Cheap, versatile, and packed with 6 grams of protein and 13 essential vitamins, eggs are one of the best means to start your twenty-four hours (and not a bad way to stop one either!). There are so many ways to melt up eggs, and for flexitarians, adding an egg to your go-to dish is a great manner to get the protein that your torso needs.

But how long do eggs last? If yous're living solitary or in a smaller household, you may find that a carton of eggs can sit in your fridge for awhile. Unfortunately, fresh nutrient like eggs don't last equally long equally other packaged foods. Here's what the experts have to say about 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 forty° F or below, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends using your eggs inside three weeks of buy. The Egg Safety Center claims that you can still eat eggs four to v weeks past their packing engagement, just bacteria that causes food poisoning like Salmonella and E-Coli can build upward over fourth dimension — so information technology'due south probably all-time to throw away your older eggs.

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Frozen eggs tin can last for up to a twelvemonth — but it's important that y'all don't freeze eggs inside their shells. If you planning on freezing your eggs, beat out the yolks and whites together first. Y'all can also only freeze simply the eggs whites.

If y'all're saving leftovers from a dish made with eggs, the FDA recommends refrigerating them and eating within iii or iv days. Hard-boiled eggs can stay in the fridge for upwardly to a week.

How can you lot tell if an egg is notwithstanding good?

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 expect out for:

  • Give information technology a sniff — if the eggs smells rancid in the vanquish or afterward it's broken in a basin, don't swallow it.
  • Inspect your egg a fiddling closer. Is the shell slimy or cracked? This could indicate bacteria. Does the shell have a powdery appearance? This could mean mold. When you lot crack the egg, cheque for pink, blue, dark-green or blackness discoloration, which is some other sign of bacterial growth.
  • Eggs contaminated with Salmonella may look and odour normal, so be sure to double-check the "sell by" date or the expiration date on your cartoon of eggs to effigy out how old they are.

What's the all-time fashion to store my eggs?

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