Eggs keeps for about 3-5 weeks in the fridge, and Not in the shell in the freezer. The table below splits those times by opened and unopened โ and a date still in range never overrides what your nose tells you.
Eggs keep three to five weeks refrigerated from the lay date. The quickest freshness check is a bowl of water: a fresh egg sinks and lies flat, an older one stands on end, and one that floats goes in the bin. Do not wash them before storing โ washing strips the protective bloom on the shell.
Storage times
| Unopened | Opened | |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 2-3 weeks (cool place) | Not recommended |
| Fridge | 3-5 weeks | 1 week once boiled |
| Freezer | Not in the shell | 6 months, beaten |
Throw it out if you see this
- It floats in water
- A sulphur smell when cracked
- Watery white and a flat yolk
Storage tips
- Store them pointed end down
- Keep them inside the fridge, not in the door
- Do not wash until you are about to use them
Sell-by and use-by are not the same date
A sell-by date tells the shop how long it may display the product; a use-by date tells you how long it stays safe to eat. They are not interchangeable, and a use-by date is usually later than the sell-by date printed on the same product.
Every printed date assumes the package is unopened and stored at the labelled temperature. Once opened, follow the "opened" column below instead of the printed date โ and if the smell, colour or texture is off, throw it out regardless of what the date says.