I love eggs. Actually, I think I am fanatical about eggs. I am always on the quest for the perfectly cooked egg, so when Peter wanted to hit the Austin Farmers’ Market in its new, larger space, I was in.
At least half a dozen vendors were selling farm fresh \ free range eggs so we decided to test them out and do a direct comparison against the conventional factory farm grown eggs that we all have been eating for years.
Peter’s Photographic Comparison and Comments
The farm fresh \ free range eggs are typically brown to green in color, while conventional eggs are pure white. This has to do with the particular breed of chicken that laid the egg.
A cracked farm fresh egg (top) with a cracked conventional egg (bottom).
The yolk of the farm fresh eggs is much thicker and darker in color than the conventional farm egg. Additionally, the egg white of a farm fresh egg is much clearer than the conventional egg, which has a neon yellow yolk and a translucent yellow egg white. The color and consistency of the yolk and egg are largely due to the chicken’s diet.
A fried farm fresh egg (left) with a cracked conventional egg (right).
The fried farm fresh egg is darker in color and has a more robust, earthy flavor. Conventional eggs, which I have been eating for years, unexpectedly tasted much lighter in flavor when eating the two side by side. The texture of the farm fresh egg is a bit more firm as well.
In Austin, the going price for a dozen farm fresh eggs is $4 vs about $1.50 for conventional eggs.
Jon’s Additional Testing and Opinion:
In my extensive search for a restaurant in Austin that can cook an egg perfectly, I’ve determined that very few places can really cook an over easy egg. I’m not sure why this is, perhaps kitchens are focused on cooking the more complicated breakfast dishes that the poor egg is often neglected and left to fry too long on the flat griddle.
I cooked the eggs, over easy of course, side by side in the same large skillet. As soon as I cracked the eggs from the farmer’s market, the difference was visibly apparent. The yolk was a neon orange color looked like a thick gel, while the conventional egg seemed perfectly liquid yellow…almost too perfect. After flipping them over I plated them and gave them a quick sprinkle of kosher salt. The egg whites were slightly different in texture, the farm fresh eggs having little more going on. The real difference was in the yolks. When I broke the yolk of the conventional egg, it ran across the plate and tasted like…well an egg yolk. When I broke the egg of the farmer’s market egg, it oozed out onto the plate and tasted amazing! It had a rich flavor that simply could not be found in conventional eggs.
I’m sold, $4 dollars is a bargain.
Do you eat farm fresh eggs? What do you think about them? Let us know in the comments section!
Happy Tasting,
Jon
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Interesting article and nice photos. I’ve been buying Farmhouse brand eggs at HEB which have words like “cage-free” and “natural” on the packaging. But I suspect there’s still a big difference btwn these more fancy factory eggs and the eggs from small, local farms. I’ll get some farmers market eggs soon and make a comparison. Thanks for the info!
It is a really informative posting and has nice photos making easy to understand. I haven’t been eating farm fresh eggs, but it looks healthier and more delicious than conventional eggs. However, I’m still wondering what is the difference between farm fresh eggs and conventional ones except color, thickness, and size? How about the health aspect?
This is a great post! I love eggs as well and like incorporating them into my meals from French toast to omelets. I grew up on the conventional eggs but now typically buy farm fresh and local eggs not only for the earthier taste, but also for the animal friendly and environmental factor.
This is a great post and I’m about to tweet it out. Have you tried the poached eggs at Odd Duck? I also love the eggs at 24 diner.
Katie,
I don’t know about the farmer’s market eggs, but my hens are “pasture raised” and studies have show: 50% more folic acid, 70% more B12, higher levels of Omega-3 and Vitamin E in this type of hen. I sell the eggs to my neighbors (for much less than the farmers market) and they love them!
One of the primary benefits, as I see it, of farm fresh eggs is the fact that for that extra cost, the buyer gets extra time out of the purchase. Not that I’ve ever had the chance to test this, but many sellers have told me that its not uncommon for the farm fresh variety to last for an extra month or two over what one can expect out of store-bought. And, yeah, they’re delicious.
Great post! I love farm fresh eggs too! I’m writing a post on eggs on my blog tomorrow as part of my nourishing food series and am linking up to this article (included the photo you have up here.)
It just seems to me that the “factory egg” is less fresh than the farm fresh egg, so that is why it looks “sloppy”.
Just some quotes I read off other websites:
“The yolk of a very fresh egg will have a round and compact appearance and it will sit positioned quite high up in the middle of the egg. The white that surrounds it will be thick and stays close to the yolk.
A cloudy colouring to the egg white is a sign of extra freshness, as this “cloudiness” is in fact carbon dioxide, which is present when the egg is laid. Over time, the egg white will become more transparent, as the carbon dioxide dissipates.
A less fresh egg will contain a flatter yolk, that may break easily and a thinner white that spreads quite far over the plate.”
So it seems to me like it’s a question of guaranteeing egg “age”, rather than the conventional free-range eggs vs factory eggs.
Ironically, living where I live now, I can get my hands on farm-eggs with little/no efforts (and cheap!) – so I’ve been wondering lately if I should do so. This answered it! We do tend to eat our fair share, too
Cheers!
Great side by side photos of eggs. I have not had an industrial egg in my house for a long time, and forgot how pale they are. I made hollandaise sauce with a free range local organic egg and some homemade butter from local organic free range dairy cows, and it was do dark orangy-yellow. Great blog!