Egg Float Test - What is it for?

Some of you may have heard about the egg float test and others may not. So what exactly is this egg float test and how does it work?

There is a misconception about the egg float test and that is that it can be used to determine if an egg is safe to eat. I have seen post where someone finds eggs and is not aware if they're safe to eat.. such as if they got wet and bacteria got into them; or if they got spoiled in other ways outside.

It was common to see people suggest the egg float test. This is inaccurate information. The egg float test only tells the age of the egg, not whether it's safe to eat.

It's difficult to tell if an egg is contaminated and inedible, especially if freshly laid. For example if an egg was laid and gets wet and in the next couple of days bacteria enters the egg contaminating the yolk a float test won't tell you that and it's still early enough it won't have a smell. Some eggs that are spoiled long enough will have a rotten egg smell and depending on why they are spoiled may or may not float.

The saying, "When in doubt, throw it out" would fit best in any event you are unsure about the safety of an egg. As hard as it is to do, that's our motto too. It's just better to be safe and not risk getting anyone sick.

The float test:

Fill a glass of water about 3/4 full. Gently place egg into the glass. See where the egg floats. It's that easy!

Very Fresh - Edible	Fairly Fresh - Edible	Older - Edible	Too old - Not edible