Do eggs have to be kept in the refrigerator? And how to tell if they are fresh? A nutrition expert provides the answers and also explains how to store eggs properly and what other things you should pay attention to.
Theoretically, fresh raw eggs can be stored at room temperature for one to two weeks, because they have self-protection against germs for that long. But who pays close attention to the packaging date?
How to store eggs correctly?
Eggs should be stored in the refrigerator ten days before the best-before date. The best way to store eggs is to put them in the fridge right after you buy them. Salmonella develops particularly well at room temperature.
If you store eggs in the refrigerator, you should also stick to it. Because they do not like temperature fluctuations, which reduces their "natural" protection against germination. This is because it is in the egg shell. Therefore, it is also better not to wash raw eggs before storing them.
It is best to simply leave the eggs in the egg carton. This prevents the strong smell of other foods such as cheese, garlic or fish from entering through the porous shell and negatively affecting the taste of the egg.
It is also good if the egg yolk remains in the middle. To do this, store the eggs upside down, i.e. place them in the carton with the point facing downwards. So they keep a little longer. The reason: The air chamber is located in the blunt end of the egg. Storing the egg with the blunt side up ensures that the air chamber stays where it is and does not move, thus not forcing the yolk to escape. In the other case, egg skin could peel off and make way for germs.
To the person
Doris Krumbiegel is a nutritionist and specialist journalist. In her practice for nutritional therapy and nutritional counseling in Hamburg, she helps people to eat a conscious and varied diet.
How long can eggs be kept?
From the laying date Raw eggs keep for 28 days. This is also the basis for the best-before date. Hard-boiled eggs do not have such a long shelf life – only about two to four weeks. The prerequisite is that they are stored in the refrigerator and the shell is still intact. If the shell is damaged, the eggs should be eaten immediately because they will spoil more quickly.
To protect against germs when hard-boiling, use fresh raw eggs whenever possible. This also applies to dishes that are prepared with raw eggs (e.g., fresh eggs).B. Tiramisu, mayonnaise). Store them in the refrigerator and consume them on the same day. By the way, "almost" fresh eggs also taste best. They develop the perfect aroma when they are three to ten days old.
How long can I store egg yolks?
If you have Yolk or egg white remains from baking or cooking, The eggs can be stored in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for two to three days. They can also be frozen: Raw egg yolks can be stored at minus 18 degrees for six to ten months, and raw egg whites can even be stored for about a year. Use ice cube molds for this purpose, for example.
How to test the freshness of eggs?
If you are not sure whether a raw egg is fresh or old, it is better to store it in the refrigerator, can do the floating test. To do this, place the egg in a glass filled with cold water.
If it dives to the bottom and stays there crosswise, it is fresh. Older eggs, on the other hand, rise to the top at an angle the older they are. The explanation: In older eggs, water has already evaporated through the porous shell. This increases the air chamber and provides the buoyancy. If the egg floats on the surface of the water, it should not be eaten.
With a little experience, the Recognize freshness of an egg even when it is broken. If it is fresh, the yolk and yolk curl upwards and do not run into each other. In addition, the egg white is not completely clear, in older eggs it becomes more transparent. Additional hint: Fresh eggs are hard to peel when cooked.
How old hard-boiled eggs are, can be seen in longitudinal section: While the yolk is still in the center of the fresh egg, it slides more to the edge of the older egg due to the increased air chamber.