Warning - objectionable content! Can I improve my eggs' flavor?

[Shesapip]

I've been washing all my eggs - clean, dirty, lumpy, stained. But I believe you guys, really I do, and I declare myself FREE of eggwashing!

If I must clean something off, I'll do it with plain, warm, running water and no scrubbing. I do change nest bedding frequently and remove any fresh poop daily.

jemagsy, I think you're partly right! I don't like fresh Leghorn eggs, I know that for sure. I'm pretty sure I don't like fresh Delaware eggs or Speckled Sussex eggs. All of those were my first chickens whose eggs I tasted right away. But I LOVE fresh Rhode Island Red eggs, they taste really good to me and those two hens eat the same feed as the rest of my chickens. Thanks for bringing that up! I hadn't thought that over until just now! So, I DON"T like fresh eggs, unless they're RIR eggs.

So, now you all must think I'm a primadonna for noticing the difference between particular breeds' eggs!

But aren't cheeses made from different breeds of cows because of the unique flavor of each breed's milk? It's just a matter of taste.

I do love fresh vegetables! I thought I'd have to give up on a garden this year because of my chickens, but I've finally found ways to take back some of the yard for myself.

One more note: I asked the one customer that I thought might find my eggs too strong, and she says no, they're delicious. So it IS just me that doesn't like my eggs.

But I will still follow all the excellent advice I've learned about diet and cleaning and keeping eggs. You guys ROCK!!!

I <3 BYC!

 

[Equus5O]

If my husband notices a distinct difference between the store-bought eggs and eggs from our own chickens, I'm in trouble. I'll have no choice but to buy eggs, even though we have 8 chickens. He'll refuse to eat them if the don't taste "right" to him.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

You'll probably tell me you've been doing things this way for thirty years without a hitch!

No, I used to wash all my eggs with dishwashing detergent and refrigerate immediately. I noticed after a few weeks (we sometimes get WAY backed up), the eggs started tasting a bit nasty. As I got more information, I've washed less and less.

Now, we wash only dirty eggs and with warm water only (I will use a scrubby if necessary). All the washed eggs are used ASAP, but the unwashed eggs sit in my back room up to a week or two without a problem. We sell as many of our excess eggs as we can to deter our feed bill.

We also have duck eggs. They HAVE to be washed ... ours free range and lay all over the place. I still don't refrigerate them immediately and they stay great ! (We use almost all the duck eggs for ourselves.)

IMHO, you are more likely to get salmonella poisoning in a restaurant than in your backyard!​

 

[arlee453]

Eggs are definately porous and whatever you wash them with may get drawn into the egg. They will also spoil faster if you remove the 'bloom' - that slightly sticky feeling substance on a very freshly laid egg.

When a chicken lays an egg, the oviduct actually sort of protrudes and prolapses a bit. That protects the egg from coming directly in contact with feces as it's being laid.

Any 'dirt' on an egg is from it landing in the nest boxes, or from the hens feet as they get in and out of the nest.

Collecting eggs frequently and keeping the boxes clean and dry with fresh bedding will keep your eggs much cleaner coming out of the nest. Mine are almost never dirty unless it's been raining and the hens feet are especialy muddy getting in and out of the boxes.

When I do have a dirty egg, I just take a paper towel and dampen it slightly with water and scrub off anything. I would never put it under running water or submerge it in water to clean because i don't want to remove the bloom and I also don't want anything I'm trying to remove from the egg being sucked into the egg through the pores.

Very few hens carry salmonella, especially in a small home flock - and as long as you are cooking your eggs until the yolks are firm, risk of catching it even from a contaminated egg is VERY VERY VERY small.

Using common sense food safety precautions like washing hands after using the toilet, handling raw meats or your live birds/pets, and not using the same utensils to prepare food that you use to serve, and cooking food thoroughly will eliminate 99% of your risk of catching any food borne illness.

And having said all that.... I definately lick the bowl when making any yummy cookies or cakes with my own girls' eggs, and still eat rare hamburgers when I cook them at home. Some pleasures in life are worth a very slight risk!

 

[sparkles2307]

I DONT drink milk for the same reason. I can taste the cow in it...or goat. Also frying hamburger smells like our feed lot to me... I am sure taht fresh eggs will take some adjustment too, but so far DH and the kids LOVE the duck eggs...I havent eaten one, I am sensetive too and dont want to be grossed out by something only I can taste. Then I just look crazy and picky lol.