How fresh are your eggs?

We love our eggs. Fried, boiled, poached, scrambled and even  played around with in molecular gastronomy. A great source of protein, eggs are woven into a myriad of menus and cooking styles so much that is a regular staple in our grocery list. Can you tell if your eggs are fresh? Short of plucking it straight from the chicken farm the moment it is laid, for convenience sake we rely on public markets and grocery stores to deliver fresh eggs. I have a theory when buying eggs. Never buy them on Mondays. Chances are those eggs have been sitting there on the shelves over the weekend. Add the delivery time and packaging, they could have been there neatly packed on store shelves since Friday.

I have recently discovered a way to tell if eggs already purchased are good. Place the egg at the bottom of the glass full of water.

• If egg lies at the bottom on its side, it’s fresh.
• If egg sinks, but with one end up, it’s getting old but still edible.
• If egg floats, it is important to get fresh ones.

The logic here is that egg shells are porous. Over time the egg absorbs air through the shells and gets trapped within the egg.

You can tell if an egg is fresh after cracking open the shell if the yolk is a bright yellow and firm. The egg white is not as fluid as a stale one.

The one thing you have to remember that not only stale eggs are inedible, but they may contain harmful bacteria such as salmonella. Store your fresh eggs by washing them thoroughly with clean water. Take notice of any form of debris or cracks in the shell. Inspect each egg for shell discoloration or stains. Organic eggs are consistently clean and safe, as no chemicals or additives are used on the chicken to produce those eggs. And they taste better. Organic eggs can be bought at local grocery stores. And they are always on offer at the Salcedo Weekend Market. Purchase the eggs and transport them using recycled egg cartons. Wash tem thoroughly.  Then place them in the fridge until the need to use them. Eggs ideally should be used within three to four days from purchase.

Know anywhere else you can get your hands on organic eggs? Any tips on storing them? Please, let me know. I would like to impart the knowledge to all my readers.