How to Tell If Eggs Are Bad
Crack the egg into a separate bowl: a sulfur smell, pink or green tint, or slimy white means toss it. Fresh eggs keep about 3 to 5 weeks in the fridge, and the float test only tells you age, not safety.
Signs Eggs have gone bad
- Sulfur or rotten smell. This is the real tell. Crack the egg into a bowl, not straight into your batter, and if there's any sulfur or rotten odor, throw it out.
- Pink, green, or iridescent tint. Colored or shimmery whites and yolks point to bacterial growth, specifically Pseudomonas. Discard the egg and wash anything it touched.
- Slimy or powdery shell. A sticky, slick, or chalky coating on the outside can mean bacteria are growing on or through the shell. Don't use it.
- Runny, watery white and flat yolk. Older eggs spread thin with a flat yolk. If it's just thin but smells normal it is old rather than spoiled, but treat any other warning sign seriously.
- Floats in water. The float test measures the size of the air cell, which grows as an egg ages. A floater is old and shouldn't be used, but a sinker is not guaranteed safe, since Salmonella can be in a perfectly fresh-looking egg.
Looks weird, but it's fine
- Blood spot in the yolk. A tiny red spot is from a ruptured blood vessel as the egg formed. It's safe, and you can scoop it out if you want.
- Cloudy white. Very fresh eggs have cloudy whites from carbon dioxide that hasn't escaped yet. That's a sign of freshness, not spoilage.
- Green ring on a hard-boiled yolk. It comes from overcooking, when iron and sulfur react. It's safe, just a little less pretty.
How long do Eggs last?
| Where | How long | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge (raw, in shell) | 3 to 5 weeks | Keep at 40°F or below |
| Fridge (hard-boiled) | 1 week | Peeled or unpeeled |
| Freezer (cracked, beaten) | Up to 1 year | Never freeze in the shell |
| Counter | Max 2 hours | Includes time at a picnic or buffet |
How to store them
- Keep eggs in their carton on a main shelf, not the door, where temperatures swing with every opening.
- Don't wash eggs before storing. In the US the protective coating is already washed away, so refrigeration is a must.
- Always use eggs in the fridge carton within 3 to 5 weeks of buying, and cook until the yolk and white are firm.
Use it up before it turns
Frequently asked questions
Are eggs good after the expiration date?
Often yes. A sell-by date is about quality, and properly refrigerated eggs are typically fine for 3 to 5 weeks past packing. Crack them into a bowl first and toss any that smell or look off.
Does the float test tell you if an egg is bad?
Not exactly. It shows how big the air pocket has grown, which means the egg's age. A floating egg is old, but a sinking egg can still carry Salmonella, so smell and appearance matter more.
Can you eat eggs left out overnight?
No. Eggs left out more than 2 hours (1 hour in hot weather) should be thrown away. Bacteria multiply quickly at room temperature.
More food freshness guides
General guidance based on USDA FoodKeeper. Storage times are estimates and conditions vary. When in doubt, throw it out.