Shell eggs last about 3 to 5 weeks in the fridge. Store them in their original carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator, not the door, because the temperature swings there make them age faster.
The sell-by date is a quality marker, not a hard safety cutoff. Raw egg whites or yolks keep about 4 days once refrigerated, and hard-boiled eggs keep about 1 week. If you want a quick freshness check, a floating egg usually means the air pocket has grown and the egg is older, but smell and appearance still matter too.
If eggs are already cracked, smell off, or look unusual, toss them. A slimy shell or rotten smell is a better reason to discard an egg than the printed date alone. For normal storage, cold and steady beats clever tricks.
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How do you tell if an egg is still fresh?
Place the egg in a glass of cold water — a fresh egg sinks and lies flat on its side, while an older egg stands upright or floats.
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