Inspired by a desire to eat better and support local farms, I joined a CSA/Farm Box organization. The way it works: I signed up and told them what I wanted — a small box of mixed veggies and fruits. (There are large boxes, boxes for juicing, and fruit-only boxes, as other examples.) I added on a loaf of bread and a dozen farm-fresh eggs. Each week, I’ll walk over to the local Aikido school and pick up my box. The website will post a list of each week’s offerings, along with the name of the farm from which they came.
I’ve already been having fun trying new recipes and learning how to use new vegetables, but today I want to talk about the eggs. These are my first farm-fresh eggs ever, and I was shocked at how different they are from store-bought eggs.
The store-bought egg is on the left, with the pale yellow yolk. The farm-fresh egg, although smaller in general, had a larger yolk with a rich golden orange color. The other two farm eggs I opened were the same.
I decided to poach the eggs and see if I could taste a difference after they were cooked:
The farm egg is on the left in this picture, but you probably knew that. The yolk stayed rich and golden and had more viscosity than the store egg. It tasted more flavorful, but I’m not sure if that was actually true, or if I let my eyes do some of the tasting for me.
Regardless, I’m now 100% sold on farm-fresh eggs. If you haven’t tried any, treat yourself to a dozen the next time you can afford to do so. (Mine were twice as expensive as eggs at Trader Joe’s.) They really made breakfast into something magical.
Once a hen gets going, farm eggs tend to be as large — or larger — than store-bought “large” eggs. If they’re free-range (true free-range on bugs and grubs and such, not just in a place they can see the sky as the USDA defines “free range”) you’ll have more nutritious eggs that will keep for weeks in the fridge.
One note, though. If you want to hard-boil them, wait at least 2 weeks before you do so. This gives the air time to get between the shell and the inside membrane, so when you peel your eggs you get a nice peel and not a raggedy-looking mess.
Love fresh eggs! My sister who lives a mile away just got 6 hens. I’m looking forward to sharing.
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