Your Eggs Probably Aren't As Fresh As You Think

We hate to be the ones to break it to you, but the eggs you just bought at the grocery store are probably not as fresh as you might think they are. Think about it: they had to be laid, processed, shipped and stocked. This is definitely done with an amazing amount of speed, but still: not as fresh as you think.

So how fresh are they? There’s a real simple test you can do to find out. Just drop an egg in a glass of water. If it’s fresh, it’ll sink. If it’s old, it’ll float. But what about if it’s somewhere in the middle? We found a chart that’ll help you determine just how fresh (or not so fresh) your eggs really are. Check it out and then make your decision on what to do with it.

And just an FYI: fresh eggs are really good for frying — like in some of the recipes below — or for turning into sauces. Not-so-fresh eggs are better for hard boiling (they’re so much easier to peel!).

1 Chorizo Eggs Benedict With Honey Chipotle Lime Sauce

Half Baked Harvset
Get the Chorizo Eggs Benedict with Honey Chipotle Lime Sauce recipe from Half Baked Harvset
2 Scrambled Eggs And Sausage Breakfast Burrito

Foodie Crush
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3 Soft-Boiled Eggs With Asparagus Soldiers

The Clever Carrot
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4 Polenta With Caramelized Mushrooms, Marinara, Fried Eggs And Goat Cheese

Half Baked Harvest
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5 Bacon Egg And Cheese Biscuit Sandwiches

Foodie Crush
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6 Scrambled Egg And Roasted Asparagus Toasts

Foodie Crush
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7 Breakfast Tostadas With Cumin-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Foodie Crush
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8 Breakfast Fried Rice

James Ransom/Food52
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9 Mediterranean Breakfast Strata

Foodie Crush
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10 Stacked Breakfast Enchiladas

Foodie Crush
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11 Chickpea, Spinach And Chorizo Frittata

James Ransom
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12 The Green Madame

James Ransom
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13 Eggs Benedict

Simply Recipes
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14 Mexican Frittata

The Faux Martha
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15 Petite Pea Omelet With Mint And Mascarpone

James Ransom
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16 Soft Scrambled Eggs

Melanie.Einzig/Food52
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17 Sweet Corn Cake Eggs Benedict With Avocado Hollandaise

How Sweet It Is
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18 Quinoa Breakfast Hash

How Sweet It Is
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19 Grandma’s Scrambled Eggs

Foodie Crush
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20 Huevos Rancheros

Bev Cooks
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21 Kimchi Omelet

Steamy Kitchen
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22 Avocado Y Huevos Caliente

Angela @ the well-worn apron
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23 Tomato-y, Yogurt-y Shakshuka

James Ransom
Get the Tomato-y, Yogurt-y Shakshuka recipe from Nicholas via Food52
24 Unda Bhurji

PistachioDoughnut
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25 Fontina And Spinach Baked Eggs

How Sweet It Is
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26 Migas

OB Cookie
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27 Chickpea, Tomato, And Roasted Red Pepper Skillet Breakfast

Sporkme
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28 Gruyere, Fig Jam And Arugula Breakfast Sandwiches

How Sweet It Is
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29 Breakfast Taco Cups

Bev Cooks
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30 Egg Nests

Simply Recipes
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31 Bacon, Egg And Toast Cups

Steamy Kitchen
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32 Bacon, Egg And Asparagus Breakfast Pizzas

How Sweet It Is
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33 Salmon And Bagel Egg Benedict

Foodie Crush
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34 Jalapeo Cheddar Biscuits With Salsa, Avocado And Eggs

Annie’s Eats
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35 Tuscan Scrambled Eggs

Simply Recipes
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36 Roasted Tomato And Zucchini Frittata

Foodie Crush
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37 Brussels Sprouts Breakfast Hash

How Sweet It Is
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38 Baked Ranchero Eggs

Annie’s Eats
Get the Baked Ranchero Eggs recipe from Annie’s Eats