Growing up, we always had white eggs from the grocery store. I first saw a brown chicken egg a few years ago when I started to buy them from a local farmer, and they are my favorite. I've let myself believe that brown eggs are healthier eggs. This connotation IS false, and shell color has to do with the chicken breed.
I've been eatting farm fresh eggs for a few years now. A gal I work with was raised on a farm. A real farm- with pigs and chickens, cows, corn, hay, oats, dogs, goats. The whole she-bang.
This gal's mom picks up the chicken eggs every morning, and every week I purchase farm fresh free-range chicken eggs. I could get these from the grocery store, but I save $2.50 a dozen buying them straight from the farmer. Lynelle just got a new batch of chickens, and they can't keep up with the demand for her eggs. It takes the layers a few weeks to get adjusted to laying a consistent egg every day. Plus she feeds them oyster shells and somthing else (i forget) to make her chickens eggs healthier.
Did you know that the eggs in the refridgerator at the grocery store are, on average, 10 days old by the time you get them home?
I've done some taste testing...and in the scrambled state, the Farm-fresh eggs are ligther, fluffier, and more tender than the store bought eggs prepared in the same manner. As for hard boiled, older eggs naturally boil better (the shells peel off more easily).
I feel so bad for caged chickens. And I feel bad for the farmers who get a only fraction of the $3.99 that grocery stores are able to charge for free-range chicken eggs.
I can sleep better at night knowing Lynelle's chickens get a chance to get out of their coops everyday to stretch their legs.
6 comments:
Growing up on a hobby farm, we also raised the Aracona chickens that layed the green and blue eggs. Lower in cholesterol and much better tasting too. We raised them in an outdoor pen and locked them in the coop at night. The big important thing was to keep the wings trimmed otherwise at sundown the chickens would fly up into the trees and become racoon food at night. It is cool that you are finding out about other breeds of chickens and supporting the local farmer. Great post!!!
I really enjoy the "down home" feel to your site. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.
So, about these eggs... too bad more people aren't open-minded. At our cabin up north, our neighbors raise chickens and bring us eggs whenever we're there to visit. My mom smiles, says thank you, and then sends them home with my sister. She's "grossed out" by fresh eggs (Oh, especially when they're still warm--hilarious!) and she prefers to get them from the grocery store.
I tell ya...
I LOVE farm fresh eggs, and knowing the chickens have room to roam and peck about. They are truly better eggs all around.
If your source of eggs runs short, you might find free range eggs a lot cheaper at one of the health food co-ops than at the regular grocery store.
I get free range eggs at Basics Co-op and I'm thinking they are $1.69 a dozen there, if I remember correctly.
I also have friends that have chickens. Taking care of the chickens is really a family affair. They have four kids and each one has a certain duty. What a great way to teach kids responisiblity while providing healthy, fresh food for the family. Interesting posts, keep it up!
Nice post about eggs. The fact that most eggs from a grocery store are 10 days old by the time I get them home is pretty scary.
i like your blog......
Post a Comment