新鮮雞蛋可以保存多久?

新鮮雞蛋可以保存多久?

Fresh eggs last from two hours to a year, depending on where you buy them and how you store them.

新鮮雞蛋的保鮮時間從兩個小時到一年不等，這取決于你在哪里購買和怎樣儲存。

Eggs should be stored in their original carton in the refrigerator. Rootx/Shutterstock

Eggs from the grocery store or the farmers market can last for weeks in the refrigerator. That's often much longer than the expiration dates marked on the cartons. If you break them down and freeze the whites and yolks, they can last so much longer. The key is to store them correctly.

從雜貨店或農(nóng)貿(mào)市場買來的雞蛋可以在冰箱里保存數(shù)周。這通常比紙盒上標明的有效期長得多。如果你把它們分解，把蛋白和蛋黃冷凍起來，它們可以保存更長時間。關(guān)鍵是正確地存儲它們。

These guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) show how long you can store eggs before they go bad or lose flavor:

這些來自美國農(nóng)業(yè)部(USDA)的指導方針顯示了雞蛋在變質(zhì)或失去味道之前可以儲存多久:

How long eggs can be stored before safety and quality suffer. USDA

Do fresh eggs have to be refrigerated?

新鮮雞蛋必須冷藏嗎?

A freshly laid egg has a natural moist coating called bloom that helps seal it and protect it from bacteria. If an egg is washed, that membrane disappears and the egg becomes porous and vulnerable.

剛下的蛋有一層天然的濕潤的涂層，叫做“花苞”，它可以幫助包裹雞蛋，防止細菌感染。如果雞蛋被清洗，膜就會消失，雞蛋就會變得多孔脆弱。

Some backyard farmers and many European countries don't refrigerate their eggs. Darina Saukh/Shutterstock

Fresh eggs can carry the bacteria salmonella on their shells. Salmonella can cause a foodborne illness characterized by nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea and fever. People often get sick by eating raw or undercooked eggs or egg products that are contaminated with the bacteria.

新鮮雞蛋的外殼可能攜帶沙門氏菌。沙門氏菌可引起一種食源性疾病，癥狀為惡心、嘔吐、胃痛、腹瀉和發(fā)燒。人們經(jīng)常因食用生的或未煮熟的雞蛋或被細菌污染的蛋制品而生病。

Researchers looked at 5,400 eggs and found that the ones washed and stored in the fridge were still Grade A (very high quality) eggs after 15 weeks on average. The ones stored at room temperature degraded from Grade AA (highest quality) to Grade B (lowest quality) in just a week. The eggs also lost 15% of their weight over the 15 weeks.

研究人員觀察了5400個雞蛋，發(fā)現(xiàn)那些洗過并儲存在冰箱里的雞蛋平均15周后仍然是A級(非常高質(zhì)量)的雞蛋。常溫保存的在一周內(nèi)從AA級(最高品質(zhì))降至B級(最低品質(zhì))。在15周的時間里，這些卵的體重也減少了15%。

How to store fresh eggs

如何儲存新鮮雞蛋

When buying eggs at the store, first check to make sure none of them are cracked. Broken shells can let in bacteria. If any eggs break on the way home, the USDA says break them into a clean container and cover it tightly. Refrigerate and use within two days.

在商店買雞蛋的時候，首先要檢查雞蛋是否有裂縫。破碎的外殼可以讓細菌進入。美國農(nóng)業(yè)部說，如果雞蛋在回家的路上破了，把它們打碎在一個干凈的容器里，然后蓋緊。冷藏兩天內(nèi)使用。

It might be tempting to use the handy built-in egg tray in your refrigerator, but eggs should always be kept in their cartons. The carton is designed to protect eggs from cracking and from absorbing odors from other foods in your refrigerator.

你可能很想用冰箱里現(xiàn)成的雞蛋托盤，但雞蛋應(yīng)該一直放在紙盒里。盒子的設(shè)計是為了防止雞蛋破裂和吸收冰箱里其他食物的氣味。

How to tell if an egg is good or bad

如何分辨一個雞蛋是好是壞

You can tell if an egg is fresh by whether it smells or whether it floats. pancha.me/Shutterstock

You want to make an omelet or some brownies, but you're not sure if the eggs in your refrigerator have been sitting there too long. Eggs might lose a little quality over time, but they are still safe to use for many weeks. Here are several ways to test if an egg is good or bad.

你想做煎蛋卷或者巧克力蛋糕，但是你不確定雞蛋在冰箱里放的時間是否太長了。隨著時間的推移，雞蛋的質(zhì)量可能會有所下降，但它們?nèi)匀豢梢园踩褂脭?shù)周。這里有幾種測試雞蛋好壞的方法。

Checking egg expiration dates

檢查雞蛋的保質(zhì)期

Always check the expiration date or "sell by" date on the carton before bringing eggs home from the store. Expiration dates can be no more than 30 days from the day the eggs were packed into the carton, according to the USDA. But eggs can last much longer than that.

在把雞蛋從商店帶回家之前，一定要檢查雞蛋的過期日期或包裝盒上的“截止銷售”日期。根據(jù)美國農(nóng)業(yè)部的規(guī)定，雞蛋的保質(zhì)期不能超過30天。但雞蛋的壽命可以比這長得多。

Checking the pack date

檢查包裝日期

You can translate the pack dates on your egg carton with this guide. USDA [public domain]/Flickr

Near the expiration date, you'll also notice a three-digit code on the carton. This is the pack date and it's typically right around the plant number, which starts with the letter "P."

在過期日期附近，你還會注意到包裝盒上有一個三位數(shù)的代碼。這是包裝日期，通常就在植物編號附近，植物編號以字母“p”開頭。

Doing a sniff test

做嗅探測試

You might be able to tell if your eggs have gone bad just by that rank smell that's coming from your refrigerator. But the best way to do a sniff test it to crack an egg into a bowl and look at it for an unusual appearance or a bad odor, suggests the USDA. A spoiled egg will smell bad whether it's raw or cooked. If it looks and smells normal, it's OK to use.

你可以通過冰箱里的臭味來判斷你的雞蛋是不是壞了。但美國農(nóng)業(yè)部建議，最好的嗅探方法是將雞蛋敲入碗中，觀察它是否有異常的外觀或難聞的氣味。無論是生的還是熟的，變質(zhì)的雞蛋聞起來都很難聞。如果外觀和氣味正常，就可以使用。