Food pantries & eggs

[pinguin]

I just got back from another donation of eggs to a local food pantry/crisis center. Almost 50 dozen eggs this spring! For many food pantries, healthy, fresh sources of quality protein are in short supply. The Hope Center here hadn't had donations of fresh eggs for almost a year.

If your friends, relatives & neighbors are well stocked with eggs, do check with local food pantries. If yours is half as appreciative as is "mine," you'll feel mighty good about giving away those eggs.

If the pantry hasn't dealt with fresh eggs before, you might want to write up a short information sheet explaining the differences between your backyard eggs & store-bought eggs. For example, why there's variation in color, size & shape or what those "stringy" things (the chalazae) are. I also explained why I don't wash my eggs & gave clear instructions on safe handling.

The Hope Center here splits donated egg cartons in half; singles or couples get a half dozen eggs per week while families with children get half of a 18-egg carton.

FWIW, all my girls are bantams. Eggs run between 1.25 & 1.75 ounces each, so from small to medium. Doesn't matter to the pantry. And the clients? They love those eggs.

 

[blb]

I love it!! Great job!!

 

[Whispering Winds]

OK, now here is a question. I have a friend who won't sell her eggs, gives them away by the ice cream buckets full and says if the health dept. finds out she is selling her eggs, they have the right to come out and give your farm an inspection. So, being the smart --- I have been known to be, I said, "then don't sell the eggs, sell the cartons, and gee!! They come with eggs in them!!" So, my ? is . . .will donating them to the food pantry's cause concern with the health dept? I think its crazy if it does, because I know how long those store eggs sets before we get them, and I know for a fact the hatcheries are not up to snuff on laws and codes around here . . .but it might raise a concern for some who want to donate but doesn't want big brother looking up their skirt too!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I haven't been able to find any food pantries in my area that can handle perishable foods. My local homeless shelter has their own kitchen and are very happy for all the eggs I'll give them. I do wash them though.

 

[pinguin]

Quote:
I don't know of any laws that govern donated eggs here, but there might be in some states. A number of the kitchen workers at the food pantry lived on farms so are comfortable with backyard eggs. They immediately refrigerate their eggs, so I could wash them & not worry about bacterial contamination, but they were fine with unwashed. I'm very careful to only pack clean eggs, though.

In Illinois, I can't sell eggs off premises without a permit. That means farmers markets are out. But I can sell *from* my premises. In reading through the laws on selling eggs, I didn't see anything about donated eggs. If that becomes a problem, then someone from the food pantry will have to pick up the eggs from here.

 

[redhen]

A.T. Hagan :

I haven't been able to find any food pantries in my area that can handle perishable foods. My local homeless shelter has their own kitchen and are very happy for all the eggs I'll give them. I do wash them though.

How do you wash them safely??​

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Quote:
How do you wash them safely??

Under warm running water that is at least twenty degrees warmer than the eggs. The eggs are in a basket and I pour hot soapy water over them first then wash them under the running water.

 

[redhen]

A.T. Hagan :

Quote:
How do you wash them safely??

Under warm running water that is at least twenty degrees warmer than the eggs. The eggs are in a basket and I pour hot soapy water over them first then wash them under the running water.​

Thanks... what kind of soap??
And do you actually scrub off any dirty spots??
What i'm worried about is the bloom coming off ....
I have an elderly center at the end of my road and i'd like to see if they want any eggs... but i want to do it correctly..
Also... can i wash them after they have been in the fridge??

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

I wash mine in a sink with apple cider vinegar.

 

[redhen]

I have WHAT in my yard? :

I wash mine in a sink with apple cider vinegar.

will the soap or ACV get into the eggs??
Sorry for the dumb questions..​