A Guide To How Long Are Eggs Good For

Eggs aren’t something you think much about (unless you’re trying to become pregnant, but that’s an entirely different set of eggs). You always have them, you use them to cook and you use them to bake. Maybe you live on a farm and have a few chickens and you produce your own, or maybe you just buy them all at the supermarket. Wherever you get your eggs is fine, but there is one thing you should never do; assume they’re good forever.

If you’re like me, you just “have” eggs. They’re always in the fridge and you use them on occasion. You never really think about buying them because you don’t eat them often, but somehow you always just have them; like flour and salt and pepper. However, if you’re like me, you probably have expired eggs and that’s just, well, unhealthy. Eggs are not good forever, even though they’re in the fridge.

How Long are Eggs Good For?

When they’re kept in the fridge, your eggs are good for approximately 30 days. However, they were in the supermarket’s fridge long before they were in yours. You should check out the expiration date on your eggs when you purchase them to know when it’s best to use them. Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to get rid of your eggs when they’re past their expiration date. They’re not expired; they just dry up over time.

If you want to make something like a poached egg, you’ll want optimum quality eggs; or the ones that are not yet to their date of expiration. If you want to use them to cook scrambled eggs or bake a cake, you’re fine using eggs that are past their date of expiration.

In fact, the USDA says it’s safe to use eggs as long as you want, since they’re going to stay good in the fridge. However, you shouldn’t use them if they begin to dry up. You’ll notice this only when you crack your eggs, which is why it’s important to always crack them in a bowl separate from your baking or cooking.

(Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)