Eggs last in the fridge for up to 3 weeks although they can sometimes remain good and safe to eat a bit longer if stored properly.
Keep the eggs in their original carton in the coldest part of your fridge at 40 F or below.
The eggs can begin to start to lose flavor and color after 5 weeks and the texture may also change.
While eggs that are past their best by date may be bad they are not always unsafe to eat and can still be good.
To test if an egg is still good to eat you gently place the egg into a bowl or glass of water and if the egg sinks and turns to it's side the egg is still good.
But if the egg floats then it's bad although if the egg sinks and stays upright it is just not as fresh.
Hard boiled eggs last up to one week in the fridge, raw egg yolks last up to 2 days in the fridge, raw egg whites last up to 4 days and slightly beaten eggs last up to 2 days in the fridge.
You should not wash farm fresh eggs before cracking them unless they are visibly dirty.
The farm fresh eggs have a natural protective coating on the eggshell which helps prevent bacteria from entering.
The coating also known as a bloom on the egg shell acts as a natural barrier against bacteria and when you wash the eggs and the barrier is washed off it can actually increase risk of contamination.
If the farm fresh eggs appear clean, it's best to leave them unwashed.
However if you do need to wash them you should wait until right before using them to wash them.
If you do need to wash the farm fresh eggs you should use warm water along with a gentle touch to minimize the removal of the protective coating.
If you do wash the farm fresh eggs and don't crack them open you should refrigerate them.
However even if there is dirt or grime on the outside of the eggshell it does not and will not affect the inside of the egg.
If you don't want to wash the eggs and there is visible dirt on the egg shell you can simply crack the egg over a separate container instead of straight into the dish you're cooking in to avoid getting dirt into the food.