Chances are, you have driven past farms with “ fresh eggs” signs at one time or another. I love buying farm fresh eggs (we get ours from Cherry Grove Farms in Lawrenceville, NJ) and have found there are some differences between the store vs. farm bought.
Did you know the average store-bought egg can be several weeks old by the time you purchase and consume it? Commercial producers typically strive for 72 hours’ delivery time but are given a full 30 days between laying and shelving dates by regulations. Then retailers have another 30 days to sell them.
The average farm fresh eggs, or home eggs from friends that have backyard hen houses, might be just hours, or even minutes, old. They are harvested daily as most hens lay almost daily, producing approximately 250 or more eggs a year. They are busy ladies.
While looking at them you may not be able to differentiate between the two, but appearances can be deceiving. Here is more insight on how fresh eggs are different from store-bought ones. And here are a few reasons farm-fresh eggs are even better: The chickens raised in local farms receive more humane treatment. They are exposed to sunlight and live a natural life. Studies have found that these eggs have less cholesterol, contain the right kind of fat and have more vitamins than conventional eggs.
Farm fresh eggs have been proven to have less cholesterol, less saturated fat, more vitamin A, E and D, more omega-3 fatty acids and more beta carotene. Although both kinds of eggs have cholesterol, back yard eggs have less. In addition, they not only give you more nutrients but also provides a better baking structure in how well they hold together.
It is not that the taste of a farm fresh egg is different than a store-bought egg, but the texture is noticeably different. Fresh eggs are also noticeably creamier. Store bought eggs are waterier. The store-bought yolks almost seem to be weaker and easier to break than what you have with a fresh egg. If you look at the two side by side, a store-bought egg’s yolk is a distinct neon yellow whereas a fresh egg has a deeper almost golden hue.
My philosophy is why not support local farmers who have free range chickens and produce eggs that contain more nutritional value?
(And just a quick note, do not be fooled by the terms free range on some of the store packaging. It is meaningless. Free range only means chickens have access to an outdoor area. That can be a concrete patio or even just a hole to stick their heads out. It does not necessarily mean they are living off the land eating pea greens, bugs, and seed, like you will find at your local farm. Yeah, I know, gross, they eat bugs. But that is what helps make their eggs so much healthier for you.)
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