What do the numbers on the egg carton mean

What do the numbers on the egg carton mean?

 How FRESH are your eggs?

You can get an idea of how fresh your eggs are by checking the Julian date.  Most states in the U.S.A. require that the date the eggs were packed be printed on the carton. Look for the three-digit Julian date –  a number starting with January 1 as 001 and ending with December 31 as 365, unless it’s a leap year (leap years throw things off by just a day). These numbers represent the consecutive days of the year, for example, if it’s January 24th the Julian date is 024. For more information about eggs and the Julian Date and visit the USDA HERE

The eggs pictured above were packed on day 271 of a standard year. If you check the Julian calendar below you’ll see that day 271 is September 28th. The 3 digit number corresponds to the consecutive day of the year.

Now that you know your eggs are fresh here are a few ideas of how to use them

How to boil an egg

Place eggs in a saucepan with enough water to cover the eggs by an inch.  Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer with the water just slightly bubbling.  Simmer the eggs for 5 minutes then turn off the heat and cover the pot. For hard boiled eggs, let the eggs sit in the pot of hot water for 10 minutes. For medium eggs let the eggs stay in the water 8 minutes,  for soft boiled let the eggs sit in the water for 5 minutes.

Drain the eggs and tap the shells gently to break the shells. Cover with ice and water to cool the eggs for 10-15 minutes. Peel the eggs and serve.

Hard Boiled eggs are perfect for my Garlic Butter Shrimp Deviled Eggs recipe HERE

COLORED EGGS AREN’T JUST FOR EASTER

Add a little color to your life (naturally) with these Red Wine Vinegar Pickled Eggs (Recipe HERE)

SPINACH DIP BAKED EGGS NEED NO INTRODUCTION…wait, I just introduced them…

PIN IT

What do the numbers on the egg carton mean?