Want the freshest eggs possible? Here’s what to look for on a store-bought carton—and why local might be even better.
For unbeatable freshness and transparency, nothing beats buying local. Eggs from nearby farms often reach you more quickly and come with the bonus of knowing where—and how—they were raised. Plus, you might even meet the hens behind your breakfast.
With commercially produced eggs, a tremendous amount of information may be found on the end of the carton. Look for a “Sell by” or “Best by” date and a code starting with “P”—this indicates the plant in which the eggs were packed. Enter the plant code number on the USDA website to decode the plant location.
In addition, there is a one to three digit Julian date on the carton which tells you when the eggs were packed—1 stands for January 1 while 365 indicates December 31—so look for the date closest to your purchase for the freshest eggs. Simply type the date code into a date converter to determine when the eggs were packed and ensure you purchase the freshest eggs.
