Cheap, versatile, and packed with vi grams of protein and xiii essential vitamins, eggs are one of the best means to starting time your day (and not a bad mode to end one either!). There are so many ways to cook upwardly eggs, and for flexitarians, adding an egg to your go-to dish is a nifty way to become the poly peptide that your body needs.

But how long practice eggs concluding? If you lot're living alone or in a smaller household, y'all may observe that a carton of eggs can sit in your fridge for awhile. Unfortunately, fresh food like eggs don't final as long as other packaged foods. Here's what the experts have to say nigh how long eggs stay fresh and how to shop them properly.

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How long do eggs last?

If you're storing your eggs at the recommended temperature of 40° F or below, the U.Due south. Nutrient and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends using your eggs inside three weeks of purchase. The Egg Safety Center claims that yous can still eat eggs iv to v weeks by their packing appointment, but bacteria that causes food poisoning like Salmonella and E-Coli tin can build upwardly over fourth dimension — so information technology'south probably best to throw abroad your older eggs.

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Frozen eggs can last for up to a twelvemonth — but it'south important that you don't freeze eggs within their shells. If you planning on freezing your eggs, beat the yolks and whites together showtime. Yous tin likewise just freeze only the eggs whites.

If yous're saving leftovers from a dish made with eggs, the FDA recommends refrigerating them and eating within 3 or 4 days. Hard-boiled eggs tin stay in the fridge for up to a calendar week.

How tin can you tell if an egg is still skilful?

Trust your gut on this one — if something about the eggs looks or smells wrong, it's probably best to toss it. Here are some specifics to look out for:

  • Requite it a sniff — if the eggs smells rancid in the shell or after it's broken in a bowl, don't swallow it.
  • Inspect your egg a little closer. Is the shell slimy or cracked? This could indicate bacteria. Does the beat have a powdery appearance? This could hateful mold. When yous crack the egg, check for pink, blue, green or black discoloration, which is some other sign of bacterial growth.
  • Eggs contaminated with Salmonella may await and smell normal, and so be sure to double-check the "sell by" date or the expiration date on your drawing of eggs to figure out how erstwhile they are.

What'southward the all-time way to shop my eggs?

Keep your eggs in the middle shelf towards the back of your refrigerator, instead of on the door. Products kept on the door are often exposed to varying temperatures, and items kept in the middle of the fridge tend to stay cooler. Also, take care not to put croaky eggs back in the container fifty-fifty temporarily — this could lead to bacteria, so discard egg shells immediately.