In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “what do eggs smell like?”, discuss how we can get rid of the smell from a rotten egg and different methods of cooking eggs.
What do eggs smell like?
- Eggs smell stinky (sulfur compounds)
- Eggs smell fishy (Omega-3s)
Why boiled eggs smell?
When we boil an egg, its proteins denature. When eggs are over-cooked, the iron from yolk and sulfur and hydrogen from white react with each other forming hydrogen sulfide that gives a foul odor.
Why do egg yolks turn green?
While cooking scrambled or boiled eggs, sometimes it is observed that the yolk turns green. This change occurs around the parameter of yolk because of the reaction of sulfur from egg white and iron from egg yolk, which leads to the formation of ferrous sulfide.
How to tell if eggs are still good?
Although eggs have a proper shelf-life, they can eventually spoil. So we have set some general parameters to tell if eggs are still good to eat or not:
- Smell test
The simplest way to check whether an egg is good to eat or not is a smell test. If an egg is giving off a foul smell, don’t use such an egg.
- Visual inspection
Reject the egg if you observe:
Any crack in the egg-shell
A powdery substance on the shell
A shell that looks or feels slimy
- Expiration dates
If you are consuming eggs from their original carton, you can also look for their expiration date and decide either they are still good to use or not.
- Float test
To check the freshness of the egg, you can perform a float test. For this, place the egg in a large bowl of water. If the egg is fresh, it will stay at the bottom and if the egg is not fresh, it will either stand on its end or float.
- Candling
To inspect the quality of an egg, you can perform candling. In this technique, you will use a bright blight to examine eggs for signs of cracking and internal defects.
How to get rid of the smell from boiled eggs?
To reduce the amount of sulfur scent of boiled egg, you can use a common kitchen ingredient. Just follow these simple steps to eliminate boiled eggs odors from your kitchen:
- Take some cold water in a saucepan and place a fresh egg in it. And some distilled white vinegar to water and allow it to boil. The vinegar will neutralize odor without affecting the taste of the egg.
- Remove the pan from the stove and allow it to sit off for about 20 minutes.
- Now place the eggs in iced water to stop the cooking process. This step also helps in preventing yolk from turning dark or greyish-green.
- Now place shallow bowls of vinegar in your kitchen, as you peel the eggs. Meanwhile open the windows, if possible, to promote air circulation.
- If any odor remains, boil a pot of diluted vinegar on the stove.
Other FAQs about Eggs which you may be interested in.
Can you get sick from eating expired eggs?
How long do eggs last unrefrigerated?
What are different ways of cooking eggs?
You can cook eggs by different methods or add them to vegetables for making them more delicious. Cooking eggs also destroys various microorganisms including bacteria, letting them safer to eat. Here are some most commonly used cooking methods:
- You can boil eggs in water for about 6-10 minutes, depending on how well-cooked yolk you want to have. The more you boil, the firmer it gets.
- You can make poached eggs by cracking them into a pot of simmering water between 160-180 Fahrenheit, cooking for 2.5-3 minutes.
- You can make fried eggs by cracking them into a hot pan containing a thin layer of cooking fat.
- Sunnyside up
- Over easy
- You can bake eggs by cooking them in a hot oven in a flat-bottom dish until they are set.
- You can prepare scrambled eggs by beating eggs in a bowl, pouring them into a hot pan, and stirring them over low heat until they are done.
- You can also make omelets by beating eggs, pouring them into a hot pan, and cooking them slowly over low heat until they are solid. (Avoid stirring once they are in the pan)
How do you know if eggs are gone bad?
Eggs are gone bad if:
- The expiration date is long past
- It fails the float test
- It smells odd when sniffed
- Its insides smell strongly of sulfur
- It fails the flashlight test
What are the health risks of eating a bad egg?
If you are eating bad eggs, you are at a greater risk of Salmonella (a bacteria that grows both on the shell and inside the egg) infection, which is a form of food poisoning. The food poisoning resulting from Salmonella infection is very serious, and it includes the following symptoms:
- Severe diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps
- High fever
- vomiting
Conclusion:
In this brief guide, we answered the question “What do eggs smell like?”, discussed how we can get rid of the smell of rotten eggs and different methods of cooking eggs.
