It’s been a while since Bossy checked-in with her friends over at The Old Farmer’s Almanac offices in Dublin New Hampshire.
As you can see, there have been quite a few changes since Bossy’s last visit. For one thing, the wind is blowing south! For another: a Suburu Outback!
Despite all of this excitement, The Old Farmer’s Almanac still managed to issue their Question and Answer of the Day:
- Q: How can I tell if an egg is fresh?
- A: In water, a fresh egg will rest flat on its side at the bottom of the pan. A stale egg will stand up on the broad end. If the egg floats, it’s most likely spoiled.
Although Bossy would argue there’s another way to tell if an egg is fresh:
Cook it up and eat it. If it tastes like dirty socks, it’s spoiled.
Hallie says
September 18, 2008 at 9:08 amWouldnt one know IMMEDIATLEY UPON CRACKING IT OPEN? That’s the plan I’ve been going with all these years!!
Hallie
All Adither says
September 18, 2008 at 9:31 amLast year my husband started to eat a hard boiled egg that had gone bad in our fridge. I greeted his dismay with a bark of laughter. He was not amused.
But have you ever seen the look on someone’s face right after they’ve bitten into a rotten egg? Priceless!
Ellie says
September 18, 2008 at 9:38 amI thought eggs lasted forever. They seem to in my life. In Mexico they don’t even refrigerate them. Those are some tough-ass eggs.
Gayle says
September 18, 2008 at 9:44 amWhen I was a kid, my mom broke a rotten egg into a frying pan. We could tell IMMEDIATELY. We ran from the room gagging from the smell!
Hey the Almanac webcam shows lots of activity at 9:40am!
cIII says
September 18, 2008 at 9:47 amBroke open a Rotten Egg. Stink. Oh the Stink. Dared my brother to eat it. He did. He said it tasted like Hot Trash.
Later on in life I bet this guy I worked with that he couldn’t eat a Tablespoon of Wasabi.
That was a fun one.
Pamela says
September 18, 2008 at 9:51 amThank the Lord for Bossy and all her infinite wisdom. She keeps us from having to ask the googles how to find the farmer’s almanac.
Surcie says
September 18, 2008 at 10:04 amThis reminds me of when my mother-in-law moved and shipped us a bunch of things she thought my husband might want to keep, including some egg shells she had beautifully dyed one easter when my husband was a boy. Knowing that my MIL was very Martha Stewarty, I assumed that, like Martha, she stuck a needle in the top and bottom of the shells and gently blew out the yolks before dyeing them. But no. She died raw eggs. And kept them for more than 20 years. And then she mailed them to us. And then one of them broke. Ever smelled 20+ year old eggs?
Michelle says
September 18, 2008 at 10:10 amWell, we’ve kept eggs in the fridge for literally WEEKS that were still good when we finally ate them. So I don’t think many people need to even worry about whether or not their eggs are going bad.
Jodi aka soNOTcool says
September 18, 2008 at 10:13 amI once smoked weed that smelled like dirty socks.
IT WAS AWESOME.
MIQuilter says
September 18, 2008 at 10:25 amCooking geek that I am, I actually know WHY eggs do this…. so I have to share with you just so you don’t lose any sleep over wondering (yes, I know I’m projecting). Eggshells are slightly porous. Over time, the moisture in an egg evaporates. When the egg ages, the moisture content goes down, and it develops an air pocket. Once the shell has an air pocket in it, an end tends to want to float to the surface (air being lighter than water and all). The older the egg, the more air (and less moisture) it contains. The more air, the more it floats. A floating egg doesn’t conclusively PROVE that it’s rotten – just that it’s been around SO long that it has enough air in it to float… and if it’s been around that long, yes, it probably is rotten. It takes a good few weeks to develop an air pocket – so most of the time you never need to worry. Incidentally, eggs a few weeks old make the best boiled eggs – that bit of air in the eggshell makes peeling it about a billion times easier (after you’re done cooking it, crack the shell and leave it in cold water a few minutes. Water re-enters the shell through the cracks between the shell and egg and allows for really easy peeling afterward). Now you know more than you probably ever wanted to about eggs 🙂
MIQuilter says
September 18, 2008 at 10:26 amPS: I’ll understand if you have to ban me from posting comments from now on.
tj says
September 18, 2008 at 10:29 am…Yeah, nothing beats a fresh egg. They’re best when you get ’em right outta the chicken…lol… ;o)
…Wanna meet my peeps? Here’s a link:
http://humbleorigins.blogspot.com/2008/06/hangin-with-my-peeps.html
…Love the Farmer’s Almanac – they’re one of my fav’ reads…
…Blessings… :o)
deb on the rocks says
September 18, 2008 at 11:12 amI don’t trust that test. That’s the test for a witch, too, isn’t it? This feels somehow dangerous to women–eggs, witches, sinking. I can’t nab it, but be careful!
Mr Farty says
September 18, 2008 at 11:38 amYou know how an ostrich egg shell is so strong that it can support the weight of an adult human, unless it can’t and it’s rotten?
Really funny if you’re upwind.
Karen in DE says
September 18, 2008 at 11:50 amWow. Weird. I just Googled this same question last night when I read the “sell by” date on my carton was Sep 12.
Stephanie says
September 18, 2008 at 12:16 pmDirty socks for breakfast… tempting…
Auds at Barking Mad says
September 18, 2008 at 12:27 pmAnother way to tell if your eggs are spoiled…your dog runs from the room the minute you crack one of those bad boys into a frying pan.
Chesapeake Bay Woman says
September 18, 2008 at 12:39 pmI’m not sure that is a fool-proof litmus test. I’ve cooked some eggs that tasted like dirty socks and they were plenty fresh.
Lisa says
September 18, 2008 at 12:56 pmHOT TRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thats a brother for ya!!
LAugh
My
Ass
off on that one!
Lisa
coastal nest
Sarcasta-Mom says
September 18, 2008 at 1:00 pmWhat would we do without the Old Farmer’s Almanac?
Isle Dance says
September 18, 2008 at 1:40 pmI’ve decided to believe them (this year) because they’re claiming I’ll have a mild winter.
:o) http://isledance.blogspot.com
dlyn says
September 18, 2008 at 2:52 pmThey know everything, those Farmer’s Almanac people.
David says
September 18, 2008 at 3:35 pmWhat does the egg do in a bowl of gin?
Stimey says
September 18, 2008 at 4:17 pmI just checked the webcam, and there were eight (count ’em, eight) cars parked out front.
that girl says
September 18, 2008 at 6:04 pmHmmm. How can you tell if a child is spoiled? Same way? That’s what I thought.
jenive says
September 18, 2008 at 7:23 pmWow Bossy, I just checked in on the Old F.A. webcam. It looks like NIGHT time is the RIGHT time there. A whole ROW of cars, plus a motorcycle.
Dorothy Stahlnecker says
September 18, 2008 at 7:29 pmI love the almanac now if they could only make winter go away… I heard Western New York is going to have a cold one….makes me cringe..when I think of our heat bills.. Good information regarding the eggs..
Dorothy from grammology
Manic Mommy says
September 18, 2008 at 8:47 pm“that girl” made me snort laughing.
Helen says
September 18, 2008 at 11:24 pmAsk the Googles…………..that’s my new phrase for the week….maybe the month Thanks Pamela!
Helen says
September 18, 2008 at 11:25 pmHas Bossy Black Boxed yet btw???? Enquiring minds…………..
Rhea says
September 19, 2008 at 10:41 amI knew bad eggs floated, but I didn’t know about the broad end standing. lol
I grew up on a ranch, and I will never forget cracking open an egg to find it had a partially formed baby chick inside. That was unusual. And not cool. SO not cool.
I stopped eating eggs for a while.
the sits girls says
September 19, 2008 at 10:42 amDirty socks? We’re grossed out. Plah.
Carly says
September 19, 2008 at 12:56 pmDirty Socks. Hot Trash. Blech!
Jennybean says
September 20, 2008 at 1:35 pmYay! I love OFA and egg trivia! (Warning: even nerdier confession comming) When I was a 4-Her I was on the poultry knowledge bowl team. We spent months after school learning tons of random facts about all sorts of fowl and then went to compititions to test our knowledge. We won the region, state and even national contests. I was a poultry PIMP! LOL! Worse yet (?) I still volunteer to help coach the team.
Check out my new blog
http://sunshineonmytoes.blogspot.com/
No dorky chicken trvia there (yet!)