The cost of eggs: Is it on your mind every time you go to the grocery store?
Our Smart Shopper team is tracking prices, and we have seen the cost of a dozen large eggs double in some Valley stores over the last three months. Right now, that carton will cost you roughly $6 to $10.
With the cost of eggs so high, so many shoppers want to ensure they can turn an egg into an omelet before their eggs expire. Now an expert is weighing in on the lifespan of an egg and how to preserve eggs so they last longer.
For ABC15 Smart Shopper Leonidas Love, eggs are a dietary staple.
“I probably eat, probably hard boiled, two eggs in the morning,” Love said.
This month, ABC15 spotted a dozen of store brand eggs selling for as much as $10.49 in the Valley. That is 87 cents per egg, and money out the door if they expire.
“If I don't eat them...I throw them away, and I'm back at the store again. I'm paying $10, buying more eggs!” Love said.
Love is now getting advice from an expert at Broken Yolk Cafe in Phoenix.
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“In a slow day, we use about 700, and then on a busy day like the weekend, we use more than 1000 [eggs],” Destiny Cordova, Broken Yolk Cafe General Manager, said.
Moving that kind of inventory, Cordova knows all about best storage practices.
“I would definitely make sure it's at the correct temperature first,” she said. That is 40 degrees or lower, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ideally placed on a bottom shelf where it is cooler and not in the door, where temperature fluctuates.
“Also store them in their original cartons,” Cordova said.
Keeping them pointed-end down will keep them fresher.
The good news is that eggs already have a pretty long lifespan: three to five weeks in the refrigerator, according to USDA. Cooked eggs are good for about a week in the fridge.
If you think an egg has gone bad, you can give it a float test to find out. The USDA says if it sinks and turns to its side, it is good. If the egg sinks and stays upright, it is getting older and it should be used soon. If it floats, that means the egg has gone bad.
If an egg is nearing the end of its lifespan, there is yet another trick.
“You can crack them, and then if you baste them up, you can put them in the freezer,” Cordova said.
You can even freeze the contents of individual eggs in ice cube trays or muffin pans to make them last for up to a year.
“Oh wow, I didn't know that. That's a good tip!” Love told Cordova.
Despite prices soaring, Broken Yolk Café is one Valley restaurant not passing on those costs to customers. Cordova said they are mixing up vendors and offering more alternative and vegan options.
They say that with similar efforts at home, Smart Shoppers can make sure their hard-earned money does not go to waste.