by Rebecca Bray

Reprinted with permission from www.sustainabletable.org

When I was growing up in the suburbs, it was a novelty to have a big red barn, two beautiful yet temperamental white goats, beehives and a wandering group of 20 or so chickens. When friends visited, they invariably wanted to play Little House on the Prairie. Egg collecting was always the first stop on our bonneted tour of the small hilly acre we called Raspberry Hill Farm. Every golden-brown egg we plucked from nests seemed like a miracle, better than an Easter egg hunt because they were still warm and straight from the source. Even as kids we treated those eggs as precious treasures. The danger of getting chased by the mean-spirited rooster only added to the sense of adventure.

But it’s the taste of those eggs that is truly magical. Cracking open an egg collected that very day, the yolk emerges in a perfect glowing orange dome nestled in its rich bed of clear egg white. These raw eggs smelled deliciously of the possibilities of omelettes, frittatas, soufflé and an endless parade of desserts.

I highly recommend using the freshest possible eggs from free-range chickens that have a rich, varied diet. You’ll be surprised at what a difference it makes.

Below are some tips for storing and keeping eggs, as well as some facts and data about these miraculous little bundles of nutrition.

The Fresh Test

Take your eggs on a swim to determine their freshness. A simple bowl of cold water will do the trick. The freshest are those that sink and lie on their sides. A week old egg will tilt up, its larger end rising because the air pocket inside expands as time passes, and the yolk and white have begun to separate. Week-old eggs are fine for eating, and peel perfectly when hard-cooked. At two weeks old, an egg’s air pocket has expanded all around the inside of the shell, and the larger end will point directly up when in water. If your egg floats, it’s usually 3 to 4 weeks old and more than ready to be thrown out!

Egg Washing

Don’t wash your eggs unless you’re about to eat them! These nifty little packages come with their own coating that keeps bad microorganisms at bay. But do wash them before eating and be sure to keep raw egg away from anything you might put in your mouth. Salmonella is something you must watch out for, although some organic farms do test for it these days.

Keeping Eggs

A fresh egg stored at 75 degrees Fahrenheit loses almost 50 percent of its nutritional value in one day. The perfect temperature for eggs is around 40 F with around 40 percent humidity. Store eggs with the small side down, allowing the yolk to settle into the egg white which has antibacterial properties.

Eggs-tra Gorgeous

Eggs make for excellent facials. Beaten egg white tightens and smoothes the skin, while egg yolk is loaded with vitamin A, which tightens pores and clears out imperfections — but don’t mix the two together! Egg yolk also makes for a great hair conditioner. And egg white can be whipped and used as a natural mousse and a stain remover!

Grow Your Own!

Imagine your very own chickens, clucking when you come to feed them your kitchen scraps, serving up the freshest of fresh eggs every morning in time for breakfast. Keeping a couple chickens with no rooster is relatively inexpensive and easy, something you can even do in an urban center.

Fun Facts

— A hen requires 24 to 26 hours to produce an egg. Thirty minutes later, she starts all over again.

— White shell eggs are produced by hens with white earlobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red earlobes. The eggs are nutritionally the same. Since brown egg layers are slightly larger birds and require more feed, the price of brown eggs is generally higher than that of white eggs.

— Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain Vitamin D.

— If an egg is accidentally dropped on the floor, sprinkle it heavily with salt for easy clean up.

— To tell if an egg is raw or hard-cooked, spin it! If the egg spins easily, it is hard-cooked, but if it wobbles, it is raw.

Super Nutritious

Local, organic free-range eggs are super-rich in vitamins and minerals. Watch out for the industrial eggs which are significantly lower in nutrients. Folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12, calcium, zinc, sulfur, magnesium, carotenoids and choline are just some of the super-healthy things to be found in eggs. Some organic farmers are offering Omega-3 eggs which are laid by birds fed organic flax seed. Egg protein is the most nutritious readily available, complete protein known; it is the standard of comparison for other proteins. All of the essential amino acids (building blocks of protein) are present in such generous quantities that egg  protein may be used to supplement other foods. Even with all these nutrients, a large egg contains only 80 calories.

Dodge Disease

Sustainable farming practices significantly reduce the risk of pathogens such as E. coli in food as well as potentially reducing the risk of food poisoning. You are also reducing the risks of consuming antibiotic-resistant bacteria by eating organic local eggs.

Find Fresh Eggs Near You!

Want to buy eggs from a local farmer? There are some online guides that can help: The Eat Well Guide and Local Harvest allow you to enter in your zip code and search for the closest sustainably-raised food products.

Have fun using your fresh, local eggs in your favorite recipes! There’s nothing like a fresh egg from a happy, well-fed chicken.