How to Tell if an Egg is Bad

Place the egg into a bowl of water. The water level should be deeper than the egg's length.

Observe what the egg does.

Fresh eggs will sink to the bottom of the bowl and lie on their sides.
Slightly older eggs (about one week) will lie on the bottom but bob slightly.
If the egg balances on its small end, with the large end reaching for the sky, it's probably around three weeks old.
Eggs that float at the surface are bad and should not be consumed.

Crack the egg open and look carefully.

Blood spots (also referred to as "meat" spots) don't signify a bad or fertilized egg. It's caused by a ruptured blood vessel during the formation of the egg. Since blood spots are diluted as the egg ages, their presence actually means you have a fresh egg.

Stringy, rope-like strands of egg white are chalazae which are present in every egg to keep the yolk centered.