We will be getting our bantams this week. They're only a month old, so still way too young to be laying, but I was just wondering....when they DO start laying, how long are the eggs fresh once I collect them and refrigerate them? I'm used to store bought ones with the expiration date on them!
Eggs are good when: Fill a bowl with water deeper than an egg is long. Place eggs in bowl. If eggs settle to the bottom and lay on their side...they are as fresh as can be can be and yolks do not need to be thoroughly cooked. If eggs, while still on the bottom of the bowl, start pivoting upward they are a little less fresh but can still be used for baking, scrambling, etc. When completely upright but still on the bottom of the bowl...the egg is still ok but must be thoroughly cooked (scrambling, used in batter for frying, etc.) Once the egg actually starts to float and is no longer in contact with the bottom of the bowl...toss it! When things spoil, they oxidize; This might explain the whole floating egg method. -From Eggberta Some dispute this method but, then again there's some dispute to any method out there.
OH good! Thank you! When I had chickens as a child, we never ate their eggs, so this is all new to me.
Store eggs are usually a month old by the time they even reach the store! And then they put an expiration date on them of two week I believe. And they are washed eggs as well. Farm fresh eggs prob last for months but yes...that water test mentioned above works well for us!