Eggs are a popular food in Germany: on average, every German eats about 215 eggs per year. Of course, eggs are in high season at Easter – for centuries, eggs have been colorfully painted or artistically decorated for Easter. But how can you tell where an egg comes from, what quality it is or whether it is fresh? In addition to the answers to these questions, we also give tips on how to store eggs.
Where does the egg come from?
Already at the time of purchase, it is advisable to make sure that the eggs are fresh. If there is a printed laying date, the assessment is simple. If the best-before date is indicated instead, simply subtract 28 days from this – then you have the laying date again. You can tell where an egg comes from by the producer code printed on each egg. The first number indicates how the hens were raised:
- 0 stands for organic
- 1 stands for free range
- 2 for floor husbandry
- 3 for cage rearing
Then follows the abbreviation for the country of production. DE stands for Germany. The next numbers indicate the laying farm and the stable number. However, when buying eggs, pay attention not only to the stamped date, but also to dents and cracks. Because if the eggs are damaged, salmonella and other bacteria have an easier time finding “shelter.” The commercial class provides information about the weight: eggs weighing less than 53 g carry an S, M means 53-63 g, L 63-73 g and XL stands for eggs weighing more than 73 g.
Fresh or not?
Even grandmother knew the little trick to distinguish fresh eggs from old, the water glass method: in a glass of water, old eggs float to the top, fresh eggs sink to the bottom. Why? The older an egg is, the larger its air chamber becomes as the water it contains gradually evaporates through the shell. So if your egg lies flat on the ground, it has just seen the light of day; if it raises its top slightly, it is only a few days old. If the egg manages to stay vertically suspended, it is 2-3 weeks old. As soon as it floats or even sticks its “bottom” out of the water, you should not eat it. But you can also tell how fresh an egg is when you crack it onto a plate. In a fresh egg, the yolk is curved up and the egg white is clearly divided into two zones. If the egg white and yolk flow together, the egg is no longer edible.
Store eggs properly
Fresh eggs may be stored at room temperature, as they still have defenses against germs. However, after 2.5 weeks at the latest, they should go into the refrigerator. For dishes with raw or only briefly prepared eggs (desserts, fried eggs), the eggs should not be older than 18 days. After that, they should be heated through and through, so they are still suitable for baking cakes, for example, until about the 6th week. Raw egg dishes will keep for a maximum of 24 hours in the refrigerator, cooked eggs will last for about two weeks.
