Animals | What Happens on the Homestead

Farm fresh eggs are better than commercially raised eggs in both nutrition level as well as taste and baking structure. Whether it’s the flavor or the nutrition level you are wanting to boost in your kitchen, using farm fresh, (and particularly free-range or pasture raised eggs) will always serve you well. My husband has been the volunteer cub scout leader for our local pack for the past eleven years, and getting those other parent and neighborhood volunteers to show up to weekend meetings was always a chore, until my mother-in-law began baking her now-famous farm fresh egg chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies to serve at the meetings. Once she began providing those cookies on a regular basis, we had volunteers showing up on time, and literally salivating by the time the meeting started and the plate of fresh cookies began making the rounds. Notably, (and pay attention here), though we shared the recipe with some neighbors, they have never been able to mimic the end result…… The reason why (besides mama Joan’s love that is baked into every batch), is that she uses a key ingredient that the neighbors weren’t using, and that is free range, fresh eggs. This article will describe why fresh eggs, and particularly why free range eggs are almost always the better choice when it comes to baking. What is meant by farm fresh or fresh? Legally, the eggs you buy at the supermarket can be up to two months old before you even bring them home. According to research done by Lisa Steele of Fresh Eggs Daily, eggs can be sold up to 30 days after the date they are placed in the carton, and may take up to 30 days (or longer) after being laid, until they make it to the carton. What is the negative to using older or commercially processed eggs? The answer is somewhat simple: 1. First, older eggs have had more time to allow air to be absorbed through the shell, thus giving the egg a runnier consistency. Ever heard of the float test to determine whether eggs are still good? (If you’re worried about the age of some eggs you may have in your refrigerator, just drop them in a bowl of water. Fresh eggs will sink to the bottom because the porous shell hasn’t allowed much air to penetrate yet. Older eggs on the other hand, have been around longer, and allowed air more time to penetrate through the shell, thus making the eggs float). 2. A second reason fresh eggs are better is that most commercial egg processors remove the microscopic “bloom” or cuticle from the egg which is a natural coating on the eggshell that seals the shell’s pores, and keeps bacteria out. A collection of pasture raised eggs from various breeds, with bloom. 3. Another reason fresh eggs are better is because you are less likely to encounter the bacteria Salmonella in fresh eggs. Salmonella can build up over time, (particularly if stored at a temperature above 40 degrees Fahrenheit). This is also true with most other bacteria that may grow on or in eggs. As eggs age, they can grow different kinds of bacteria, called pseudomonas which will eventually cause the egg to turn a bluish-green color and develop that famous “rotten egg” smell or taste. More Nutritious? Nutritionally, the USDA considers a large egg weighing about 2 ounces to contain around 70 calories, including 6-7 grams of high quality protein, typically high in essential amino acids and antioxidants that may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts and protect against heart disease, stroke and some forms of cancer. One egg will typically contain 0 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fat, and 1.6 grams of saturated fat along with iron, vitamins A, B complex, D, E, and K, minerals sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus and various carotenoids. There is much debate as to whether the taste of farm fresh eggs is better than store bought or commercially produced eggs, (which we will address below), however, it is undeniable that the nutrition level of farm fresh or pasture eggs is often much better than those that are commercially yielded. This is likely due to several factors. First, birds that are kept in a free-range farm or pasture fed, are allowed access to a much wider range of mineral and nutrient rich diet as they forage through dirt and foilage for food. Birds in these types of environment often encounter grass, seed, and plant-based fruit or vegetable scraps, as well as protein rich insects or worms, not available to birds kept in the confines of a commercial egg production plant and typically fed a measured portion of corn, soy, and cottonseed product formulated for egg production. Additionally, it has been argued that the stress levels of commercially raised chickens (often kept in small, stacked, loud cages) are much higher, causing the birds to produce higher concentrations of corticosterone (from the adrenal gland), which has been found to increase the rate of protein breakdown. Happy hens lay healthier eggs: A Cambridge University Study conducted in 2010 compared Vitamins A, E, and fatty acid compositions of the eggs of caged hens and pastured (or free roaming) hens, and concluded that pastured hens have twice as much Vitamin E, a 38% higher concentration of Vitamin A, twice as much Omega 3 fats, 2.5 times more omega-3 fatty acids, and less than half the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega 3. Another noticeable difference you have likely encountered as you have tried free range or pastured eggs is that pastured eggs tend to have brighter pigmented, or deeper saturated colored yolks. The color of a yolk is dependent upon what a hen eats, or more specifically, what pigments the hen is feeding on. Simply stated, pastured hens tend to eat more food containing pigments, reflected in the yolk’s deeper color. Many of the pigments that are accountable for this deeper color reflect carotenoids and essential nutrients, some of which have antioxidant functions, and some are essential for our bodies, such as beta-carotene, which our body converts to Vitamin A. Additionally, a 2009 study conducted by Mother Earth News Magazine showed that pastured chickens can synthesize vitamin D through sun exposure, and their eggs have been found to have six times the vitamin D content of commercially produced eggs. Another tasty nugget to consider is that natural eggs receive no hormones or antibiotics, and pastured chickens regularly consume a healthier, more natural diet, experience more vitamin D exposure and exercise, thus making them more resistant to infections. Better tasting? Opinions regarding the taste of farm fresh and pasture raised eggs versus commercially produced eggs range widely, and are obviously subjective, but take it from this chicken chick, the fresh eggs always make for better baking and flavor. Not only do you get the added flavor from minerals and nutrients mentioned above, but well structured and stable eggs will support a better structure, texture, color and flavor in baked goods. The function and behavior of eggs will vary depending on how they are treated from one recipe to the next. In a batter for instance, eggs will create structure moisture, and stability, in sauces and custards, eggs will thicken and emulsify. Fresh eggs being used to emulsify cookie batter The yolk: Recipes that use just the yolk are typically doing so for the yolk’s fat content and emulsifying abilities. The yolk gives baked goods extra rich flavor and a velvety texture, and can also act as a binding agent between fats and liquids that prevents them from separating. A good yolk, with higher omega 3 and vitamin quantity will aid in the distribution of liquids and fats throughout a batter, making it smoother and more consistent throughout. The whites: When egg whites are used alone, their role is completely different than that of yolks. Typically, egg whites are used for whipping (or the inclusion of millions of tiny air bubbles within the white) to establish a foam that can be formed into a souffle of meringue depending on the structure you desire. Additionally, whipped egg whites can act as a natural leavening agent in delicate cakes or souffle’s. When heated in the oven, the air trapped in the whipped foam will expand, causing the product to rise without the need for additional leavening agents, such as yeast or baking soda. Doesn’t it make sense that an egg with a more solid egg white structure can withstand the addition of additional air bubbles, and thus make for a greater rise? For this very reason, fresher eggs, and more particularly, pasture fresh eggs will almost always whip better, and hold more air. Side by side pasture egg versus commercially produced egg One of the favorite tests of foodies or chefs, who want to prove the structure value of farm fresh eggs versus their commercially produced counterparts is to simply crack an egg open on a flat surface such as a counter top, and look at the difference. Not only will one notice that the farm fresh yolks will have a darker and deeper color, it will also stand higher, being better supported by a white that has a more substantial binding content. Knowing the purpose for which eggs are used in most recipes, any experienced cook or chef will choose the better structured, farm fresh egg every time.