It's no yolk: 28,000 free eggs to be given away from Falinge Park on Saturday 8 May

28,000 eggs will be given away

Thousands of eggs will be given away for free from the gates of Falinge Park this Saturday (8 May).

Community interest company Vintage Worx, which operates in the park, has been given 28,000 chicken eggs, which it will be giving away in boxes of 12 throughout the morning between 9am and 12 noon.

Vintage Worx will be joined by Salvation Army and Spotland Methodist Church, plus members of the local community in handing out as many possible. There's no critera - just turn up between the allocated hours and collect as many eggs as you wish.

The eggs do have a short best before date of next week so are best consumed before then. You can test the freshness of an egg with the simple water test. Place an egg in a glass of water:  if the egg is stale it will float and, if it sinks, it is fresh. This is because as the egg gets older, the size of the air sac increases, making it float.

The British Egg Information Service advises keeping eggs in their original boxes when storing and keeping them at a constant temperature below 20°C to maintain freshness and quality.

Eggs can be frozen for up to six months, but not in their shells. Crack them into a sealable container for later use and thaw in the refrigerator. Freezing temperatures affect egg yolk proteins with the result that the yolk has a glutinous texture when thawed, though this can be prevented by the addition of sugar or salt, according to the British Egg Information Service.

Half a teaspoon of sugar or a teaspoon of salt per egg should be mixed with each whole egg prior to freezing. When yolks are frozen separately, the same quantities should be added to every two yolks. Make sure you label those containing salt for savoury dishes and those containing sugar for sweet dishes.