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One thing this article doesn't touch on: the most obvious methed for detecting spoiled eggs is the smell of hydrogen sulfide. Refrigeration increases shelf lif
by drewmol 7y ago
One thing this article doesn't touch on: the most obvious methed for detecting spoiled eggs is the smell of hydrogen sulfide. Refrigeration increases shelf life but detecting presence of a sulfurous smell is more difficult when the egg is refrigerated. If freshness is in question then allowing the egg to reach room temp prior to giving it 'the sniff test' is recommended.
- astura 7y agoI've always just done the float test, I don't know how reliable that is though.
- likpok 7y agoIIRC that measures time more than spoilage. In the sense that it takes time for eggs to spoil, it works well. You'll be tossing safe-but-old eggs, but eggs aren't that expensive.
- bacon_waffle 7y agoTotally not an expert on eggs nor salmonella, but I've lived in some really dry places and eaten plenty months-old eggs without getting sick from them... The time-to-fail-float-test seems like it's as much about the relative humidity where the egg is stored, as it is about the age of the egg. I think grandma's advice is probably best: Don't crack eggs straight in to whatever you're making. Easier to fish out shell pieces, and you're not going to accidentally mix in a rotten egg.
- Arn_Thor 7y agoNobody told me your grandma's advice, I had to learn that the hard way. In a week I spoiled two omelets and wasted 8 eggs because the last one I cracked into the pan was rotten—twice! Now I always crack each egg into a small bowl before mixing them
- rich-tea 7y agoNot reliable at all. It is reliable for freshness, but that only matters for some things like poached eggs.
- Causality1 7y agoEggs last so long in the fridge I have never once experienced a spoiled one.
- drewmol 7y agoMaybe you've never once noticed a spoiled one? I don't intend to suggest a practice that increases food waste but IME with both fresh room temp and refrigerated eggs: they start to smell like sulphur when they go bad and it's easily noticeable when they are not cold.
- hombre_fatal 7y agoIf you don't notice, then it's hard to call it spoiled.
- Double_a_92 7y agoMaybe he just doesn't randomly buy eggs and keeps them in the fridge for months without eating them...
- nkozyra 7y agoDoesn't overcooking produce the sulfur smell due to excessive denaturing of the protein?
- floatrock 7y agoHow does denaturing a protein release sulfur? I never actually thought of where that sulfur comes of, and I don't know enough bio/chem if that should be obvious from "denaturing of the protein".
- nkozyra 7y agoI assumed it was in amino acid side chains, but it's not my area of expertise. I do know that sulfides are part of some amino acids.
- DoreenMichele 7y agoThe egg yolk is high sulfur. The egg white is high protein. So I doubt that.
- quietbritishjim 7y agoI thought it was the white that has the sulphur. A quick Google seems to confirm that, but more to the point I find the white has a hint of it in its flavour. According to this page [1] 'Each egg yolk contains 0.016 milligram of sulfur, and the white contains 0.195 milligram, according to B. Srilakshmi, author of "Food Science." ' [1] https://www.livestrong.com/article/289250-list-of-foods-high-in-sulfur/ https://www.livestrong.com/article/289250-list-of-foods-high...
- DoreenMichele 7y agoA quick google will equally confirm whichever answer you are trying to confirm. Some sites say it's the yolk. Others say it's the white. Opposite example: List of Foods That Contain Sulfur Eggs. The yolk portion of an egg is high in sulfur. https://livewell.jillianmichaels.com/list-foods-contain-sulfur-5102.html https://livewell.jillianmichaels.com/list-foods-contain-sulf... I have yet to find anything reliable, like a .gov site, addressing the question. Sulfur issues run in my family. I have to limit my consumption of sulfur. It's the yolk that's an issue for me, not the white, fwiw.