Can you eat it if it floats?

[canaday413]

I hear that most people toss their eggs if they float. Will they make you sick if you eat them?

 

[PeepersMama]

The float test is not a sure-fire way of determining if your eggs are good enough to eat. All it does is give you an estimate on how old the eggs are. Here is a link: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/04/egg-float-test-indicates-approximate.html
It explains all the details: how the float test works, does it work, etc. If it floats, it is a very old egg. It could make you sick, but if it is that old, or if you just found it outside, toss it. We've cracked "easter eggs" and seen little tiny embryos inside them

 

[canaday413]

Thanks for your reply!! The eggs had not been washed and have been in the fridge for about 12 weeks. They were taken promptly from the nesting boxes. Half of the carton sank and half floated. They just got pushed to the back of the fridge. If it's just density then I wondered if they were necessarily unsafe to eat. I'll pitch them to be safe, but was just curious.

 

[PeepersMama]

Hmmmm..... I just thought of this - do store bought eggs float? Last time I checked store bought eggs are way older than 12 weeks when they make it to the store shelf

Tossing the ones in the fridge is still the best idea, but our girls have been slacking lately, and mom has to but a dozen eggs today

I will float one and see what happens

 

[donrae]

Lots of times, when I put eggs in water to boil, they float. Store eggs or my own eggs. I boil them up and we eat them, they're just fine.

Floating is related to the age of the egg and the size of the air cell, is my understanding. Nothing to do with bacterial contamination.

If you're not going to boil them, I'd just crack them into a bowl first. Eggs will pretty much let you know if they're not safe to eat. They'll be stinky or visually "off". If they look fine and smell fine, we eat them. If they smell or look off at all, they go to the dogs/cats/chickens.