expired eggs

[dtud]

i know it sounds gross - but can you use expired eggs safely (like hard boiled?)? or should they be tossed asap?

[jackrugby]

The expiration date is the date the retailer is suppose to take them off the shelves. According to a news report I heard a couple of years ago, they take them off their shelves, repackage them with a later date and put them back out for sale.

I usually use them till a week past their expiration date and have never had a problem.

[Loren3]

Bread pudding. It's one of those farm foods that gets rid of old-ish eggs, stale bread, and milk that's not quite sour but not fresh enough to drink.

[kimberlya]

eggs take quite a while to go bad. sure, the health department would rather you think that you should go by the expiry date, but it just isn't true! you can also keep eggs at room temperature for a long time. just ask bakers! the old fashioned ones still don't believe in cooling eggs or butter!

i don't believe in the old wives tales....if it smells bad, don't eat it. otherwise, boiling the hell out it or frying it will kill off any small amount of microbes anyways.

[Tehama]

Easy test, drop them in water in a tall glass. If they lie on the bottom then they are perfect. If they lie below the surface but upright they are still OK to eat but not as fresh. If they float then throw them away. It has to do with the gases produced as the egg goes off as it starts the expiration process.

[rworange]

That really is the way to go. Eggs will last for months ... refridgerated or not. Use the water test to see if they are ok to eat. Here's more info about eggs lasting for months.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/30202...

[funkymonkey]

i used to eat them, if they were a little bit over the expiration date, with no problem. It just took getting sick one time to change that habit for good. i hate wasting anything, but i'd toss 'em, if i were you.

funkymonkey
http://thebestbite.blogspot.com/

[aurora50]

It happened to me just last night - there was a potluck for lunch today, and I was to bring my deviled eggs. Looked in the back of the fridge, there was a half carton of eggs maybe 4-5 days past the expiration. They went right in the pot with the rest of them. I haven't heard anyone gag yet...... still listening....

[swsidejim]

I would throw them once expired, but thats just the way I am. I know we will see posts about how someone used and egg 6 months after it expired and it was good, or the best egg they ever ate.... but I wouldnt risk it. Not worth food poisoning over a $2 carton of eggs.

[Candy]

How expired are they? They may be perfect for making hard cooked eggs and will peel like a dream. You can do the test with a bowl of water and placing a few at a time in the water. If the float then get rid of them. Mojoeater is right if they are way past prime and have begun to spoil then they will smell really bad and sulphury when cracked open.

[Sam Fujisaka]

The expire date and maybe a week more are perfect for hard boiled. My friend's farm fresh eggs actually are impossible for hard boiled--won't peel and break up when you try.

[soupkitten]

yes older eggs work much better for hard boiling!

i am assuming that the eggs are "only just expired past the date printed on the carton"

not "my cousin passed away three months ago, and we were cleaning out her fridge. . ."

if that is the case, though, lift each egg from the carton. if any of the eggs feels lighter than it should, do yourself a favor and toss them all.

[MMRuth]

I also test them - if the eggs float in the water, that means they're pretty old, and I toss them - I've started having issues w/ recycled egg cartons from the farmer's market, where I know the date isn't right. I should start marking the carton myself when I get home. If they sink to the bottom, they're still fresh, and if they "stand" in the water vertically, they are probably better boiled than poached.

[soupkitten]

yes, you are absolutely right! i get super-fresh eggs farm direct and use them very quickly; so i have to have a "hoarding system" for keeping eggs long enough to hard-boil well. the op should test the eggs in water if in doubt.

[mojoeater]

I'm not sure just how long ago they expired, but I do know that if you crack a bad egg, you will know it right away. They smell pretty terrible. If they smell OK, I'd go for it.