Prue’s Handy Hack: How to Tell if an Egg is Fresh

Fresh eggs: A really fresh egg (less than a week old) will sink and lay horizontally at the bottom of the bowl. This is because the air pocket inside the egg is small, and the egg itself is heavier than water.

Slightly older eggs: As eggs age, the air pocket inside starts to get bigger. If an egg stands upright on the bottom of the bowl but doesn’t float, it’s still relatively fresh (up to a month since laying). These eggs are safe to consume.

Old or spoiled eggs: If an egg floats to the top, the egg is not fresh. The larger the air pocket, the higher the egg floats, and the older and less fresh it is. It may still be useable – the only way to know is to crack it into a cup and smell it. If it whiffs of ammonia, or indeed smells at all, discard it. If it doesn’t have any smell, it will still be fine for baking and will be perfectly safe. But it won’t make such a great breakfast egg.