How can I use up old eggs?

EggsSometimes our little box of eggs gets lost at the back of the fridge and we forget it’s there until we fancy omelettes for tea and then we find out that they’ve gone out of date. Sigh.

I know eggs are best used as fresh as possible – and it’s not ideal to keep them hanging around for the weeks and weeks until the “use by” date – but how strict is that “use by” date?

And if we can’t use them for culinary purposes, what else can we do with them when they’ve reached the end of their in-date period?

(Photo by alitaylor)

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51 Responses to “How can I use up old eggs?”


  1. Arnaud says:

    Eggs need to be used as fresh as possible only if they are not really cooked (or if there is a pregnant woman around :). Otherwise they’ll stay good very long, much longer than the use by date (which on most products is nonsense anyway).
    If you’re unsure, break them in a separate bowl. If they don’t smell bad (and don’t have feathers ;), they are good to eat.
    Once they are really bad, there is little you can do with them, except bad jokes :)

    • Benita says:

      To test if eggs are fresh or not, get a bowl ( deep enough that it is two eggs deep ), fill it with water, put your egg in the water, if it lays flat on the bottom, it is very fresh. If it stands up on and it’s end, its getting older. If it floats, it has expired, do not eat.
      Best Before dates, are guidelines only. I have had eggs, one month past BB date. Hey, I’m still here telling you this story! 😉

  2. DJ says:

    Be sure to keep the shells for use in your garden. Full details here.

    • Anonymous says:

      Help!!! Your response wasnthe only one that made some sense to me. Should just the shells be used in the farden (i asume mixed in with the soil before the plant is placed)….or the entire egg?

      • Anonymous says:

        eggxactly

      • Benita says:

        I saw a YouTube video of a gardener, that planted a whole egg ( intact ), before she planted a tomato plant. She has been doing this for years, she got that she got this ” Gardner’s trick ” from an old man, that has also done this for years. This gardner has never been disappointed with her tomato crop. ( come to think of it, im not sure if it has to be fresh ) 🤔

  3. Yeah, just throw them at people, if you’re feeling mean :-D

  4. Michele says:

    I’ve read that hard-boiled eggs will peel easier if the eggs are older. I always hard-boil mine for lunches, snacks and salads if I’ve still had them for 2 weeks.

    • Elliott says:

      legally, eggs in the supermarket can be up to two years old if refrigerated properly. (It’s awesome having my own laying hens).

    • Benita Belbin says:

      I just thought I would share a no-fail way to cook a hard-boiled egg. Put your eggs into a pot with just enough water to cover the eggs. Bring the pot to a rolling boil, remove from the burner, put the lid on the pot, and set your timer for 12 to 15 minutes. The time depends on how bottom heavy your pot is. I have a thin pot, I cooked 4 to 6 eggs and have left them for 15 minutes. When the 15 minutes is up, proceed as you normally would with boiled eggs. They turn out perfect every time, no ring around the yolk, beautiful.

      Remember to use your room temperature, boiled egg water, to water your house plants. The egg shells, (making sure that there is no flesh/lining) can be ground, pulverized do this when the shells are dry and brittle) and sprinkled on your pets food for extra calcium.

  5. dancing girl says:

    My grandma had a chook house and to test the eggs for freshness you can place them in a sink or bowl of cold water. If they float at all chuck them. If the stay on the bottom they are fine to use in cooking.

  6. drew says:

    you can poke a hole in both ends with a needle and drain out the egg, then fill the egg shell with paint using a syringe and use it for modifying billboards and fur coats…

  7. Amanda Kerik says:

    Most of my ideas have already been suggested, but you can blow the liquids out, wash the inner shell, open the bottom a bit, put in small trinkets and then plug the hole with paper.

    Put a tag on it that says “smash me” and hand it to a friend.

  8. Katz says:

    You can make holes in the top and the bottom to get all the liquid out, wash and dry them, then make a little loop from a bit of wire, separate the ends & insert them in the hole from one side (you can later put the ribbon through this hole and hang your craft on a x-mas tree or something else..)You can then paint the eggshell with your favorite designs, and use it to decorate your room or garden. They are good for kids crafts too – you can glue hats to them and other bits made from paper.
    One woman makes real art from them: http://www.annseggcraft.co.uk/ – if you feeling brave, you can try it too.

  9. Mosaik says:

    You can also make eggshell mosaics!

    • Anonymous says:

      My mom used to do that on clean recycled Styrofoam meat packages. She tinted them with food dye and things like coffee and tea. Sometimes other food items like dry beans and seeds got mixed in. Oddly she made pretty good money … enough to cover Christmas that year.

  10. I kept old eggs someone had left in my fridge. I used one the other night by throwing it on a car honking in my street at midnight…the quiet came back right after that!

    otherwise I use the white to varnish stones to give them a wet look or on wood to give it a honey look. (no smell).

    http://vertes-et-mures.blogspot.com/2008/03/rutiliser-recycler-des-vieux-oeufs.html

  11. Dodi says:

    Use them when planting your tomato plants. If you put them under the plant the roots break through the shell. Shell gives off calcium and the rotting egg I think nitrogen which the plant needs.

  12. Mimi says:

    I am going to cook up the eggs and feed them back to the animals. too expensive to throw out. I don’t think they’re “rotten”, just maybe not as good for human consumption. But the animals will certainly benefit from what nutrition is left.

    • Sarah says:

      HI,

      That’s not a good idea.

      Animals (dogs & cats) can get sick on rotten eggs.

      I buy cage free, so cost more than regular eggs.

      But, vet bills are much more costly than the carton of eggs.

      I don’t feed these to my pets, because I love them, and would not want them to get sick or possibly die because I fed them bad eggs.
      The idea for plants is a much better use.

      Good luck which ever you choose.

    • TBrueg says:

      Seriously ?? Don’t be so stingy. Throw the old eggs out (I consider eggs old if they are like 2 months old, break one open to find out or Don’t) Next batch of eggs FEED your dog or cat one once a week at least and don’t let them get old. Problem solved.

    • jan p says:

      Not a good idea. Our first family dogs were given our eggs the night before putting down the sick one. Parent was so distraught they forgot to check them. The healthy one got bloated and very sick. Please dont give bad eggs to your animals.

    • Benita says:

      Just make sure you do not feed them to the chickens. They will become cannibals.😁
      Which reminds me of a riddle, if you ate all of you, would there be none of you or would there be two of you?🤔

  13. This is a very good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere.
    Simple but very precise info… Thank you for sharing this one.
    A must read article!

  14. Sarah says:

    If the eggs area couple days past the date and you are scred to actually eat them, you can break one open and use the egg white as a facial mask, to help with tightening the skin and shrinking pores.
    Also you can do a hair mask with the entire eggs scrambled!

    • lilly says:

      what if its longer than a few days- maybe even 2 months later but do or dont smell so bad? can it still be used for hair?

  15. Sarah says:

    to learn more about the facial masks and hair masks with egg, it is so easy to find online try google!

  16. Mkhuseli Nxusani says:

    How can I recycle old or expired eggs?

    • Benita says:

      Have you read the other comments? Lots of (repeated) ideas! (Just like your question) 😉 sorry, I couldn’t resist.

  17. How can I recycle expired or old eggs?

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  30. Tan Han says:

    We know that eggs in the supermarket can be up to two years old if refrigerated runs well.

  31. AuntieM says:

    I took a Chinese cooking class and was told the best Egg Fu Young is made with old eggs. Crack them open, if they don’t smell rotten, they are good to eat. Wash and dry the shells, pulverize in a coffee grinder and spread on plants. They give calcium to plants and deter several pests, large and small.

  32. Johnjo says:

    Seriously, are you all yoking :)



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