Find the Box With the Freshest Eggs by This Number
The freshest eggs taste better and last longer. Here’s an insider tip for choosing the freshest egg carton at the grocery store: Look at the three-digit code printed on the box, not the expiration date.
Food52 explains:
Since the shelf life of eggs in a supermarket (with USDA inspection) can be up to 45 days after packing date, [The Eastman Egg Company] offers a quick and easy way to check freshness: the Julian date. Each egg carton has a code printed on it, and the last 3 digits of this code are referred to as the Julian date. The code uses a number from 001 to 365 to represent the day of the year and indicate when they were packed. For example, 001 is January 1st and 365 is December 31st. To find the freshest eggs, pick the largest number you can find (remember that numbers are in January).
Who knew?
Visit Food52 for more tips from the Eastman Egg Company, especially when it comes to making the perfect egg sandwich.