Place your egg in a tall glass of cold water. If it stays at the bottom, then it’s fresh; if it lifts and bobs at a bit of an angle, it’ll be older but fine to use; if it floats to the surface, then it’s getting pretty old and is probably not safe to use, so get rid of it!

Crack open your egg and see what the yolk and the white do. If the egg yolk bulges and the white is viscous and gathered tightly round the yolk, then the egg is still fresh. However, if the yolk is flat and the egg white runny, then the egg is old.

If you shake the egg and there’s no sloshing noise from inside, then it’s fresh and can be eaten. If, on the other hand, the egg makes a sloshing noise when you shake it, air has gotten into it and expanded the natural air bubble, so it’s best not eaten.

The packaging specifies a ‘use by’ date and the supplier guarantees that it will be usable at least until this date, provided that they are stored properly. Generally, eggs can still be safely eaten for some time past the ‘use by’ date, if they’re well cooked through, but best confirm this with one of the other freshness checks!