Farm Stand
My First Real Egg
Omigod. Why didn’t someone tell me before? All those wasted years.
That was my initial thought when I tucked into farm-fresh eggs for the first time. The color of the yolk was a rich almost taxicab yellow. The flavor came at me on so many levels, like the mixed diet that the chicken had eaten. They even cooked better. Sunny-side-up the egg whites held together rather than spreading out all over the frying pan.
Don’t get me wrong. I thought eggs were an incredible meal before. I just had no idea that fresh eggs—like so much produce—could be so different and better tasting.
Free-Range Eggs: Not the Same as Farm-Fresh
In fact I bought free-range eggs for years, assuming they were better. Then I learned why that label is virtually meaningless. In reality, the USDA allows “the use of the free range egg label for a farm that allows the hen access to the outside for at least 5 minutes per day. It does not mention that the hen even has to get up from the cage and actually go outside.”
Chickens on smaller farms eat all kinds of things. They peck at bugs, grubs and grass, and kitchen scraps. Usually the farmer tosses in some grain augmented with minerals.
Though I tend to focus on flavor and how the hens are taken care of, some research suggests that pasture-raised eggs provide higher levels of omega-3s and vitamins A, B12, and E, and are lower in fat and cholesterol.
You know you have the real McCoy when you pop open a carton and see eggs of all shapes, sizes and colors. Egg color refers to breed rather than what they eat. That said, eggs earlier in the season have much stronger flavor because grass and clover are lush and available.
Eggs last for a long time in your refrigerator. Retailers know this, as eggs take a week or two to reach the store and may sit for another month before being purchased. By comparison, I try to use a carton within a week. One chef I met who used to work for David Bouley said they tested the ideal day to use an egg. As I recall, it was at three days old. And that is the basis for more research and feedback from readers.
Sources and More Reading
I always have gained lots of weight whenever I start to eat eggs, I love them and during many, many years we hear they are good for us, then they are bad, your article is excellent thank you for writing about free range, these are the best. love this article….
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Let’s try to be clear with terminology: “farm fresh” means as little as “free range,” as the former phrase also doesn’t indicate how the chickens were fed. You have to ask your source how the chickens were raised and fed.
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You’re right. I would say eggs from chickens raised outdoors in the summer months who peck for grubs and bugs. Grain fed as a supplement. The result bought at the farm or farmers’ market.
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My boyfriend likes his eggs over-medium and I noticed that the ones I get from my CSA definitely cook better than store-bought eggs which tend to be at least 10 days old by the time you buy them.
A farmer taught me the fresh egg rule: old eggs float in a bowl of water, fresh eggs will sink to the bottom.
Older eggs make better boiled eggs too.
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It’s a little more complex than sinks=fresh, floats=older. See, e.g.,
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Eggs/EggsFloat.htm
If the egg stay at the bottom – it is fresh.
If the egg is at an angle on the bottom – it is still fresh and good to eat.
If the egg stands on its pointed end at the bottom – it is still safe to eat but best used for baking and making hard-cooked eggs.
If the egg float – they’re stale and best discarded.
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