The difference is amazing... as the post title says, you could have knocked me over with a chicken feather.
The shells are thicker and right now the egg is smaller, as is typical in the first weeks of laying.
Look at the color of those beautiful yolks...
And the eggs as they appear on the plate, such a rich yellow. These are fully cooked, this is not raw yolk.
Since we only had three little eggs on Sunday morning, I had to scramble up a batch of regular store bought eggs (free range organic! which doesn't really mean much)... and the taste can't compare. Look at the color, even!
*Something I learned from another blogger... the simple act of how you scramble your eggs can change your dining experience. I no longer break them in a bowl and scramble until fully mixed before placing in pan. I butter the pan, heat it, and break eggs in the pan... let the whites solidify some, and then take a spatula and begin breaking up, or scrambling ( not completely though) . I throw in cheese if it's requested. They come out looking like this, and the taste and texture are so much better!.... go figure.
The reason local farm raised eggs are so much better? Diet and living conditions are the simple answer. While commercial chickens might be given a good quality feed, they don't get anything else.. like yogurt, lettuce, raisins, tomatoes, apples, sunflower seeds, Cheerios! All of which my hens enjoy. They also get to roam around a little in their chicken yard, instead of extremely cramped quarters or NO MOVEMENT AT ALL... see below.
This is what one company considers "free range", not caged.
*sigh*
So if you are lucky enough to have access to purchase local eggs,
I highly recommend it.
I highly recommend it.
I have been buying my eggs from local hens for years. This is exactly why I want my own hens so badly. You can't beat the taste of a farm egg. Enjoy Karen!!
ReplyDeleteI know, when we got our first eggs I couldn't believe how vibrant the yolks were! Congrats on your layers :-)
ReplyDeleteSo happy for you that you are now getting your own eggs! Good chicks you have there.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you are already getting eggs. That is so cool. Didn't know they like Cheerios. Me, too.
ReplyDeleteIn my other life my very first job was working at a chicken ranch packing eggs!..oh my....Have you seen the movie Food, Inc. yet?...that a real eye-opener!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy making eggs and bacon with home fries for dinner, and its probably my most favorite meal if i had to chose. Im not one for a buffet but i think ill go to a restaurant this Friday morning that serves Amish/Mennonite style food in my neck of the woods and have their breakfast buffet. Richard
ReplyDeleteMy bestest friend and her hubs own a hobby farm and her eggs were awesome! Many many times I would get cartons where every egg had a double yoke!
ReplyDeleteShe stopped having chickens and I'm still bitching about it. Just because she works 50 hours a week. How selfish of her! :D
i'm not a big egg eater, but that chickie is a beaut! glad you're enjoying the produce! :)
ReplyDeleteKaren,
ReplyDeleteWhile we are in Maine, we only have farm fresh eggs. The color is incredible. We also get a green or blue egg in each dozen. Just the best. We also scramble the eggs the way you do!
Carol
All right... I am going to have to test this one out! The eggs I used to buy in Germany sometimes had feathers stuck to them and what I am sure was poop. Those had to be fresh!
ReplyDeleteIt is such an incredible difference isn't it?! Wish I wasn't toooo lazy to get the fresh eggs all the time:)
ReplyDeleteYou're SO right! There is nothing better than fresh eggs from happy chickens! We had almost 50 chickens at one time because we couldn't keep up with the demand once our friends tasted them! We had to get rid of them when we thought we were moving but I am putting an order in this week for 2 dozen chicks because I miss my chickens and those delicious eggs!
ReplyDeleteIf you let the eggshells dry out and then smash them up, you can feed them back to the chickens. The eggshells provide calcium for them!
I agree Karen. There is such a difference in local eggs. We are fortunate enough to be able to buy eggs at a farm stand and their yokes are so much better than the grocery story variety.
ReplyDeleteSam
Haven't had a fresh egg since I was a little girl and gathered them at my grandparents.
ReplyDeleteKaren, aren't those big ol' chicken houses just disgusting? Isn't it crazy how much harder the shells are on the eggs from our girls? We think we have three laying, now. yeehaw.
ReplyDeletexo, Cheryl
So happy you are beginning to enjoy fresh eggs. They are so much better that I cannot eat a store-bought egg any more. There's no taste to them.
ReplyDeleteThe little elderly lady I bought eggs from has retired from chicken raising, so I'm looking for another source! Karen, you are so right about the difference in taste and color! That lady told me that eggs in the grocery store have been in cold storage for six months! No wonder they have no flavor and look so anemic!
ReplyDeleteI'm missing my fresh eggs!
V
Oh yes, that's what I'm talking about! Such a difference in fresh eggs vs. storebought. We are lucky here to have Great Day free range chicken that has a natural diet. It's those yolks that tell it all, and you know the smiles your chickens have on their little beaks says something!
ReplyDeleteI try to buy farm eggs all the time now, it kills me to buy supermarket eggs for the very reason your photos so depicted.
ReplyDeleteSo happy the peeps are laying. That looked like a pretty good meal. Sometimes we have eggs, etc in the evening for our dinner. Just got 2 dozen fresh eggs from my farm friend this afternoon. Cheers to the chicks!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Your first eggs! I am glad for you and yes, aren't they delicious?
ReplyDeleteThis is how I cook my scrambled eggs. Much better that way.
Yes, I do support my neighbors and bought 2 dozen eggs earlier today. I have a couple of neighbors I buy eggs from and switch between them to help keep them both in business. Fresh eggs are so superior to store bought!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are experiencing this! We have been buying farm eggs for about a year now and I can't imagine going back!!! Happy eats!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your first real eggs! I remember a few months ago when you were shopping around for a coop ;) It's the best feeling ever, huh? Not to mention.. they truly are more delicious than anything you can buy. I will try this version of scrambled eggs.. thanks :) -Tammy
ReplyDeleteI love really good eggs! I need to find a local person here...or chicken! heehee! Enjoy your weekend...and your eggs!♥
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that it would make a difference to scramble eggs like that. I'm going to have to give it a shot! Yay for your eggs!
ReplyDelete