Do they float if you put them in a bowl of water, or sink?  (sinking is good, I
believe).

Susan

Is it really worth getting food poisoning to find out?  For $2, why risk it?

boil them, open them up cut in half and sniff them, they are more
likely than not quite edible. If they did go bad, you would see that
or smell it.

Yuck.

*

I eat eggs that are pretty far past the date on the carton, but I'd call
that one pretty iffy.  You can put them all into a container of water to
test for gas developing inside.  If they float, get rid of them.  That
still doesn't insure that the ones that didn't float are okay.

I'd pitch 'em if it was me.

Carol

They probably won't be as tasty as fresh egg, but they might not be
spoiled either.  If you keep them in an egg rack on the door, they
tend to lose more moisture and absorb refrigerator odors.  I would
probably toss them for taste reasons, rather than safety reasons.

[elswhere on the aeb.org site, it says that expiration date is not
mandatory, but they may be sold up to 30 days after packing.  Some
states or stores set an earlier expiration date.  They are required
to have a Julian date (1 to 365) on the carton, telling the day of
the year that they were packed.  They may be kept refrigerated 4
to 5 weeks in their cartons without noticable loss of quality]

Quoting From www.aeb.org (American Egg Board):

How can I tell if my eggs have spoiled?

The faster you use your eggs, the less time any potential bacteria
will have to multiply.  However, when properly handled and stored,
eggs rarely spoil.  Instead, as an egg ages, the white becomes thinner,
the yolk becomes flatter and the yolk membrane weakens.  Although these
changes may affect appearance, they don't indicate spoilage and don't
have any great effect on the nutritional quality of the egg or its
functions in recipes.  Rather than spoiling, if you keep eggs long enough,
they're more likely to simply dry up -- especially if they're stored in
a moisture-robbing, frost-free refrigerator.

But, like all natural organic matter, eggs can eventually spoil through
the action of spoilage organisms.  Although they're unpleasant, spoilage
organisms don't cause foodborne illness.  The bacteria Streptococcus,
Staphylococcus, Micrococcus and Bacillus may be found on egg shell
surfaces because all these species can tolerate dry conditions.  As the
egg ages, though, these bacteria decline and are replaced by spoilage
bacteria, such as coliform and Flavobacterium, but the most common are
several types of Pseudomonas.  Pseudomonas can grow at temperatures just
above refrigeration and below room temperatures and, if they're present
in large numbers, may give eggs a sour or fruity odor and a blue-green
coloring.

Although it is more likely for bacteria to cause spoilage during storage,
mold growth can occur under very humid storage conditions or if eggs
are washed in dirty water. Molds such as Penicillum, Alternaria and
Rhizopus may be visible as spots on the shell and can penetrate the
shell to reach the egg.

Discard any eggs with shells -- or, for hard-cooked eggs, egg white
surfaces -- that don't look or feel clean, normally colored and dry.
A slimy feel can indicate bacterial growth and, regardless of color,
powdery spots that come off on your hand may indicate mold.

I wouldn't risk it - toss 'em!

Sheila
SugarFreeSheila.com

Just chuck them.  But be careful when throwing them in the bin. If they have
gone off you won't know until you crack them.  And you really don't want to
smell a rotten egg........

JD

I've read this whole thread (so far) with some amusement.  Those expiration
dates on eggs are *extremely* conservative.  Refrigerated eggs will
often last at least a year with no problem.  I've eaten eggs that were two
years old.  (Tasted terrible but didn't make me sick.)  

You can leave eggs unrefrigerated and they'll still be good until the
expiration date, although the salmonella count (if any) will probably go
up.  

Cute trick I learned back when I wasn't eating enough eggs to keep them
fresh: oil the eggs before storing.  It helps keep air from penetrating the
shell, which is what makes them go bad.  

Of course, that's not a very useful trick for this group, is it?  

Chak

Only if their raised wrong.

On 5/12/04 4:17 AM, in article 10a29mti8t91c6e@corp.supernews.com, "Roger
Zoul" <rogerzoul2@hotmail.com> wrote:

I just happened across this from the 1833 edition of "The American Frugal
Housewife" by Mrs. Child.

"Eggs will keep almost any length of time in lime-water properly prepared.
One pint of coarse salt, and one pint of unslacked lime, to a pailful of
water. If there be too much lime, it will eat the shells from the eggs; and
if there be a single egg cracked, it will spoil the whole. They should be
covered with lime-water, and kept in a cold place. The yolk becomes slightly
red; but I have seen eggs, thus kept, perfectly sweet and fresh at the end
of three years."

doug