This morning after I awoke and greeted the day, I went out to see our chickens. This is a daily early morning chore on the Pharm; opening up the chicken coop, letting the birds out, feeding them and making sure all went well over night. Some people may think that this daily early morning chore is a pain, but when I was out there this morning I was reminded about all the joy these feathered friends bring us. I love watching them waddle and peck around, hearing the roosters crow, and let us not forget the fabulous, colorful, delicious eggs the hens produce.
Not only are their eggs beautiful to look at, blue, green, tan, dark brown, white, but the deep, inner bright orange yolk is unbelievable. These eggs not only look fabulous, they also taste fabulous! We were traveling last month and when I had eggs for breakfast I was reminded of what conventional, store bought eggs are like; light yellow to white yolk, very little taste, you could say I was disappointed that morning forgetting that all eggs are not like our chicken eggs. Hens with access to fresh grass and pasture tend to produce eggs with more vibrant yolk colors. That’s because these hens generally have a more varied diet with sources of protein from bugs and carotenoids from plants.
These days you do not need to live on a farm to raise your own chicken to eat farm fresh chicken eggs. Many neighborhoods allow residents to have a set number of hens in their backyard. If raising your own chickens is not for you, there are many farmers markets available most summer months that will have eggs available. You may also be lucky enough to have a local farm stand nearby that will sell farm fresh chicken eggs along with fresh vegetables, be sure to pick some up! Many of these spots will say their eggs are unwashed, we do the same with the ones we sell from our chickens, you will find that this is common in most parts of the world besides the USA. This is due to the fact that when eggs are left unwashed the egg has a protective layer called a bloom, that bloom preserves the freshness of the eggs naturally for a a couple of weeks at room temperature, and up to three months in the fridge. This invisible shield, the bloom, seals the porous shell preventing bacteria like Salmonella and air from entering the egg. Because of this natural defense, unwashed eggs stay fresh on the counter for a couple of weeks without spoiling. If you are unsure if a fresh egg is still good, place it in a bowl of water; if the egg sinks to the bottom, it is fresh; if the egg floats, it has taken in too much air and should be discarded.
This quote pretty much sums up my blog, “The best tasting eggs come from happy hens that get to forage free-range on grass, bugs, and vegetable scraps,” says F&W senior food editor Breana Killeen, who raises egg-laying hens at Killeen Crossroads Farm in Shelburne, Vermont. Look into seeing if you can raise chickens in your backyard or grab some farm fresh eggs from a local farmers market, enjoy!