Do Your Eggs Need to Be Tossed? Here's How to Tell for Holiday Cooking

Christmas is only a few short weeks away, and between planning for dinner and making cookies , you're likely going to need to buy eggs . This means it's more important than ever to know how long the eggs in your fridge actually last so you can plan for all your holiday cooking, from potluck parties to Christmas dinner. And no, you can't solely depend on the "best by" date stamped on the carton. That date isn't a safety warning, it's a suggestion about quality and there are much better ways to tell whether an egg is rotten. We asked a food safety expert to settle the debate on how long eggs really last and the proper way to store them so you don't ruin your holiday meals. Here's everything to know. Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source. How long do eggs last in the fridge? Before you ruin a perfectly good breakfast, let's make sure that egg isn't spoiled. Eggs typically remain good for use three to five weeks in the refrigerator, according to the US Department of Agriculture . However, they "often remain safe to eat for a week or two beyond that [best by] 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 said 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 as 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. Read more: I Gave Up Boiling Eggs for This Easy Air Fryer Method. Here's How I Do It Why do we refrigerate eggs? The USDA recommends that eggs from a hen be stored in the fridge as soon as possible. "In the US, 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 said. "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 US 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. Eggs may be frozen but not in their shells. One option for...

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