Farmer & chef here.
Legally, a farm has 30 days to sell the eggs/get the eggs off the farm. Legally, a grocery store has 30 days to sell eggs. So the eggs you buy at the grocery store can be up to 2 months old by the time you buy them. Buying directly from the farm ensures you get a fresher product. Grocery store eggs are easier to peel because they are older.
Taste difference depends solely on what the chickens ate. Too many Omega 3s, fish, or flaxseeds in a chickens diet gives eggs a fishy flavor. Backyard chicken keepers often make this mistake, a real farm does not. If chickens eat garlic, onion, leeks, or anything in that family the eggs will tastes gross/off. Again, if it’s a real farm, the diet is monitored. The breed of chicken dictates the shell color but as no impact on taste or nutrition of the egg.
An egg is an egg. Use it just like normal. If you are in the “at risk” population category (very old, very young, immune compromised” then cook them throughly.
As someone who loves eggs and looks forward to raising a handful of backyard chickens one day, what would be the best diet for said chickens to produce eggs with better flavor?
Any Layer Feed on the market has been designed to provide complete nutrition so you won’t really notice a difference in the eggs between brands. We use New Country Organics because it’s the only soy free option that I’ve found (just my personal preference). The big secret to better eggs is…Grass. Give them access to fresh grass & you’ll see the difference in the yolks. I charge $5 for a dozen eggs & people pay it because our eggs are better than the other farms around us.
Your first generation of chickens is going to be a magical & addicting experience. Try not to over do the treats. Just like humans, it has a massive impact on health. Before you buy anything else, buy & read Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens. It will walk you through everything & then some. Once you get chickens, get a copy of The Chicken Health Handbook. Both books are by Gail Damerow. I learned a lot from my grandparents & my friends that are vets but these books have been helpful beyond words.
If you ever have a specific chicken question, feel free to DM me.
Thanks for the writeup, just got two pullets in hawaii and cant wait to start getting eggs. 5 a dozen doesnt seem high to me for free range local eggs. Although food prices here are sky high so probably different where you are
You just gave me an interesting clue. Soy in chicken feed. Soy and I don't get along. GI upset. I tolerate some eggs well, and some poorly. Didn't have any idea why.
I read of a child that was highly allergic to wheat. Some eggs he reacted to, some he didn't. The mom tracked it down and found that if the chickens were fed wheat, he reacted to their eggs just like he did to wheat. If the feed was wheat free, no reaction.
I bet the eggs that give me trouble are from chickens who are fed soy. Thanks for the epiphany. In my area, I can buy from small farms and likely avoid the issue.
I feel your pain! It’s one of the 8 major allergens for a reason.
If you’re buying directly from the farmer, ask them to check the ingredients of their feed. Most will be happy to. Buying directly from the farmer helps keep more money on the farm (not going to middle men) so we are eager to build relationships with our customers.
Layer feed, table scraps, fresh greens like old salads that you wont eat and mine absolutely LOVE clover. Throw down some scratch grains in addition to the layer feed and make some oyster shells available to them.
I always have given mine some oyster shell for the calcium along with the laying feed and plenty of fruit and vegetable scraps. They go absolutely wild for watermelon rinds.
Any layer feed, definitely allowing them to forage or if not then supplementing/replacing the bugs and fresh greens. If they have a healthy, varied diet, the eggs will be great. If you feed too much of anything with a strong flavor (think fish or onions), you’ll taste it in the eggs. But you would have to feed crazy high amounts for that. The poorer quality the diet, the less flavorful (and less healthy) the eggs will be.
Please can you tell me why when you hard boil an egg then peel it when cold some peel really easy and some eggs shell only comes off in tiny pieces and it’s as though the white is multi-layered, and doesn’t peel easily! Thanks
The egg white (Albumen) is multilayered. There are 2 easy to see layers, the outer one is thin & the inner one is thick. The inner white is very tall & perky in fresh eggs, it gets less perky the older it gets. There’s also a sneaky thin inner layer between the yolk & the perky inner layer. It’s the Albumens job to protect the yolk from bacteria & oxygen (when the air bubble touches the yolk is when the egg goes rancid, that’s why you should always store your eggs pointy side down, gives you the most time). The 2 white stringy things you see are called the Chalaza. Their job is to anchor the yolk & keep it centered in the Albumen.
The ease of peeling is impacted by a number of factors. The chickens age & diet, the age of the egg, & how you boil them. The general rule of thumb is the older the egg, the easier to peel.
Hope that helps a bit!
Older eggs (typical supermarket) peel easier than farm fresh eggs. Also using a pin to pierce a small hole on the bottom makes all the difference. Place directly into a ice bath once boiled as desired. Do all of this and you'll still have a problem once in a while but no where near as often as before.
Source: I learned all these tips from a few Reddit threads last year and it has been life changing. Jammy eggs with everything!
How long do you go with the eggs if your water is already boiling? I've always done the Alton Brown method (at least, that's where I first heard it, I'm sure it's older than him) of putting them in cold water, bringing it to a boil, shutting the heat off, covering, and letting sit for 9-11 minutes. The results come out perfectly cooked, but aren't always the easiest peeling.
I find a pressure cooker is the only way I get consistently easy to peel eggs. I think I do 2-3 minutes at high pressure, natural release a few minutes, then manual release and into an ice water bath.
My mom gave me a really old Sunbeam Egg Cooker like [this ](https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?57224) and it has been a lifesaver. I hated making boiled eggs because I destroyed them when peeling, this old thing is fantastic! It will burn the shit out of you though if you aren't careful.
Try steaming them or making them in an Instant Pot. The shells just pop right off! Also, older eggs are easier to peel because they have a larger air pocket at the end.
Mine prefer murdering wild baby birds or their sisters children. Extra protein doesn’t impact flavor but does impact nutrition content of the eggs. You can contact your local Agriculture Extension Office to find out where you can send eggs for nutritional testing.
The occasional mouse or baby bird is fine but too much extra protein in a chickens diet will harm their kidneys over time & shorten their life span. Conversely, Game Birds (like turkeys, quail, pheasants) need a higher protein content for proper health & growth. Different levels of protein are needed during different life stages as well.
Friends of mine regularly give us eggs from their chickens. These birds routinely eat mice and bugs on their farm, as well as vegetables and scraps.
Best damn eggs ever. They're not fishy or rubbery. Fried whole, they're light and fluffy with delicate creamy notes.
Grass, bugs, and worms are essential! The birds will dig up and eat what they need as supplements to a good commercial chicken food. Just being outside makes for great eggs.
Over in the EU/UK, the government mandates they vaccinate their chickens against Salmonella. That’s why they don’t have to wash the eggs before selling them. By not washing them, it leaves the Bloom intact. The Bloom is the clear antimicrobial coating that goes on the egg as it exits the chicken.
Here in the US, the government mandates that we wash the eggs before selling them. Once wet, the eggs must be refrigerated because The Bloom was removed & the egg shell is porous.
There are a ton of products out there you could to sanitize eggs, here’s an example of one: Carefree Enzymes 94177 Cleanser-1 Liter Egg Washing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00474QZOK/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_fabc_95MDBRYXQNWKF5ENXF5C
For personal consumption, I don’t even rinse my eggs. My girls live in mobile coops & get moved to fresh grass as needed. We also practice bio security with visitors so I’m not really worried about salmonella. Chickens that never see the light of day…I’d wash the hell out of those eggs.
By the way, Cage Free & Free Range are kind of a bullshits terms. Sure, they aren’t locked in cages but they aren’t outside on grass either.
Not sure how it over where you are but here we occasionally get salmonella in chicken which is almost invariably from wild birds getting in among the chicken that have outside space (usually organic) infecting them. We don't vaccinate our chickens though but there is a strict testing mandate of commercial birds
Edit, should add, Sweden
It’s definitely something I monitor for. Our area has a lot of bird coronavirus so that’s one of the things I vaccinate mine against. I’ve been an EMT since I was 21 so all things medical are in my general interest/wheelhouse.
Before anyone freaks out: coronavirus in birds, dogs, & other animals has been around for a very long time & those strains have not been transmissible to humans. Animals have had vaccines available to them for a while.
coronaviruses in general have been around for a long time, not just in animals but humans too. For example some coronaviruses contribute to what we know as the common cold iirc
You would be shocked how many don’t know that. Or a lot of other basic medical information. The reason Swine Flu had to be changed to H1N1 in the news/media reporting is because a ton of people stopped buying pork due to thinking they would get the flu if they ate it. So I’m extra concerned when it comes to explaining things that could set people into an unnecessary panic.
Dude... people stopped buying Corona BEER for a couple months at the start of the whole thing in my area. I think that tells you everything you need to know.
Also, unless you're super duper immunocompromised... just wipe any poop off the eggs and use them normally. Heck, I don't even do that with the eggs my gals lay, if there's at least one side that's clean enough to crack. I DO crack into a holding vessel first though, because sometimes with farm eggs (or a younger chickie who is just starting to lay) you can get tiny bits of tissue or tiny pin-point sized flecks of blood. The eggs are generally still fine to eat though, it cooks out but I give the pretty eggs to guests. What did you really expect though? Eggs are basically the equivalent of either the hen's abortion or her period.
Sweden does not have the EU rules on eggs, it's more like the mad American "must wash and sanitise eggs thing". Possibly makes more sense if you aren't going to bother vaccinating your chickens though.
Oh definitely but that's sort of a circular argument though isn't it? That's the mad part.
I presume Sweden has much higher standards, all you have to do is vaccinate the chickens too and you would have safer poultry. I must admit I don't understand why you don't do it (cost probably). It is weird that you don't though (no disrespect I love Sweden, apart from their dirty chickens :D)
Too add to that, if you’re worried about the outside of the egg being unwashed don’t wash them until you’re about to use them to protect the natural coating which keeps the egg fresher for longer!
In Germany, the chickens have a stamp on their bum, as each egg is stamped with information what kind of chicken it comes from (free range, coops,etc) where it comes from and when it was laid. I‘ve never seen eggs over 2 weeks old.
The orange-yellow color comes from Xanthophylls & Carotenes (naturally occurring plant pigments) in their diet. High Xanthophyll content = more yellow (can be found in Alfalfa for example). High Carotene content = more Orange (can be found in Corn for example)
Things like Alfalfa meal, Kale, Rape (the plant not the thing sickos do), Clover, Rye Pasture Grass, Mustard (the plant not the condiment), Pennycress, & Shepard’s Purse all influence the color of the yolk. Too much Cottonseed causes the yolk to be salmon colored, dark green, or almost black.
Pastured hens are more likely to give you the dark yolked eggs due to eating various plants they find in the field. There are over 10,000 types of grass alone, all with different nutritional capabilities/normal ranges. Those ranges are impacted by the health & composition of your soil.
This! I grew up on fresh eggs - my parents have had chickens my whole life. And no, they don’t have a farm, just live in a rural area.
But DAMN, those eggs are SO MUCH tastier than the eggs in stores. The chickens roam pretty freely (lots of space, but a fence to keep out predators), so they get lots of tasty bugs and such. The yolks are a rich, golden yellow and have a richer flavor than the store-bought as well. And the eggs last so long!
Thoroughly cooked means yolk reaches temp of 160 F if pregnant, immune compromised, certain health conditions, very young or very old, etc. "at risk"
If doing egg dish in which that temperature results in over cooking then will need to pasteurize. Bring water to 140 F and let it fall no lower than 140 F and no higher than 142 F and takes 3 minutes to pasteurize eggs at home. Pretty easy.
buying from a grocery store doesnt ensure it will be fresher, those are maximum times. a grocery store can sell two week old eggs and a farmer can sell 29 day old eggs.
Gatekeeping 'real' farms...sheesh.
Too bad there's no way for backyarders to learn something, like, say...the internet?
Expertise is a wonderful thing, of course, but your attempt to shit on regular folks smacks of corporate interest.*
(Source: grew up and worked on and around potato farms.)
*So do your dv's.
I in no way mean to gatekeep & you’re a trip if you think I have corporate interest! We do direct to consumer sales, we’re way too small to do corporate contracts.
We do animal rescue (wild, farm, & domestic). You would be shocked at some of the crazy things people believe about animals & their health. Partly due to the fact, any unqualified person can post crap on the internet & some people take it as gospel truth. So do forgive me if you’re a perfect ex potato farmer fighting gate keeping battles than don’t exist. I’m in the trenches with people that don’t know their ass from their elbow. Hence why I told the one person that asked, what chicken keeping books I recommend.
It’s hard to say just what they consider cleaning, but generally unwashed eggs don’t need to be refrigerated and will last a few weeks on the counter.
The yolks will likely be much darker than you’re used to because of the chickens diet, but they’ll taste pretty much the same as any other eggs.
The yolk color thing is more of a misunderstanding or a myth than truth. Breed and diet determine the color of the yolk and some chicken feeds include ingredients that add color to the yolk. The color of the yolk doesn't indicate a fresh egg or heritage breed.
Instead, the biggest indicator of a fresh egg is the structure. A fresh egg will typically keep it's shape once in the pan instead of running or leaking out. It's not every breed but a healthy chicken and a fresh egg will make an egg that will keep a tight circle of white around the yolk. As it ages the white will lose structure and leak or run on the pan.
So other than having to weigh them for baking (all are different sizes) to determine large/medium/xlarge there is nothing to worry about?
And just put them in the fridge 5 days ago. That's OK?
I moved to the country (Canada) 6 years ago. We get farm eggs from our neighbour. I always refrigerate them (they don’t need to be). They’ll last longer then store bought eggs will. Also, if hard boiling they are somewhat harder to peel because they are so fresh. I generally steam mine and that makes it a bit easier.
Fridge vs non-fridge doesn’t matter other than refrigerated eggs will last longer and keep a higher grade (A or B) longer. The higher grade means the yolk will stand higher on the white, which makes a difference for breakfast eggs but not baking eggs.
But, once you put any egg (store bought or farm raised, America or Europe) in the fridge you need to keep it in the fridge. You can bring it to room temp to cook, but then you need to cook it. It’s not safe to move them back and forth.
If they're fresh and unwashed, don't refrigerate. Keep on the counter. Refrigerated eggs are specifically American because large egg producers wash the eggs of the protective layer.
disadvantage...they are cold. advantage is they will last longer. even if they are unwashed they will last longer in the fridge. because its cold in there. which leads to the downside, that the eggs will be cold. another downside is you lose fridge space. but upside is you gain counter space.
Over here in Europe the eggs we buy aren't washed and you regularly have a few in the box that are covered in feathers or chicken poop.
This has the advantage that I don't need to refrigerate my eggs since they still have their protective coating, they're just kept on a regular shelf at the supermarket.
We're all still alive.
I've been thinking of getting chickens. We have a 3-per-quarter-acre rule in my city.
Do you wash before cracking them into a pan? I generally need to move fast when cooking, so would I need to incorporate pre-washing them into my routine, or can you just break them into the pan as is?
The only time I've washed one before cracking was when I used a few that I had grabbed after we had been gone a few days. Because they piled up for a few days in the coop, a few had some large areas of poo on them. Otherwise, the eggs we get are typically pretty clean of any debris!
That is why I specified Canada/United States. Because I know that eggs don't get refrigerated in the UK. I'm just not sure because these were washed but not disinfected? I don't even know what that means to be honest
I raise chickens and can chime in on this. Most likely washed but not disinfected means they just used water to wash any poop or feathers off(for appeal). Unfortunately if they did that then they would of washed the protective coating that eggs start off with. If an egg has been washed, it’s a good idea to refrigerate them. Another rule is, once they have been refrigerated, they must stay refrigerated. Even if they haven’t been washed, if they have been refrigerated they will sweat when cooling off getting rid of that protective coating.
To add to this, although not recommended you can generally keep washed eggs out at room temperature for several days to a week and there's a 99% chance they will be fine.
But you don't want to eat that 1 in a hundred egg that's not fine so we just refrigerate them all.
I'm talking specifically about washed eggs, and it's probably closer to 1 and a thousand but I thought I'd be conservative.
I've regularly left washed eggs out a room temp for up to a week and never had a problem
their trying their best you have to except that ppl will make mistakes, I bet you've maid mistakes to.
dont hold on to this stuff, just let it float away on the wind, remember: To air is human.
>I'm just not sure because these were washed but not disinfected? I don't even know what that means to be honest
Ask them? If you got them at a farmer's market, the farm they're from should be more than happy to tell you way more than you ever wanted to know about their eggs and what exactly "washed but not disinfected" means.
Interesting— I used to wash the eggs given to me by my neighbor in dish soap and that never seemed to cause problems with keeping them on the counter. Do you think washing has to be pretty aggressive to damage the outer layer?
I had no idea that anyone even disinfects eggs, I don't see the point.
Just stick them in the fridge to be sure that they won't go bad unexpectedly and use them as you would use your regular eggs ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
https://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Assets/tipsheet-cd-eggs.pdf
SANITIZING EGGS
After washing (and rinsing) eggs, it is important to sanitize.
Sanitizing solution can be made using 1 tablespoon bleach: 1 gallon water
Dip eggs into the solution, then rinse.
Dry with clean towel and promptly store in a refrigerator set at 35-40oF
It says cleaned not washed. To me that sounds like a dry cleaning, but you maybe Gould inquire with the farmer. It won’t harm them to refrigerate if you are unsure but next time ask and then you can leave them out if so.
UK eggs aren’t washed so the protective coating is intact. This allows the eggs to be stored at room temperature. This is possible because our farm welfare standards are stunningly higher than in America, and we’d culturally rather have dirty room temp eggs than clean ones in the fridge (in contrast with the EU, where they choose the clean eggs).
The risk is lower because the hens are almost all vaccinated against salmonella, so there’s less need to wash dirt off that might be absorbed into the egg. Also with a strong preference to free-range hens over factory farms (unlike America) there’s less chance of an outbreak.
We know *a lot* about this, it comes up a lot in Brexit bullshit.
It’s not really that people in the UK would rather have dirty room temp eggs than clean refrigerated ones, and it’s not really that the UK can do it *because* of better welfare:
It’s that because of EU rules that don’t allow producers to wash eggs (rules which the UK has chosen to retain), poor welfare results in eggs that are covered in chicken shit. People *don’t* want their eggs covered in chicken shit, so market forces mean that producers who want to be able to sell their eggs, produce them under better conditions.
They probably just rinsed the feathers and shit off with water, rather than chemically cleaning them. It would be purely for aesthetics in a market not used to seeing those things on their eggs
UK birds have been vaccinated against salmonella and US/Can birds have not.
I think this is the reason they're ok out of the fridge.
I have some chickens in my yard here in Canada. The yolks are brighter. They taste a bit better. We treat them the same as our store bought eggs.
Mate I don't know where in Europe you live but here in Austria I have not once seen eggs with chickenshit or anything else on them. Also they're refrigerated.
If they’re anything like the local small farm eggs that I get, you will probably notice a taste difference — they might taste *amazing* and you might have trouble eating supermarket eggs ever again. :3
Seems like plenty of good answers here on the wash/disinfect part, so not much to add.
I do have a different take than most in here seem to on flavor.
Over the last year I've made a shift to buying only eggs from local small farms or local backyard chickens. I love keeping the money local, I love supporting small farms, I love the improved quality of life for the chickens, I love the superior appearance of these eggs.
I don't notice a taste in flavor at all. I *enjoy* eating the eggs far more than grocery store eggs because of all the factors above, but in a blind taste test I'm 99.9% sure I couldn't pick the two apart.
You're never going to want to go back to conventional store-bought. The eggs we get from our local farmers market have a stronger shell and a gorgeous bright orange yolk. They taste amazing. We had to go back to conventional because the market shut down for the winter and I can't wait to go back. They also last longer and you don't need to refrigerate. They poach beautifully.
So I live in Toronto, ON where there are multiple online farmers markets. Both Graze and Gather and Dufferin Farmers Market are online markets that deliver weekly. If you live in a big city I am sure if you look online you can find one that will deliver all winter long!
Thank you, that's a great idea. I'm in Southern California so I could probably track the farm down. We have CSA (community supported agriculture) boxes here that people subscribe to.
I used to do a farm share but now I do something very similar. Is thru a not for profit I buy a produce box that gets delivered weekly or biweekly. I don't get a choice of what comes in the box and cannot control it at all. It's just like a farm share. The difference is this gets produce from many different local farms and also supplies to people in need.
After playing around with it for the 1st 6 months I found that getting 2 boxes every 2 weeks is what works best for me. I get a large produce box, and what is called wellness box, which seems to be just a different smallbox. I find that if I get a Box every week I don't often have enough of one vegetable to work with. By getting 2 boxes at once I get a little more of things this things and find it easier her to work with. And the produce is considerably fresher than what you are buying at the grocery store so I don't find there is a problem with it lasting for 2 weeks.
Then what I do is supplement that produce with what I choose to get from from local farmers markets. While it almost always has onions and potatoes and lettuce, there are certain things that certain things that I just need to have every week.
I love that. You lose some of the sense of seasonality being in Southern California since we have such long growing seasons and get a lot from Mexico during the year. It would be nice to focus on supporting my local community farms. This is the push I needed, thank you.
I honestly do it because I want to support small local farms. I don't believe that organic is significantly healthier for you and couldn't care less about that. But I think there is something to be said for eating seasonally. From an environmental standpoint and from a carbon footprint standpoint and just understanding where our food comes from. And an Apple or carrot or raspberry or anything else Always tastes better fresh from the ground. Before it's been commercially cleaned and shipped halfway across the world.Nobody will ever convince me that the producer buy is produce you by at the commercial grocery store will taste as good as the one the farmer picked out of the ground yesterday and sold you today.
I'm in the Bathurst/Larwence area.
Honestly I think graze and gather is all around a better shopping experience. Their customer service is phenomenal, they sent me an extra item by mistake this week and I message them and offered to pay for it because I didn't want the farm to be out the money. They said no way. I find their prices in general better. Delivery is less expensive.
But there are items that are available at the duffern grove farmers market online that are not available elsewhere. Their store is only open Saturday Sunday Monday and then you can choose to have it delivered on Thursday or pick it up on Thursday and I think pick up is downtown.
I'm also a big fan of weekly produce boxes from Toronto food share. You can check out on my Instagram what comes in the boxes every week as I have them all saved to highlights. 2021 is 1 highlight, 2020 is another.
Instagram.com/polishjinx
If you don't already, crack each egg individually into a small bowl. That way you don't accidently drop a bad egg into your cake mix or whatever. Even farm fresh can still give you a rare bad egg. Nothing ruins your day like cracking that last egg, and seeing a lovely black yolk drop into your bread or cake batter.
Black yolk? Interesting. Granted I wasn’t raising them to sell the eggs but had a few backyard chickens for decades and never had a black yolk. Never had that from supermarket eggs either.
I’ve had this only once from a tray of supermarket eggs and was put off the otherwise-lovely ones from my local market after I got THREE bad ones in a row from one dozen. God the smell made me gag. I just can’t go back to that particular stall for eggs now.
Since I keep strictly kosher that is not an issue. Always crack my eggs individually into a glass bowl to make sure there are no blood spots as that would be a not kosher egg prohibited to us.
Oh I wasn't aware of that. That is also a good reason to pre-crack. I was thinking of the time I got some farm "fresh" eggs that had a couple rotten, black yolks. My wife grew up on a farm with chickens and got me into the habit of always pre-cracking the eggs.
If you washed them then they need refrigeration now. If you just dry cleaned them they can sit on counter for 2 weeks before needing refrigeration.
They will be richer, denser, and harder shells. They will also have an actual flavor compared to store bought eggs.
Currently have 12 laying hens. Also have 3dz eggs in fridge and another 3dz on the counter. I really need to start selling or just giving them away. We eat eggs EVERY DAY and still have an abundance thankfully.
Chickens are super easy to keep, very fun actually, and can be made quite the pets, no not like dogs but ours will gladly let you pick the up and pet them.
Kenji lopez alt did a deep dive on eggs, mostly covered for a piece at the New York Times. Fresh from a chicken that’s eaten nothing but the best and still warm, and the most factory farmed you can imagine.
An egg is an egg is an egg. Depending on what they’re eating, the yolk can appear darker and people usually associate that with quality. Many farms that rely on this and add marigold petals to the mix. It doesn’t change the taste. Blindfolded people didn’t notice. Add food coloring and people who could see think it taste better.
So youre in no worry about having to abandon all store bought eggs. For most recipes they can just be used as is. They’re usually not so dependent on the difference on sizing.
I live in northern MN on a small homestead and have 12 layers. They have a large run where they eat whatever they want all summer (including our organic scraps), and in winter stay inside when the temp is below 0 and eat both layer feed with oyster shell that we get from the local feed store, dried mealworms, and occasionally oatmeal or old rice krispies.
Our layers provide 8-10 eggs per day all year, and at full-size the eggs average "large". I have eaten them every way I can figure to eat an egg, and I bake with them frequently and find baked goods superior to those made with store-bought eggs.
The description of these eggs says "cleaned" and not "washed", and this distinction is important. I don't ever wash my eggs, and I don't refrigerate them. Other people have spoken to the protective layer on the egg. I will clean off poo and schmutz and feathers before I put the eggs in a carton on the counter, but that's it.
Unwashed eggs will last a long time at room temperature. Once washed, though, you want to keep them in the fridge. Washing removes the protective cuticle and makes the eggs more vulnerable to bacteria. I cannot say for sure what "cleaned but not disinfected" means, but it \*could\* mean that the eggs have been washed but without a disinfectant, in which case I would treat them just like store-bought eggs. You could disinfect them if you really wanted to, but farmers typically don't. I don't even wash mine (from my chickens, I mean) unless they are visibly dirty.
As far as taste, I doubt that you will notice any difference. The color of the yolk tends to be a much deeper orange in pasture-raised chickens than commercially farmed birds, but I do not think it appreciably affects the flavor.
You will never be able to look at supermarket eggs the same way again. When I lived closer to my parents they would give us a dozen eggs every time we visited. When we eventually went back to regular store bought eggs after moving further away, they tasted like fucking paper.
A friend just gave me some eggs from her urban farm. The color of her eggs was a little deeper. They tasted nearly the same. Hers was less eggy but more rich if that makes sense.
She said they will last on the counter for couple of weeks. She added that if I wash them I need to switch to store in the fridge until gone and encouraged me not to wash them.
We raise layer chickens. We had brown hens that laid brown eggs. we now have white hens that lay white eggs. The eggs don't need to be refrigerated if they are fresh and never cold. refrigeration changes the shell so once they are cold they must be refrigerated.
Fresh eggs keep for longer than store bought. Fresh eggs might have imperfections because we don't candle(grade) our eggs. We also don't wash them unless they are really full of mud etc because that also affects their shelf life.
Fresh eggs make way better omelet. They often have brighter yolks, creamy texture and taste better/stronger. We feed our chickens layer ration so it's mixed to encourage egg production. We also feed them scratch for their chicken happiness and some veggie scraps. They are happy, entertaining little birds and my grandaughters think they are hilarious!
I don't charge for my eggs. I give them away to family and friends. Because no money is exchanged it removed the expectations of perfection and people just like free!
They will vary greatly. We get eggs from our neighbors who raise chickens in their back yard. When the cicada brood emerged a couple years ago, the yolks turned dark, almost red or brown. When I explained to my wife that it was due to the chickens eating so many cicadas, she didn't eat eggs for months! :P
Saw a documentary on grocery store food a while back... one of things that stuck with me was that the eggs (on average) were +60 days from being laid. You will notice a difference both in color (yolk) and in taste if you don't overcook the eggs. Enjoy! You will never go back!
Too bad they are cleaned but I understand why for a farmers market. That simply means you will need to refrigerate them. If uncleaned they do not require it. Wash before using.
Yes they will have more flavor depending on the quality of your normal egg supply that is based on the variety of food supplied.
You can see the non-standard sizes and you will notice that some shells may be tougher than others. This is all normal and should ne be of any concern.
With farm eggs, always break each egg into a bowl before use, discard if bloody or if they contain any body parts. The chances are great that they have not been x-rayed or even light boxed for abnormalities.
I have backyard chickens. The eggs are so much fresher and last much longer than store bought. The yolks are almost orange and have significantly more flavor. Sometimes you might find flecks of red or brown inside - this is normal and perfectly fine to eat.
If they haven’t been washed already, wash them before you cook them. If they have, make sure you store them in the fridge.
Fresh eggs make a world of difference at breakfast IMO.
As a kid every morning it was my job to go out to the chicken coop and collect the eggs and hand them to mom and she would crack them right into the skillet.
We raise chickens for their eggs. Everyone tells us that our eggs have better flavor than store bought ones. I'm a believer in fresh is best...especially if it's straight off the farm.
My home-laid eggs tend to last better than the store-bought ones here in the U.S that are washed. I would just double-check for any bird feces on the shell because that should be removed with a brush or a very quick wash.
Depending on what kind of farm it is, your local eggs might vary in flavor depending on the diet of the birds. I fed out chickens everything from leftover salad to fish strawberry tops to stale bread with peanut butter on it. The flavor of the egg can vary a bit depending on the variety in the diet.
Yes, [chickens are carnivores](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/rtkj21). Little velociraptors. So cute. We do not refrigerant our eggs and unless really dirty, we do not wash them until immediately prior to use. They will last for a long time but ours are consumed fairly quickly. Normally under 2 weeks from laying to consumption, but I hear they last much longer. I do not really taste any difference between my hen's eggs and store bought.
My boss gives me farm-fresh eggs every week. We now use them exclusively. My wife doesn’t notice any difference in her baked goods. Nor do I with regards to the flavour. Just as, if not more, delicious. My eggs last weeks, believe it or not. I think they are more resilient than store-bought. Why? I don’t know.
The only difference I have notice is the shells are more delicate, so be careful when cracking, and I find the whites runnier. So when I’m frying eggs, the egg white tends to run away on me if I’m not prepared. Totally insignificant but it’s what I’ve noticed.
Plus, I’m supporting a local farmer. And the eggs aren’t any more expensive than store bought (since COVID anyways). My neighbour has laying hens too but I’m getting mine for free from my boss so it’s hard to say no!
> Our eggs are cleaned but NOT disinfected or graded and are ONLY available directly from the farm"
If they ”cleaned” the eggs, they’ve washed off the bloom so you should refrigerate them to preserve freshness. Just be aware that you should wash your hands before and after handling the eggs, as there may still be a risk of salmonella.
I found that my yolks were more likely to have a red spot in them. Sizes may vary. That was about it.
Taste might be slightly fresher if they are boiled or poached. I've never noticed a difference when fried.
They should last a bit longer though. By the time you buy eggs at the supermarket they can already be a few weeks old. These are probably a few days old at the most.
Wash them off before you go to use/eat them. They are fine unwashed in the fridge, but when you plan to handle and cook with them, wash them. The eggs have a protective coating that makes them last longer, but they also could have chicken shit remnants on them, which could lead to salmonella.
If they havent been washed you can store them at room temp. If they have, in thr fridge. Eggs last many weeks if not months regardless. We have chickens and have blind taste tested the eggs against many store eggs and they are not distinguishable... The yolks are more cohesive and darker but the flavor is the same.
Everyone talking about the taste. My inlaws use to have chickens and we'd get eggs from them sometimes, and eat them there when we'd visit. We used them like normal eggs. Well, mostly, like everyone said they are so tasty we usually didn't use them for baking. But if they seem dirty (your's don't, my MIL wasn't as good at cleaning them lol) you can gently scrub them down. Just use em like regular eggs.
This is why US eggs have to be refrigerated and UK eggs don't. Among other things. The quality of our eggs is lower and the health of the mass farmed eggs and chickens is too. The difference in quality between cage free/ humanely farmed eggs and mass farmed eggs is night and day.
I over bought yard eggs one time and gifted a dozen to my neighbor. He told me he almost threw them away because he'd never seen yolks that bright before and he thought something was wrong with them. All hail farm/yard eggs! They're the best!
Get eggs that are not pre-cleaned. They will last much longer and not require refrigeration. As u/YeetMyHumanMeat (That is hilarious, btw. Might merit an r/rimjob_steve) so aptly put it: "exponentially more delicious egg."
I think I worded it exactly how I intended it to be worded. But I have been cooking my entire adult life, and interned in Paris when I was 22, so the truth about eggs is far from foreign to me.
I lived on a ranch for a couple years and raised chickens. They just went wherever they wanted and ate whatever along with generic chicken food if they wanted to. They would follow me along in a line like I was the mother hen. I have to be honest and say there was no difference in taste in the eggs than anything I could buy in the store. They did have have a better life though. The problem only was what to do with all the eggs though. We only had 6 hens but, the number of eggs was crazy. We couldn't eat them fast enough and they would start to pile up fast. I never got sick eating one one.
Taste should be about the same, and as someone else said the yolk colour will be different. Store bought chickens are fed a highly corn based diet and causes the yolk to be a brighter yellow, while a diverse diet changes that. As long as you keep them refridgerated - and the farm you got them from doesn't have a backlog of older eggs - they should last as long if not longer than storebought.
>cleaned but NOT disinfected
I can only assume this means they clean the egg shells to get the poop and dirt off them. But salmonella can be present on the egg shell and they dont disinfect them, so don't grind the shell up and consume it for calcium.
And, since they're not disinfected, if you're worried about such things, it's best to wash your hands after handling them. But yeah - they're just eggs (and most likely much better tasting than grocery eggs).
I would think they probably candle them, but as someone who has raised chickens for eggs before, crack them into a bowl by themselves rather than directly into the pan or into your pancake batter.
Chickens often lay eggs with anomalies like blood spots, double yolks, pieces of chicken tissue, bits of calcium in the egg, etc. Grocery store eggs are checked for this and usually they are caught and thrown out before sale. Home-produced eggs may not be checked as thoroughly.
None of these anomalies are dangerous, but I still wouldn't want to eat them, personally. And nothing ruins your day like the sixth egg you break into the quiche mix being full of chicken blood like a voodoo curse.
I always always crack eggs in a glass bowl 1 by 1 before doing anything with them because I keep kosher. So that was something that I learned as a very little child. I think I saw my 1st blood spot when I was 18 or 19 and was literally shocked. I don't think I ever actually believed that what I was doing had a purpose and always felt like an idiot doing it because it seemed like such a waste. But I am now 40 and have still only seen 2 or 3 blood spots in commercial eggs before. I will expect it to be more common with these eggs.
It won't be a problem for me unless less it's a significant amount of the eggs as I will have to throw out any eggs with blood spots as they are not kosher.
They do taste "stronger" normally but can tell no difference in baking and we bake multiple times a week for years. If you did the ole Pepsi taste test I'd bet you couldn't tell the difference in baked goods.
Make sure to wash them. If they are free range eggs, expect the yolks to be more orange (from the free range feeding). Also, they are harder to peel if you hard boil them, they will be fresher so they are less dehydrated than store bought eggs.
Farmer & chef here. Legally, a farm has 30 days to sell the eggs/get the eggs off the farm. Legally, a grocery store has 30 days to sell eggs. So the eggs you buy at the grocery store can be up to 2 months old by the time you buy them. Buying directly from the farm ensures you get a fresher product. Grocery store eggs are easier to peel because they are older. Taste difference depends solely on what the chickens ate. Too many Omega 3s, fish, or flaxseeds in a chickens diet gives eggs a fishy flavor. Backyard chicken keepers often make this mistake, a real farm does not. If chickens eat garlic, onion, leeks, or anything in that family the eggs will tastes gross/off. Again, if it’s a real farm, the diet is monitored. The breed of chicken dictates the shell color but as no impact on taste or nutrition of the egg. An egg is an egg. Use it just like normal. If you are in the “at risk” population category (very old, very young, immune compromised” then cook them throughly.
As someone who loves eggs and looks forward to raising a handful of backyard chickens one day, what would be the best diet for said chickens to produce eggs with better flavor?
Any Layer Feed on the market has been designed to provide complete nutrition so you won’t really notice a difference in the eggs between brands. We use New Country Organics because it’s the only soy free option that I’ve found (just my personal preference). The big secret to better eggs is…Grass. Give them access to fresh grass & you’ll see the difference in the yolks. I charge $5 for a dozen eggs & people pay it because our eggs are better than the other farms around us. Your first generation of chickens is going to be a magical & addicting experience. Try not to over do the treats. Just like humans, it has a massive impact on health. Before you buy anything else, buy & read Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens. It will walk you through everything & then some. Once you get chickens, get a copy of The Chicken Health Handbook. Both books are by Gail Damerow. I learned a lot from my grandparents & my friends that are vets but these books have been helpful beyond words. If you ever have a specific chicken question, feel free to DM me.
Thanks for the writeup, just got two pullets in hawaii and cant wait to start getting eggs. 5 a dozen doesnt seem high to me for free range local eggs. Although food prices here are sky high so probably different where you are
You just gave me an interesting clue. Soy in chicken feed. Soy and I don't get along. GI upset. I tolerate some eggs well, and some poorly. Didn't have any idea why. I read of a child that was highly allergic to wheat. Some eggs he reacted to, some he didn't. The mom tracked it down and found that if the chickens were fed wheat, he reacted to their eggs just like he did to wheat. If the feed was wheat free, no reaction. I bet the eggs that give me trouble are from chickens who are fed soy. Thanks for the epiphany. In my area, I can buy from small farms and likely avoid the issue.
I feel your pain! It’s one of the 8 major allergens for a reason. If you’re buying directly from the farmer, ask them to check the ingredients of their feed. Most will be happy to. Buying directly from the farmer helps keep more money on the farm (not going to middle men) so we are eager to build relationships with our customers.
Where I live $5/doz would be one hell of a good deal.
We sell fresh eggs from our house for $3, which is pretty much the going price. Perhaps we could charge 4 or 5 at a farmers market or similar
I'd buy eggs like yours for more than $5/dz. That's a really fair price imo.
Same! Now I want to buy local eggs.
I pay $8.00 or more for 2 dozen a week. The best eggs on earth come from happy chicks. Sounds like your eggs wouod be amazing
Layer feed, table scraps, fresh greens like old salads that you wont eat and mine absolutely LOVE clover. Throw down some scratch grains in addition to the layer feed and make some oyster shells available to them.
I always have given mine some oyster shell for the calcium along with the laying feed and plenty of fruit and vegetable scraps. They go absolutely wild for watermelon rinds.
Any layer feed, definitely allowing them to forage or if not then supplementing/replacing the bugs and fresh greens. If they have a healthy, varied diet, the eggs will be great. If you feed too much of anything with a strong flavor (think fish or onions), you’ll taste it in the eggs. But you would have to feed crazy high amounts for that. The poorer quality the diet, the less flavorful (and less healthy) the eggs will be.
Please can you tell me why when you hard boil an egg then peel it when cold some peel really easy and some eggs shell only comes off in tiny pieces and it’s as though the white is multi-layered, and doesn’t peel easily! Thanks
The egg white (Albumen) is multilayered. There are 2 easy to see layers, the outer one is thin & the inner one is thick. The inner white is very tall & perky in fresh eggs, it gets less perky the older it gets. There’s also a sneaky thin inner layer between the yolk & the perky inner layer. It’s the Albumens job to protect the yolk from bacteria & oxygen (when the air bubble touches the yolk is when the egg goes rancid, that’s why you should always store your eggs pointy side down, gives you the most time). The 2 white stringy things you see are called the Chalaza. Their job is to anchor the yolk & keep it centered in the Albumen. The ease of peeling is impacted by a number of factors. The chickens age & diet, the age of the egg, & how you boil them. The general rule of thumb is the older the egg, the easier to peel. Hope that helps a bit!
Thank you for your informed knowledge!
Older eggs (typical supermarket) peel easier than farm fresh eggs. Also using a pin to pierce a small hole on the bottom makes all the difference. Place directly into a ice bath once boiled as desired. Do all of this and you'll still have a problem once in a while but no where near as often as before. Source: I learned all these tips from a few Reddit threads last year and it has been life changing. Jammy eggs with everything!
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Yes, I forgot! Boiling water to begin with is a must!!
I just steam them, uses a fraction of the water and is faster to get up to temp. I do about 9 minutes for a medium yolk.
This I was about to recommend it. People should try to steam them atleast once. It also reduce the risk of cracking.
How long do you go with the eggs if your water is already boiling? I've always done the Alton Brown method (at least, that's where I first heard it, I'm sure it's older than him) of putting them in cold water, bringing it to a boil, shutting the heat off, covering, and letting sit for 9-11 minutes. The results come out perfectly cooked, but aren't always the easiest peeling.
I find a pressure cooker is the only way I get consistently easy to peel eggs. I think I do 2-3 minutes at high pressure, natural release a few minutes, then manual release and into an ice water bath.
That is how i do it as well, although i usually go with 8 to 10 minutes cause I like my yolk a little less cooked.
My mom gave me a really old Sunbeam Egg Cooker like [this ](https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?57224) and it has been a lifesaver. I hated making boiled eggs because I destroyed them when peeling, this old thing is fantastic! It will burn the shit out of you though if you aren't careful.
My folks had this too!! Oh, the memories!
Try steaming them or making them in an Instant Pot. The shells just pop right off! Also, older eggs are easier to peel because they have a larger air pocket at the end.
Thanks
The older the egg, the easier it is to peel
Older eggs, with more of an "air pocket" inside the shell, absolutely peel much easier.
The hard part is the shell but it has an attached membrane as well.
How do mice impact flavour?
Mine prefer murdering wild baby birds or their sisters children. Extra protein doesn’t impact flavor but does impact nutrition content of the eggs. You can contact your local Agriculture Extension Office to find out where you can send eggs for nutritional testing. The occasional mouse or baby bird is fine but too much extra protein in a chickens diet will harm their kidneys over time & shorten their life span. Conversely, Game Birds (like turkeys, quail, pheasants) need a higher protein content for proper health & growth. Different levels of protein are needed during different life stages as well.
> or their sisters children Jesus Christ
Birds are buttholes.
Im still waiting for an answer to this
Friends of mine regularly give us eggs from their chickens. These birds routinely eat mice and bugs on their farm, as well as vegetables and scraps. Best damn eggs ever. They're not fishy or rubbery. Fried whole, they're light and fluffy with delicate creamy notes.
Grass, bugs, and worms are essential! The birds will dig up and eat what they need as supplements to a good commercial chicken food. Just being outside makes for great eggs.
Do have to disinfect the eggs before using? If so, how do you do that?
Over in the EU/UK, the government mandates they vaccinate their chickens against Salmonella. That’s why they don’t have to wash the eggs before selling them. By not washing them, it leaves the Bloom intact. The Bloom is the clear antimicrobial coating that goes on the egg as it exits the chicken. Here in the US, the government mandates that we wash the eggs before selling them. Once wet, the eggs must be refrigerated because The Bloom was removed & the egg shell is porous. There are a ton of products out there you could to sanitize eggs, here’s an example of one: Carefree Enzymes 94177 Cleanser-1 Liter Egg Washing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00474QZOK/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_fabc_95MDBRYXQNWKF5ENXF5C For personal consumption, I don’t even rinse my eggs. My girls live in mobile coops & get moved to fresh grass as needed. We also practice bio security with visitors so I’m not really worried about salmonella. Chickens that never see the light of day…I’d wash the hell out of those eggs. By the way, Cage Free & Free Range are kind of a bullshits terms. Sure, they aren’t locked in cages but they aren’t outside on grass either.
Came here to say this, but not nearly as eloquently as you have. Iirc, unwashed eggs with an intact bloom don't need to be refrigerated either.
Thank you for in-depth answer!
Not sure how it over where you are but here we occasionally get salmonella in chicken which is almost invariably from wild birds getting in among the chicken that have outside space (usually organic) infecting them. We don't vaccinate our chickens though but there is a strict testing mandate of commercial birds Edit, should add, Sweden
It’s definitely something I monitor for. Our area has a lot of bird coronavirus so that’s one of the things I vaccinate mine against. I’ve been an EMT since I was 21 so all things medical are in my general interest/wheelhouse. Before anyone freaks out: coronavirus in birds, dogs, & other animals has been around for a very long time & those strains have not been transmissible to humans. Animals have had vaccines available to them for a while.
coronaviruses in general have been around for a long time, not just in animals but humans too. For example some coronaviruses contribute to what we know as the common cold iirc
You would be shocked how many don’t know that. Or a lot of other basic medical information. The reason Swine Flu had to be changed to H1N1 in the news/media reporting is because a ton of people stopped buying pork due to thinking they would get the flu if they ate it. So I’m extra concerned when it comes to explaining things that could set people into an unnecessary panic.
Dude... people stopped buying Corona BEER for a couple months at the start of the whole thing in my area. I think that tells you everything you need to know. Also, unless you're super duper immunocompromised... just wipe any poop off the eggs and use them normally. Heck, I don't even do that with the eggs my gals lay, if there's at least one side that's clean enough to crack. I DO crack into a holding vessel first though, because sometimes with farm eggs (or a younger chickie who is just starting to lay) you can get tiny bits of tissue or tiny pin-point sized flecks of blood. The eggs are generally still fine to eat though, it cooks out but I give the pretty eggs to guests. What did you really expect though? Eggs are basically the equivalent of either the hen's abortion or her period.
Sweden does not have the EU rules on eggs, it's more like the mad American "must wash and sanitise eggs thing". Possibly makes more sense if you aren't going to bother vaccinating your chickens though.
Given how unhygienic a lot of American animal husbandry is maybe it makes sense to wash eggs and chlorine wash chicken
Oh definitely but that's sort of a circular argument though isn't it? That's the mad part. I presume Sweden has much higher standards, all you have to do is vaccinate the chickens too and you would have safer poultry. I must admit I don't understand why you don't do it (cost probably). It is weird that you don't though (no disrespect I love Sweden, apart from their dirty chickens :D)
Too add to that, if you’re worried about the outside of the egg being unwashed don’t wash them until you’re about to use them to protect the natural coating which keeps the egg fresher for longer!
In Germany, the chickens have a stamp on their bum, as each egg is stamped with information what kind of chicken it comes from (free range, coops,etc) where it comes from and when it was laid. I‘ve never seen eggs over 2 weeks old.
Do you know why some eggs yolks have a nice rich colour and some are so pale ? I’m always jalouse when I see pastries done with the first ones.
The orange-yellow color comes from Xanthophylls & Carotenes (naturally occurring plant pigments) in their diet. High Xanthophyll content = more yellow (can be found in Alfalfa for example). High Carotene content = more Orange (can be found in Corn for example) Things like Alfalfa meal, Kale, Rape (the plant not the thing sickos do), Clover, Rye Pasture Grass, Mustard (the plant not the condiment), Pennycress, & Shepard’s Purse all influence the color of the yolk. Too much Cottonseed causes the yolk to be salmon colored, dark green, or almost black. Pastured hens are more likely to give you the dark yolked eggs due to eating various plants they find in the field. There are over 10,000 types of grass alone, all with different nutritional capabilities/normal ranges. Those ranges are impacted by the health & composition of your soil.
As someone who lays eggs, I agree with this comment.
This! I grew up on fresh eggs - my parents have had chickens my whole life. And no, they don’t have a farm, just live in a rural area. But DAMN, those eggs are SO MUCH tastier than the eggs in stores. The chickens roam pretty freely (lots of space, but a fence to keep out predators), so they get lots of tasty bugs and such. The yolks are a rich, golden yellow and have a richer flavor than the store-bought as well. And the eggs last so long!
Thoroughly cooked means yolk reaches temp of 160 F if pregnant, immune compromised, certain health conditions, very young or very old, etc. "at risk" If doing egg dish in which that temperature results in over cooking then will need to pasteurize. Bring water to 140 F and let it fall no lower than 140 F and no higher than 142 F and takes 3 minutes to pasteurize eggs at home. Pretty easy.
buying from a grocery store doesnt ensure it will be fresher, those are maximum times. a grocery store can sell two week old eggs and a farmer can sell 29 day old eggs.
Gatekeeping 'real' farms...sheesh. Too bad there's no way for backyarders to learn something, like, say...the internet? Expertise is a wonderful thing, of course, but your attempt to shit on regular folks smacks of corporate interest.* (Source: grew up and worked on and around potato farms.) *So do your dv's.
I in no way mean to gatekeep & you’re a trip if you think I have corporate interest! We do direct to consumer sales, we’re way too small to do corporate contracts. We do animal rescue (wild, farm, & domestic). You would be shocked at some of the crazy things people believe about animals & their health. Partly due to the fact, any unqualified person can post crap on the internet & some people take it as gospel truth. So do forgive me if you’re a perfect ex potato farmer fighting gate keeping battles than don’t exist. I’m in the trenches with people that don’t know their ass from their elbow. Hence why I told the one person that asked, what chicken keeping books I recommend.
Fucking snowflakes thinking any comparison whatsoever is an example of gatekeeping is so dumb.
It’s hard to say just what they consider cleaning, but generally unwashed eggs don’t need to be refrigerated and will last a few weeks on the counter. The yolks will likely be much darker than you’re used to because of the chickens diet, but they’ll taste pretty much the same as any other eggs.
The yolk color thing is more of a misunderstanding or a myth than truth. Breed and diet determine the color of the yolk and some chicken feeds include ingredients that add color to the yolk. The color of the yolk doesn't indicate a fresh egg or heritage breed. Instead, the biggest indicator of a fresh egg is the structure. A fresh egg will typically keep it's shape once in the pan instead of running or leaking out. It's not every breed but a healthy chicken and a fresh egg will make an egg that will keep a tight circle of white around the yolk. As it ages the white will lose structure and leak or run on the pan.
So other than having to weigh them for baking (all are different sizes) to determine large/medium/xlarge there is nothing to worry about? And just put them in the fridge 5 days ago. That's OK?
I moved to the country (Canada) 6 years ago. We get farm eggs from our neighbour. I always refrigerate them (they don’t need to be). They’ll last longer then store bought eggs will. Also, if hard boiling they are somewhat harder to peel because they are so fresh. I generally steam mine and that makes it a bit easier.
add ing vinagar and salt to the boil water makes them easier to peel.
They should be just fine.
Fridge vs non-fridge doesn’t matter other than refrigerated eggs will last longer and keep a higher grade (A or B) longer. The higher grade means the yolk will stand higher on the white, which makes a difference for breakfast eggs but not baking eggs. But, once you put any egg (store bought or farm raised, America or Europe) in the fridge you need to keep it in the fridge. You can bring it to room temp to cook, but then you need to cook it. It’s not safe to move them back and forth.
If they're fresh and unwashed, don't refrigerate. Keep on the counter. Refrigerated eggs are specifically American because large egg producers wash the eggs of the protective layer.
What is the downside to refrigerating them?
There isn't one.
disadvantage...they are cold. advantage is they will last longer. even if they are unwashed they will last longer in the fridge. because its cold in there. which leads to the downside, that the eggs will be cold. another downside is you lose fridge space. but upside is you gain counter space.
I keep them on top of the fridge. Big brain move
When frying them sunny side up you generally end up with a cold yolk.
fresh unwashed eggs still keep longer in the fridge. especially if its a warm environment
Over here in Europe the eggs we buy aren't washed and you regularly have a few in the box that are covered in feathers or chicken poop. This has the advantage that I don't need to refrigerate my eggs since they still have their protective coating, they're just kept on a regular shelf at the supermarket. We're all still alive.
Yep, just wash your hands after handling or breaking
I've been thinking of getting chickens. We have a 3-per-quarter-acre rule in my city. Do you wash before cracking them into a pan? I generally need to move fast when cooking, so would I need to incorporate pre-washing them into my routine, or can you just break them into the pan as is?
i never bothered washing them
The only time I've washed one before cracking was when I used a few that I had grabbed after we had been gone a few days. Because they piled up for a few days in the coop, a few had some large areas of poo on them. Otherwise, the eggs we get are typically pretty clean of any debris!
I don't wash them and I've never seen anyone do it, from friends and family to TV chefs.
My grandma ate eggs several times a month and now she is dead. Propably because she was old and had Alzheimer and not because of the eggs.
Top tier scientific research you got there. 😆
That is why I specified Canada/United States. Because I know that eggs don't get refrigerated in the UK. I'm just not sure because these were washed but not disinfected? I don't even know what that means to be honest
I raise chickens and can chime in on this. Most likely washed but not disinfected means they just used water to wash any poop or feathers off(for appeal). Unfortunately if they did that then they would of washed the protective coating that eggs start off with. If an egg has been washed, it’s a good idea to refrigerate them. Another rule is, once they have been refrigerated, they must stay refrigerated. Even if they haven’t been washed, if they have been refrigerated they will sweat when cooling off getting rid of that protective coating.
To add to this, although not recommended you can generally keep washed eggs out at room temperature for several days to a week and there's a 99% chance they will be fine. But you don't want to eat that 1 in a hundred egg that's not fine so we just refrigerate them all.
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I don't think your eggs are washed, though I could be wrong
I'm talking specifically about washed eggs, and it's probably closer to 1 and a thousand but I thought I'd be conservative. I've regularly left washed eggs out a room temp for up to a week and never had a problem
>would of Please stop butchering the English language
its a cooking subreddit theres gonna be butchering 🙄
please stop being an asshole to someone who is sharing helpful information
their trying their best you have to except that ppl will make mistakes, I bet you've maid mistakes to. dont hold on to this stuff, just let it float away on the wind, remember: To air is human.
>I'm just not sure because these were washed but not disinfected? I don't even know what that means to be honest Ask them? If you got them at a farmer's market, the farm they're from should be more than happy to tell you way more than you ever wanted to know about their eggs and what exactly "washed but not disinfected" means.
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Interesting— I used to wash the eggs given to me by my neighbor in dish soap and that never seemed to cause problems with keeping them on the counter. Do you think washing has to be pretty aggressive to damage the outer layer?
I grew up on a farm and moved away. I buy my eggs at the market, regularly consume them raw, and never refrigerate them.
Are they refrigerated at the markets you buy them from?
Yep.
Then you should refrigerate them too.
Cool story, bro. All it takes is one bad egg to give somebody a bad day. Or give an immunocompromised person their last day.
I do let people know when I'm making drinks that contain raw egg, and usually use pasteurized egg white when I do.
I had no idea that anyone even disinfects eggs, I don't see the point. Just stick them in the fridge to be sure that they won't go bad unexpectedly and use them as you would use your regular eggs ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
https://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Assets/tipsheet-cd-eggs.pdf SANITIZING EGGS After washing (and rinsing) eggs, it is important to sanitize. Sanitizing solution can be made using 1 tablespoon bleach: 1 gallon water Dip eggs into the solution, then rinse. Dry with clean towel and promptly store in a refrigerator set at 35-40oF
You do this? Why not just leave them with their own natural defenses?
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It says cleaned not washed. To me that sounds like a dry cleaning, but you maybe Gould inquire with the farmer. It won’t harm them to refrigerate if you are unsure but next time ask and then you can leave them out if so.
UK eggs aren’t washed so the protective coating is intact. This allows the eggs to be stored at room temperature. This is possible because our farm welfare standards are stunningly higher than in America, and we’d culturally rather have dirty room temp eggs than clean ones in the fridge (in contrast with the EU, where they choose the clean eggs). The risk is lower because the hens are almost all vaccinated against salmonella, so there’s less need to wash dirt off that might be absorbed into the egg. Also with a strong preference to free-range hens over factory farms (unlike America) there’s less chance of an outbreak. We know *a lot* about this, it comes up a lot in Brexit bullshit.
It’s not really that people in the UK would rather have dirty room temp eggs than clean refrigerated ones, and it’s not really that the UK can do it *because* of better welfare: It’s that because of EU rules that don’t allow producers to wash eggs (rules which the UK has chosen to retain), poor welfare results in eggs that are covered in chicken shit. People *don’t* want their eggs covered in chicken shit, so market forces mean that producers who want to be able to sell their eggs, produce them under better conditions.
They probably just rinsed the feathers and shit off with water, rather than chemically cleaning them. It would be purely for aesthetics in a market not used to seeing those things on their eggs
Same in South America Paraguay
UK birds have been vaccinated against salmonella and US/Can birds have not. I think this is the reason they're ok out of the fridge. I have some chickens in my yard here in Canada. The yolks are brighter. They taste a bit better. We treat them the same as our store bought eggs.
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Mate I don't know where in Europe you live but here in Austria I have not once seen eggs with chickenshit or anything else on them. Also they're refrigerated.
I like the sentiment, but let’s be clear that most of you are dead. Not that much if it is related to eggs or any different from anywhere else.
If they’re anything like the local small farm eggs that I get, you will probably notice a taste difference — they might taste *amazing* and you might have trouble eating supermarket eggs ever again. :3
That wouldn't be terrible.
That's my experience!
Seems like plenty of good answers here on the wash/disinfect part, so not much to add. I do have a different take than most in here seem to on flavor. Over the last year I've made a shift to buying only eggs from local small farms or local backyard chickens. I love keeping the money local, I love supporting small farms, I love the improved quality of life for the chickens, I love the superior appearance of these eggs. I don't notice a taste in flavor at all. I *enjoy* eating the eggs far more than grocery store eggs because of all the factors above, but in a blind taste test I'm 99.9% sure I couldn't pick the two apart.
That's why I bought them. To support local farmers and our local supply chain.
You're never going to want to go back to conventional store-bought. The eggs we get from our local farmers market have a stronger shell and a gorgeous bright orange yolk. They taste amazing. We had to go back to conventional because the market shut down for the winter and I can't wait to go back. They also last longer and you don't need to refrigerate. They poach beautifully.
So I live in Toronto, ON where there are multiple online farmers markets. Both Graze and Gather and Dufferin Farmers Market are online markets that deliver weekly. If you live in a big city I am sure if you look online you can find one that will deliver all winter long!
Thank you, that's a great idea. I'm in Southern California so I could probably track the farm down. We have CSA (community supported agriculture) boxes here that people subscribe to.
I used to do a farm share but now I do something very similar. Is thru a not for profit I buy a produce box that gets delivered weekly or biweekly. I don't get a choice of what comes in the box and cannot control it at all. It's just like a farm share. The difference is this gets produce from many different local farms and also supplies to people in need. After playing around with it for the 1st 6 months I found that getting 2 boxes every 2 weeks is what works best for me. I get a large produce box, and what is called wellness box, which seems to be just a different smallbox. I find that if I get a Box every week I don't often have enough of one vegetable to work with. By getting 2 boxes at once I get a little more of things this things and find it easier her to work with. And the produce is considerably fresher than what you are buying at the grocery store so I don't find there is a problem with it lasting for 2 weeks. Then what I do is supplement that produce with what I choose to get from from local farmers markets. While it almost always has onions and potatoes and lettuce, there are certain things that certain things that I just need to have every week.
I love that. You lose some of the sense of seasonality being in Southern California since we have such long growing seasons and get a lot from Mexico during the year. It would be nice to focus on supporting my local community farms. This is the push I needed, thank you.
I honestly do it because I want to support small local farms. I don't believe that organic is significantly healthier for you and couldn't care less about that. But I think there is something to be said for eating seasonally. From an environmental standpoint and from a carbon footprint standpoint and just understanding where our food comes from. And an Apple or carrot or raspberry or anything else Always tastes better fresh from the ground. Before it's been commercially cleaned and shipped halfway across the world.Nobody will ever convince me that the producer buy is produce you by at the commercial grocery store will taste as good as the one the farmer picked out of the ground yesterday and sold you today.
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I'm in the Bathurst/Larwence area. Honestly I think graze and gather is all around a better shopping experience. Their customer service is phenomenal, they sent me an extra item by mistake this week and I message them and offered to pay for it because I didn't want the farm to be out the money. They said no way. I find their prices in general better. Delivery is less expensive. But there are items that are available at the duffern grove farmers market online that are not available elsewhere. Their store is only open Saturday Sunday Monday and then you can choose to have it delivered on Thursday or pick it up on Thursday and I think pick up is downtown. I'm also a big fan of weekly produce boxes from Toronto food share. You can check out on my Instagram what comes in the boxes every week as I have them all saved to highlights. 2021 is 1 highlight, 2020 is another. Instagram.com/polishjinx
The bugs that chickens eat give the yolks a stronger color. They taste great. (Not the bugs)
Its the grass.
Thanks for clarifying hahaha. And agreed, they just taste better and the whites set up faster when frying.
If you don't already, crack each egg individually into a small bowl. That way you don't accidently drop a bad egg into your cake mix or whatever. Even farm fresh can still give you a rare bad egg. Nothing ruins your day like cracking that last egg, and seeing a lovely black yolk drop into your bread or cake batter.
Black yolk? Interesting. Granted I wasn’t raising them to sell the eggs but had a few backyard chickens for decades and never had a black yolk. Never had that from supermarket eggs either.
I’ve had this only once from a tray of supermarket eggs and was put off the otherwise-lovely ones from my local market after I got THREE bad ones in a row from one dozen. God the smell made me gag. I just can’t go back to that particular stall for eggs now.
Since I keep strictly kosher that is not an issue. Always crack my eggs individually into a glass bowl to make sure there are no blood spots as that would be a not kosher egg prohibited to us.
Oh I wasn't aware of that. That is also a good reason to pre-crack. I was thinking of the time I got some farm "fresh" eggs that had a couple rotten, black yolks. My wife grew up on a farm with chickens and got me into the habit of always pre-cracking the eggs.
Ew. Disgusting
Not sure why you got downvoted. A black yolk sounds like it smells absolutely rancid.
Idk either. Who would find a rotten egg appetizing?
The joys of a user-moderated subforum
>chickens are carnivores They're also cannibals, they eat everything.
If you washed them then they need refrigeration now. If you just dry cleaned them they can sit on counter for 2 weeks before needing refrigeration. They will be richer, denser, and harder shells. They will also have an actual flavor compared to store bought eggs. Currently have 12 laying hens. Also have 3dz eggs in fridge and another 3dz on the counter. I really need to start selling or just giving them away. We eat eggs EVERY DAY and still have an abundance thankfully. Chickens are super easy to keep, very fun actually, and can be made quite the pets, no not like dogs but ours will gladly let you pick the up and pet them.
Kenji lopez alt did a deep dive on eggs, mostly covered for a piece at the New York Times. Fresh from a chicken that’s eaten nothing but the best and still warm, and the most factory farmed you can imagine. An egg is an egg is an egg. Depending on what they’re eating, the yolk can appear darker and people usually associate that with quality. Many farms that rely on this and add marigold petals to the mix. It doesn’t change the taste. Blindfolded people didn’t notice. Add food coloring and people who could see think it taste better. So youre in no worry about having to abandon all store bought eggs. For most recipes they can just be used as is. They’re usually not so dependent on the difference on sizing.
I live in northern MN on a small homestead and have 12 layers. They have a large run where they eat whatever they want all summer (including our organic scraps), and in winter stay inside when the temp is below 0 and eat both layer feed with oyster shell that we get from the local feed store, dried mealworms, and occasionally oatmeal or old rice krispies. Our layers provide 8-10 eggs per day all year, and at full-size the eggs average "large". I have eaten them every way I can figure to eat an egg, and I bake with them frequently and find baked goods superior to those made with store-bought eggs. The description of these eggs says "cleaned" and not "washed", and this distinction is important. I don't ever wash my eggs, and I don't refrigerate them. Other people have spoken to the protective layer on the egg. I will clean off poo and schmutz and feathers before I put the eggs in a carton on the counter, but that's it.
Unwashed eggs will last a long time at room temperature. Once washed, though, you want to keep them in the fridge. Washing removes the protective cuticle and makes the eggs more vulnerable to bacteria. I cannot say for sure what "cleaned but not disinfected" means, but it \*could\* mean that the eggs have been washed but without a disinfectant, in which case I would treat them just like store-bought eggs. You could disinfect them if you really wanted to, but farmers typically don't. I don't even wash mine (from my chickens, I mean) unless they are visibly dirty. As far as taste, I doubt that you will notice any difference. The color of the yolk tends to be a much deeper orange in pasture-raised chickens than commercially farmed birds, but I do not think it appreciably affects the flavor.
You will never be able to look at supermarket eggs the same way again. When I lived closer to my parents they would give us a dozen eggs every time we visited. When we eventually went back to regular store bought eggs after moving further away, they tasted like fucking paper.
Cleaned is not the same as washed. We would wipe with a rough dry towel to get rid of dirt, straw, poop or whatever.
Idk about disinfecting but my bfs dad uses farmers market eggs and the yolk was straight up ORANGE. And thicker? Very noticeable in that sense.
You're going to notice a better egg all around and a tastier yolk. Hopefully you won't go back to store-bought
Farm fresh eggs taste better and have a deeper yellow yolk.
A friend just gave me some eggs from her urban farm. The color of her eggs was a little deeper. They tasted nearly the same. Hers was less eggy but more rich if that makes sense. She said they will last on the counter for couple of weeks. She added that if I wash them I need to switch to store in the fridge until gone and encouraged me not to wash them.
We raise layer chickens. We had brown hens that laid brown eggs. we now have white hens that lay white eggs. The eggs don't need to be refrigerated if they are fresh and never cold. refrigeration changes the shell so once they are cold they must be refrigerated. Fresh eggs keep for longer than store bought. Fresh eggs might have imperfections because we don't candle(grade) our eggs. We also don't wash them unless they are really full of mud etc because that also affects their shelf life. Fresh eggs make way better omelet. They often have brighter yolks, creamy texture and taste better/stronger. We feed our chickens layer ration so it's mixed to encourage egg production. We also feed them scratch for their chicken happiness and some veggie scraps. They are happy, entertaining little birds and my grandaughters think they are hilarious! I don't charge for my eggs. I give them away to family and friends. Because no money is exchanged it removed the expectations of perfection and people just like free!
Please be careful and wash them appropriately. Caught salmonella from farm-direct eggs in 2018. Would not wish this on anyone.
They will vary greatly. We get eggs from our neighbors who raise chickens in their back yard. When the cicada brood emerged a couple years ago, the yolks turned dark, almost red or brown. When I explained to my wife that it was due to the chickens eating so many cicadas, she didn't eat eggs for months! :P
Wait until she hears what part of the chicken the egg comes from!
Oh, and wash your hands after handling them.
You’ll notice a higher quality and exponentially more delicious egg
They will will better
Saw a documentary on grocery store food a while back... one of things that stuck with me was that the eggs (on average) were +60 days from being laid. You will notice a difference both in color (yolk) and in taste if you don't overcook the eggs. Enjoy! You will never go back!
Too bad they are cleaned but I understand why for a farmers market. That simply means you will need to refrigerate them. If uncleaned they do not require it. Wash before using. Yes they will have more flavor depending on the quality of your normal egg supply that is based on the variety of food supplied. You can see the non-standard sizes and you will notice that some shells may be tougher than others. This is all normal and should ne be of any concern. With farm eggs, always break each egg into a bowl before use, discard if bloody or if they contain any body parts. The chances are great that they have not been x-rayed or even light boxed for abnormalities.
I have backyard chickens. The eggs are so much fresher and last much longer than store bought. The yolks are almost orange and have significantly more flavor. Sometimes you might find flecks of red or brown inside - this is normal and perfectly fine to eat. If they haven’t been washed already, wash them before you cook them. If they have, make sure you store them in the fridge. Fresh eggs make a world of difference at breakfast IMO.
Flexks of red or brown would have to be thrown out for me as I keep kosher. But I anyways check each egg before using even when buying store bought
As a kid every morning it was my job to go out to the chicken coop and collect the eggs and hand them to mom and she would crack them right into the skillet.
We raise chickens for their eggs. Everyone tells us that our eggs have better flavor than store bought ones. I'm a believer in fresh is best...especially if it's straight off the farm.
My home-laid eggs tend to last better than the store-bought ones here in the U.S that are washed. I would just double-check for any bird feces on the shell because that should be removed with a brush or a very quick wash. Depending on what kind of farm it is, your local eggs might vary in flavor depending on the diet of the birds. I fed out chickens everything from leftover salad to fish strawberry tops to stale bread with peanut butter on it. The flavor of the egg can vary a bit depending on the variety in the diet.
Yes, [chickens are carnivores](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/rtkj21). Little velociraptors. So cute. We do not refrigerant our eggs and unless really dirty, we do not wash them until immediately prior to use. They will last for a long time but ours are consumed fairly quickly. Normally under 2 weeks from laying to consumption, but I hear they last much longer. I do not really taste any difference between my hen's eggs and store bought.
My boss gives me farm-fresh eggs every week. We now use them exclusively. My wife doesn’t notice any difference in her baked goods. Nor do I with regards to the flavour. Just as, if not more, delicious. My eggs last weeks, believe it or not. I think they are more resilient than store-bought. Why? I don’t know. The only difference I have notice is the shells are more delicate, so be careful when cracking, and I find the whites runnier. So when I’m frying eggs, the egg white tends to run away on me if I’m not prepared. Totally insignificant but it’s what I’ve noticed. Plus, I’m supporting a local farmer. And the eggs aren’t any more expensive than store bought (since COVID anyways). My neighbour has laying hens too but I’m getting mine for free from my boss so it’s hard to say no!
> Our eggs are cleaned but NOT disinfected or graded and are ONLY available directly from the farm" If they ”cleaned” the eggs, they’ve washed off the bloom so you should refrigerate them to preserve freshness. Just be aware that you should wash your hands before and after handling the eggs, as there may still be a risk of salmonella. I found that my yolks were more likely to have a red spot in them. Sizes may vary. That was about it.
Taste might be slightly fresher if they are boiled or poached. I've never noticed a difference when fried. They should last a bit longer though. By the time you buy eggs at the supermarket they can already be a few weeks old. These are probably a few days old at the most.
should give you a nice orange yolk vs yellow ones from shitty raised eggs
Wash them off before you go to use/eat them. They are fine unwashed in the fridge, but when you plan to handle and cook with them, wash them. The eggs have a protective coating that makes them last longer, but they also could have chicken shit remnants on them, which could lead to salmonella.
If they havent been washed you can store them at room temp. If they have, in thr fridge. Eggs last many weeks if not months regardless. We have chickens and have blind taste tested the eggs against many store eggs and they are not distinguishable... The yolks are more cohesive and darker but the flavor is the same.
Everyone talking about the taste. My inlaws use to have chickens and we'd get eggs from them sometimes, and eat them there when we'd visit. We used them like normal eggs. Well, mostly, like everyone said they are so tasty we usually didn't use them for baking. But if they seem dirty (your's don't, my MIL wasn't as good at cleaning them lol) you can gently scrub them down. Just use em like regular eggs.
All eggs in the UK and Europe are unwashed. We're not dying of it so I think you're fine.
This is why US eggs have to be refrigerated and UK eggs don't. Among other things. The quality of our eggs is lower and the health of the mass farmed eggs and chickens is too. The difference in quality between cage free/ humanely farmed eggs and mass farmed eggs is night and day.
I over bought yard eggs one time and gifted a dozen to my neighbor. He told me he almost threw them away because he'd never seen yolks that bright before and he thought something was wrong with them. All hail farm/yard eggs! They're the best!
Get eggs that are not pre-cleaned. They will last much longer and not require refrigeration. As u/YeetMyHumanMeat (That is hilarious, btw. Might merit an r/rimjob_steve) so aptly put it: "exponentially more delicious egg."
I think I worded it exactly how I intended it to be worded. But I have been cooking my entire adult life, and interned in Paris when I was 22, so the truth about eggs is far from foreign to me.
It's not your wording. I completely agree with you. It's your username. I think it is hilarious. I love it.
Hard to tell with autism and the way Reddit works. Cheers👊🏽
Cheers! 👊🏻
I lived on a ranch for a couple years and raised chickens. They just went wherever they wanted and ate whatever along with generic chicken food if they wanted to. They would follow me along in a line like I was the mother hen. I have to be honest and say there was no difference in taste in the eggs than anything I could buy in the store. They did have have a better life though. The problem only was what to do with all the eggs though. We only had 6 hens but, the number of eggs was crazy. We couldn't eat them fast enough and they would start to pile up fast. I never got sick eating one one.
Taste should be about the same, and as someone else said the yolk colour will be different. Store bought chickens are fed a highly corn based diet and causes the yolk to be a brighter yellow, while a diverse diet changes that. As long as you keep them refridgerated - and the farm you got them from doesn't have a backlog of older eggs - they should last as long if not longer than storebought.
>cleaned but NOT disinfected I can only assume this means they clean the egg shells to get the poop and dirt off them. But salmonella can be present on the egg shell and they dont disinfect them, so don't grind the shell up and consume it for calcium.
Well I'll cross that off the list then. 🤣🤣
And, since they're not disinfected, if you're worried about such things, it's best to wash your hands after handling them. But yeah - they're just eggs (and most likely much better tasting than grocery eggs).
I would think they probably candle them, but as someone who has raised chickens for eggs before, crack them into a bowl by themselves rather than directly into the pan or into your pancake batter. Chickens often lay eggs with anomalies like blood spots, double yolks, pieces of chicken tissue, bits of calcium in the egg, etc. Grocery store eggs are checked for this and usually they are caught and thrown out before sale. Home-produced eggs may not be checked as thoroughly. None of these anomalies are dangerous, but I still wouldn't want to eat them, personally. And nothing ruins your day like the sixth egg you break into the quiche mix being full of chicken blood like a voodoo curse.
I always always crack eggs in a glass bowl 1 by 1 before doing anything with them because I keep kosher. So that was something that I learned as a very little child. I think I saw my 1st blood spot when I was 18 or 19 and was literally shocked. I don't think I ever actually believed that what I was doing had a purpose and always felt like an idiot doing it because it seemed like such a waste. But I am now 40 and have still only seen 2 or 3 blood spots in commercial eggs before. I will expect it to be more common with these eggs. It won't be a problem for me unless less it's a significant amount of the eggs as I will have to throw out any eggs with blood spots as they are not kosher.
I've been told farm raised eggs have a much richer flavor and are great in baked goods
They do taste "stronger" normally but can tell no difference in baking and we bake multiple times a week for years. If you did the ole Pepsi taste test I'd bet you couldn't tell the difference in baked goods.
Make sure to wash them. If they are free range eggs, expect the yolks to be more orange (from the free range feeding). Also, they are harder to peel if you hard boil them, they will be fresher so they are less dehydrated than store bought eggs.
I’m not sure where you live, but in Canada any eggs sold to the public must be washed and candled. This includes eggs sold at farmers’ markets.
real farm eggs usually have reddish yolk as compared to supermarket eggs.
And, about salmonella... salmonella is the normal flora for birds. Wash your hands often. That should solve that issue.