Eggs and Egg Whites

By Arthur Tiersky

Jun 09, 2009
If you’re one of those people who throw out eggs as soon as the date on the carton corresponds to the calendar date, you’re throwing out perfectly good eggs and perfectly good money. Eggs usually have a “sell by” not a “use by” date, and, they’re quite tasty and safe to use for a few weeks after the "sell by" date.  But there are some health risks associated with eggs, especially when they’re raw or undercooked.
Eggs Shelf Life
RefrigeratorFreezer
Eggs, in shell*3-5 weeks- -
Hard-Boiled Eggs1 week- -
Egg Substitutes, opened3 days- -
Egg Substitutes, unopened10 days1 year
Pasteurized Eggs, opened3 days- -
Pasteurized Eggs, unopened10 days1 year
Egg Whites*2-4 days1 year
Egg Yolks (covered in water)2-4 days1 year
Hard Cooked 1 week- -
Handling Tips: 
* 3-5 weeks refers to 3-5 weeks after the "sell-by" date.
The expiration date is the last date a store can sell the eggs and still refer to them as “fresh.” Do not buy eggs if the expiration date on the package has passed.
Source(s): 
Boyer, Renee, and Julie McKinney. "Food Storage Guidelines for Consumers." Virginia Cooperative Extension (2009): n. pag. Web. 7 Dec 2009.
Texas Agricultural Extension Service “Safe Home Food Storage” http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/store/texas_storage.pdf
"Eggs." S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., 2011. Web. 23 Jun 2011. <http://www.ziploc.com/ShelfLife/Pages/Eggs.aspx>.
 
 

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