Hi there, just wondered if there was anything I could do with out-of-date eggs (apart from chucking them in the bin) if i was unable to eat them before the date??

Bowl of water, if they float then ditch them. If not, then use quickly.

I used out of date eggs to make cakes at the weekend they were fine

Really, it depends how out of date. One day? Eat them. One month? Hmmmmm... Anything inbetween? Yes, do the test above.

I will try that thanks!! I'm normally ok eating them up to a couple of days out but anything more and I get nervous and end up binning them. Anything else like veg and fruit i'll eat but i just seem to have a thing about eggs being out of date... :s

they are fine for a month, not a prob! do the float test first

We do look at the dates but rely on the float test here, as previous posts mention. It only takes a minute or two. Just fill a jug with water and carefully drop the whole egg in it. If it floats it's stale, and so I wouldn't bother. The further it sinks, generally, the fresher it is. On top of that, as extra check, it'll smell vile when you crack it & it's off, but the float test is pretty good.

just crack it into a cup (so that if it is off it won't ruin the rest of your ingredients). eggs keep for a surprisingly long time.

I do the float test - last lot I had to do this with were nearly a month past the date. Incidentally isn't it a Best Before on eggs rather than a use by? So all that means is they may not be as "good" rather than something that will self implode on the stroke of midnight

On a slightly different note, does anyone know how long an egg is "safe"? I have F/R eggs in the fridge dated 10th November! They still pass the float test, and I used some at the weekend to make pancakes. I'd like to ask the errm how to put it... more experienced ladies here, the ones who might have grown up without BBE dates etc whether I should just bin these now or are they really still safe after such a long time. Thanks, MrsB.

Try the float test .......... ............... oh, you did They should be fine, but I'd crack them into a cup first - the smell will soon tell you if they're off Penny. x

I always do the float test and have found one or two eggs didnt pass even though they were in date. At school we were taught to break eggs individually into a cup before adding to a cake mix etc, so that if the egg is off (and the smell will tell you!) you only waste that one egg instead of having to throw the whole lot out.

I've certainly used eggs a month out of date with no problems. For baking especially cakes I believe it is recommended that ultra fresh eggs should not be used, I assume because an older egg contains more air and will therefore make a lighter sponge.

I've used eggs more than two months past their date. I'm sure I read somewhere that the float test wasn't very reliable but not sure where. Ifam in any doubt I just crack egg into a cup, I've never had an off one yet. I think they are pretty obvious when they are. If an egg smells OK and is well cooked it's not going to cause any problems. If people are worried about salmonella, if it's there it will have been in the fresh egg anyway and will be killed off by thorough cooking. I never ever eat runny eggs but will quite happiliy eat old, well cooked eggs. I'm sure in the war they kept eggs for months and months! They certainly didn't have use by dates when I was a child.

They do keep for months, I've never had any problems. I ignore those dates they stamp on them, a waste of time and food.

And as others have pointed out, if an egg is "off" you will certainly smell it, smells just like rotten eggs

I believe a float test will show up eggs with a large air sac, but there will come a point at which the inside deteriorate to such an extent that the egg will sink. I'd float test, but then also break each one individually into a cup before using.

A month or so ago I found eggs at the back of the fridge BB April! I hate to throw anything out so used them in my hair. Egg is a fantastic shampoo and conditioner. It emulsifies the oil so leaves hair clean and the protein and oils condition it beautifully. I used warm but not hot water to avoid scrambled egg in my hair. My hair looked and felt great. The funny thing is, although the air pocket had increased and the mass of the egg white had shrunk a little and become thinner, they eggs didn't smell off at all.

If you don't want to eat them, you can make a hair conditioner. Mix an egg or two with a bit of warm water and apply to hair. Wash out with tepid (not hot) water after 10-15 mins. My OH does this when we have old eggs.

I have used eggs more than six months "out of date" with little concern and certainly no ill effects, and although nowadays I tend to get through them more quickly, they are almost always past the date by the time I finish the box. I've only ever had one bad one - and as noted above - you'll certainly know if it's gone.