"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away."
-- Dr. Maya Angelou

Friday, January 18, 2008

Journal of purchase and waste

This is the first time I have had to report food waste. I have been working really hard to eradicate it, in my home. I had 2 1/2 containers of cereal, that has been there forever. It was very stale and unappetizing. Hopefully, very soon in the future; I will learn creative ways to make use of it.

Today I took some two week old oranges, squeezed the juice, to freeze for smoothies. I have a pint of half and half and 18 eggs, that are near their expiration date. Tonight is my first try at making a quiche.

2 comments:

Needle, Thimble and Thread said...

Don"t throw out your eggs!

We use the following information to identify if our farm eggs are still fresh. Thought I could pass it along to you to help you avoid waste.

Egg shells may seem pretty solid, but they are in fact slightly porous. Old eggs float in fresh cold water because of a large air cell that forms as the egg cools after being laid. As the egg ages, air enters the egg and the air cell becomes larger and this acts as a buoyancy aid.

Generally, fresh eggs will lie on the bottom of the bowl of water. Eggs that tilt so that the large end is up are older, and eggs that float are rotten. The tilting is caused by air pockets in the eggs that increase in size over time as fluid evaporates through the porous shell and oxygen and gases filter in. The older an egg gets the more gas builds up inside it. More gas = more floating!

Carefully lower your eggs into fresh cold water (do not use salted water) using a spoon:

If the egg stay at the bottom - it is fresh.

If the egg is at an angle on the bottom - it is still fresh and good to eat.

If the egg stands on its pointed end at the bottom - it is still safe to eat but best used for baking and making hard-cooked eggs.

If the egg float - they're stale and best discarded.

Christine

Unknown said...

Hi Christine,
I had heard about how to check the eggs in water before, but not in such detail. Your info. will really help me. I did just check my eggs and they are anglers right now. So that is a good thing.
Thanks,
Suzen