readily detects cracks in the shell, harmless but unappealing blood spots on the yolk (from burst capillaries in the hen’s ovary or yolk sac), and “meat spots” in the whites (either brown blood spots or tiny bits of tissue sloughed off from the oviduct wall), and large air cells, all characteristics that relegate an egg to the lower grades To determine the condition of the yolk and white, the egg is quickly twirled The yolk’s shadow will remain indistinct if its membrane is strong enough and the white thick enough to have kept it from getting close to the shell If the yolk is easy to see, then it’s too easily deformed or mobile, and the egg is of lower quality Egg Grades Eggs sold in stores are usually (but not mandatorily) classified by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grades Egg grade has nothing to do with either freshness or size, and is not a guarantee of egg quality in your kitchen It’s an approximate indication of the quality of the egg back at the ranch, at the time it was collected Because candling isn’t foolproof, USDA definitions allow several eggs per carton to be below grade at the time of packing Once the eggs have arrived in stores, the below-grade allowance doubles, because egg quality naturally declines with time, and jostling and vibration during transport can cause the white to thin out Generally, only the two top grades, AA and A, are seen in stores If you’re going to use eggs fairly soon and will be scrambling them or making a custard or pancakes, then the higher grade isn’t worth the higher price But if you go through eggs slowly, or like your hard-boiled yolks well centered and your poached and fried eggs neat and compact, or are planning to make a meringue, soufflé, or ...Egg grade has nothing to do with either freshness or size, and is not a guarantee of egg quality in your kitchen It’s an approximate indication of the quality of the egg back at the ranch, at the time it was collected... ranch, at the time it was collected Because candling isn’t foolproof, USDA definitions allow several eggs per carton to be below grade at the time of packing Once the eggs have arrived in stores, the below-grade allowance doubles, because egg quality... naturally declines with time, and jostling and vibration during transport can cause the white to thin out Generally, only the two top grades, AA and A, are seen in stores If you’re going to use eggs fairly soon and will be scrambling them