Comments on: “Farm-Fresh” Eggs — When Organic Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be

By: Rey

Rey

Hi. I have raised chickies for the past few years and sold at the farmers market each week. To help support other farmers, I would buy their eggs sell them. One lady had 5 dozen for me. When I took them out of her box to put in my fridge, several were cracked and sticking to the cartons. They had been exposed to freezing temps in her refrigerator. The yolks were rubbery and the whites were runny. I’m guessing the dozens of the farm fresh eggs above were frozen then thawed.

By: BYC

BYC

Just read your post and thought I’d put in my two cents. As the director of a natural foods co-op, I feel that everyone should know that if you are choosing to “go organic” when you buy groceries, it is going to be “buyer beware” in many cases. (Knowing the sad side of human nature, we have to expect that at least a few of the suppliers out there are simply capitalizing on the latest food trends.) You will have to have to take it upon yourself to be informed as to what to look for as marks of quality in foods and not just to take a label at its face value. Our grandmothers knew how to read an egg for freshness and we can learn alot from the cookbooks from that era. When you buy farm-fresh eggs, first, look for cleanliness. If you see even one soiled egg in a carton, don’t buy it. (Now I’m not talking about small discoloration spots, I’m talking actual dirt or feathers stuck to the shells.) Next, if you have any concerns about the freshness, put them in a bowl and fill the bowl with cold water till eggs are completely covered. If they are fresh, they should sit firmly on the bottom of the bowl. If any of them completely stand up on end, make egg salad out of them, but if you find that one floats, discard it immediately (and carefully – peeeyoooo!). And thirdly, our elders knew to never crack an egg directly into their batter or frying pan – always crack them one at a time into a white saucer first to check for quality, and then add them to your recipe. Trust me -it will save you time and frustration, and you’ll be sure to have delicious, high quality food to put on your table!

By: HJ

Hi,
Ugh, those were the signs of old eggs or eggs not properly stored or candled. Those eggs were definitely not fresh. You should return the eggs back to the producer/store where you bought them.

By: KA

Hello,
It would be interesting if you could find out from the source (the small local farm operation) what the problem might have been…diseased flock, very old eggs, etc.) Was there a Julian date on the cartons? Strange that all of those dozens of eggs were bad. Odder still that a small farm would sell them as they were. My local health food store does not sell eggs due to slow turnover of the stock.

We are working on raising our own healthy foods, including meat chickens and layers. Pretty new to this, so I have much to learn about keeping livestock. Would love to find out what happened.

By: Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks&Me

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks&Me

I have noticed the same thing and I’ve had to throw away some organic eggs. The only ones that seem to be pretty good all the time are the organic eggs sold at our Target.

I was just talking to my husband about organic fruit and produce. He buys a few items at the health food store for his special diet and they look horrible. I’ve had to tell him that just because something is organic does not mean it is fresh or healthy for that matter.

Our local grocery store has started carrying more organic produce at good prices. They always look decent (as opposed to brown and withered from the health food store). They are a state wide chain so I expect that have the ability to find very good organic farmers, as well as local.