Frozen Eggs

[MissMonty]

As a customer, if I were paying a premium price for fresh, farm eggs I would be highly upset if I were sold eggs that had been treated less well than standard commercial farm eggs instead of better.

A person could completely ruin their reputation with just a few dozen inferior-quality eggs sold as if they were the normal top-quality.

Not sure they're treated any less than any other eggs. I don't really sell all that often anyways but I don't see how you're treating them any differently. They didn't fully freeze because if they did they would have cracked.....there's no way to know if they partially froze or not. So unless you're saying people up north who have winter can't sell eggs unless they're gathering every hour or something insane you risk the eggs possibly beginning to freeze.

An egg can freeze completely in about 3 hours or less of being out there depending on the temp that means anyone that has winter needs to gather eggs pretty much the moment they're laid or they don't fall into your "standard". As pretty quickly the eggs would start to cool off and begin the freezing process.

As someone who has ate them I can tell you they don't taste different or have a different texture. Taste like the same farm fresh butt nuggets. Now if they're cracked at all I give them to the dogs as my dogs get a partially raw diet so it fits well in their diet anyways. I'm talking eggs that are not cracked at all.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

An egg that is fully frozen will likely crack, but a partially frozen egg likely won't. Partially would make the albumen runnier than usual, but it should still make a good over easy egg! I haven't used an egg that has been cracked from being fully frozen because I've only found one or two before and they were laid in the yard and subsequently tossed.

You should treat all eggs that are gathered in temps below 45ish as refrigerated eggs unless they are still warm when you gather them. Keeping them on the counter is essentially the same as removing refrigerated eggs and putting them on the counter. The only exception to this rule that I make is if I intend to eat them that day or the very next morning. Otherwise, all eggs gathered in cold temps go to the fridge.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

If the eggs aren't broken from freezing here, they are sold. It can change the texture/look of the yolk, but doesn't hurt anything.

 

[MissMonty]

An egg that is fully frozen will likely crack, but a partially frozen egg likely won't. This would make the albumen runnier than usual, but it should still make a good over easy egg!

You should treat all eggs that are gathered in temps below 45ish as refrigerated eggs unless they are still warm when you gather them. Keeping them on the counter is essentially the same as removing refrigerated eggs and putting them on the counter. The only exception to this rule that I make is if I intend to eat them that day or the very next morning. Otherwise, all eggs gathered in cold temps go to the fridge.

Mine go in the fridge anyways because I have a terd-ler that likes to play with eggs......

 

[3KillerBs]

So unless you're saying people up north who have winter can't sell eggs unless they're gathering every hour or something insane you risk the eggs possibly beginning to freeze.

I figure that if you're selling eggs you owe it to your customers to put the effort into providing a top-quality product. So, yes, I do figure that a person selling eggs should collect eggs frequently to avoid freezing.

Or, at least, to honestly label them as possibly having been partially frozen and offer a discount.

I don't know what laws would apply to this and those laws would certainly vary from state to state.

Partially would make the albumen runnier than usual, but it should still make a good over easy egg!

It can change the texture/look of the yolk, but doesn't hurt anything.

If I were paying the premium prices for fresh, farm eggs and found them runny when I tried to poach them I'd be angry, conclude that the eggs weren't *really* fresh, and tell people about it.

I'm not arguing their edibility, I'm pointing out that customers paying double or triple the price of grocery store eggs for what they assume is premium quality will be upset to not get what they paid for and that a seller's reputation is far more valuable than a few dozen suspect eggs.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

If I were paying the premium prices for fresh, farm eggs and found them runny when I tried to poach them I'd be angry, conclude that the eggs weren't *really* fresh, and tell people about it.

I'm not arguing their edibility, I'm pointing out that customers paying double or triple the price of grocery store eggs for what they assume is premium quality will be upset to not get what they paid for and that a seller's reputation is far more valuable than a few dozen suspect eggs.

I don't get enough eggs to sell, but I would agree that even semi-frozen eggs shouldn't be sold.

 

[aart]

You should treat all eggs that are gathered in temps below 45ish as refrigerated eggs unless they are still warm when you gather them. Keeping them on the counter is essentially the same as removing refrigerated eggs and putting them on the counter.

Ehhh...I don't think so.
I only refrigerate eggs that have been washed.
Been doing that for 7 years....and selling them.
But I don't sell to the general public, my few customers know the ropes and report(and save) any 'problem' egg. They know that backyard chicken eggs can have some oddities.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Ehhh...I don't think so.
I only refrigerate eggs that have been washed.
Been doing that for 7 years....and selling them.
But I don't sell to the general public, my few customers know the ropes and report(and save) any 'problem' egg. They know that backyard chicken eggs can have some oddities.

I just always lean toward the better safe than sorry camp. Lately I've putting all of mine on the counter even though temps have been around 30-40 inside the coop, but I eat them within two days. If I were going to sell them, straight to the fridge. Really any egg gathered under any condition intended to be sold, I put straight into the fridge for max shelf life since few folks understand fresh eggs can be kept on the counter for a week or two.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

I figure that if you're selling eggs you owe it to your customers to put the effort into providing a top-quality product. So, yes, I do figure that a person selling eggs should collect eggs frequently to avoid freezing.

Or, at least, to honestly label them as possibly having been partially frozen and offer a discount.

I don't know what laws would apply to this and those laws would certainly vary from state to state.





If I were paying the premium prices for fresh, farm eggs and found them runny when I tried to poach them I'd be angry, conclude that the eggs weren't *really* fresh, and tell people about it.

I'm not arguing their edibility, I'm pointing out that customers paying double or triple the price of grocery store eggs for what they assume is premium quality will be upset to not get what they paid for and that a seller's reputation is far more valuable than a few dozen suspect eggs.

I don't disagree with you, necessarily, but I'm not intentionally selling frozen eggs. If I knew they were frozen I wouldn't lump them in with the rest, but I'm not going to start cracking eggs just to check if they're slushy. Especially when I know they are just fine either way. I guess it's a matter of opinion whether that is right or wrong and if any of my customers took issue with my eggs I would probably rethink my stance on it. I do appreciate hearing your opinion, though, as I hadn't put a lot of thought into it.

What do you consider a premium for eggs? I sell mine for $3/dozen, which is on the low side of the $3-$5 I've seen them advertised around here. The store bought free range/organic/cage free, or whatever other misleading terms they have, can be $5 +.

 

[MissE]

The ones I've eaten that were partially frozen but didn't crack cooked just fine. Any with obvious cracks go to the dogs. My customers are warned this time of year that there may be the occasional frozen egg. They don't care, and I certainly try to avoid it. Any that are in question are kept for home use. Production had been down this past week, and one lady said she'd even take cracked ones. Um, no.