some firmness, and the whites might become thinner -- but they can still be safe to eat," he says.
The Sun
09-07-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Make your car's air con blow even colder with Aldi's £1.35 kitchen staple – as temps to hit 31C this week
DRIVERS are being urged to use a cheap hack to cool down their cars as scorching temperatures of 31C are set to arrive later this week. Motors with little or no air conditioning can benefit the most from the £1.35 Aldi kitchen essential. Motorists face an uncomfortable few days as Britain is set to bake in the third heatwave so far this summer. But a tea towel from supermarket giants Aldi - costing less than a cup of coffee - could be the answer to their problems. It is cheap to buy and takes a matter of minutes to prepare. For those who are struggling to cope with the stifling temperatures, start by wetting the tea towel until it is damp and sodden. The wet rag should then stored in the freezer for a decent amount of time - perhaps overnight - until it is frozen solid. As soon as you're looking to head out in your car, grab the frozen tea towel and place it in front of your car's air vent. This will prevent the warm, stale air that has been sitting in the vehicle from being blown around the car. Drivers can then benefit from a cool stream of air from the cloth instead, which will be a game changer during these hot summer days. Andrew Smart, who tested the hack out, explained how he felt the cold air on his face "almost instantly". Writing for The Herald, he said: "After setting off, I noticed the cold air blowing on my face almost instantly, and the car began to cool down over the next five minutes. "However, a massive drawback was that the cold rag would dry up in no time, meaning it would lose its effectiveness very quickly. "But, by the time this happened, the car was already much cooler, and the air being blown at me from the vents was much more refreshing." Dr explains why cold showers or baths are a bad idea to cool you down While the tea towel may dry up after a period of being blown by the fan, it is a great method of immediately cooling down a car. It could come in incredibly handy over the coming days, as temperatures of up to 31C have been predicted. The weather turnaround comes after a miserable weekend of heavy rain and thunderstorms. Marco Petagna, senior meteorologist at the Met Office, said that Brits are set to bask in increasingly hot temperatures as we head into next week. He said: 'I think Wednesday is probably going to be the day when we could start to reach the thresholds of 25 to 28 degrees, depending on where you are. 'But temperatures are going to continue to climb as we go toward the end of the week and certainly by Friday and Saturday we could see 30 degrees, perhaps just nudging into the low 30s. 'At the weekend, we could just start to see humidity increasing a little bit as well and nighttime temperatures look like they are going to be, so it will be starting to become more uncomfortable by night.' Experts have also pointed to a £30 Amazon product that can help transform your vehicle's air conditioning system. Amazon's Clima Set comes with two air condition recharge gas cylinders and is compatible with all cars that use R-134a refrigerant. The product details describes the set as "nature conscious and vehicle safe". Enthusiastic motorist, Scott Kilmar said: "This car hack will save you thousands in AC repairs." In his step by step guide on how to use the product, he explained that "it is not that hard to do." It comes as Yorkshire Water slapped a hosepipe ban on five million people, meaning washing motors with a hose will be off-limits from Friday. Drivers in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire will have to find other ways to wash their car or risk being slapped with fines of up to £3,000 for breaking the rules. 2
