Are you an egg snob like me ? Goodness I hope so!  Eggs are the most wonderful natural product.   Definitely my favourite ‘instant’ meal – nothing beats a poached egg or fried egg.  But then again a quick scramble or omelette – yep totally delicious and packed with protein and nutrients.

My preference is direct from the farm, fresh as possible  and free range-  so I buy as often as I can from the ‘egg lady’ at the market. … I love to look at the eggs and select what we decide is the best on the day!  I do have my preferences and often choose brown eggs.  Various varieties of hens produce brown eggs (I am told they eat more so this can make the brown eggs a little more expensive).   Some say its silly really as the colour of the shell in no way reflects the flavour – well  a lot say that, but I am one of the ones who believe they do taste better.. And of course they look wonderful.

If you think about it, happy hens have got to make good eggs – it’s that simple. I still adore the rich deep yellow gold orange colour of a good yolk. My scrambled eggs, omelettes and sponge cakes look like I have popped a little food colouring into them! That might make some of you giggle, but it’s the truth.

When I have to, I of course purchase eggs from the supermarket – now this is the worry because it is hard trying to work out what all these ‘cartons’ are promising. There are just too many various boxes, colours and information  ……

A happy hen makes a great egg – so if hens can scratch around, merrily pecking at good quality food in a little sunshine they are going to produce better quality and it’s a much nicer existence for them.

 My top choices from the supermarket:

• Organic 100% –   you will also find a logo and cert number. Normally speaking if a box says Organic it is… but it is a bit of work to get this certification and number. So producers who have it flaunt it.
• Free Range and if possible fed on natural grains and plant derived nutrients (no animal protein)….. And for night a barn where hens sleep in (safe from nasty predators).  There is also an accreditation for free range farms so look out for this too.

Next on my list:

• Barn laid – well yes  if is a large barn, with some perches for them to sit and the hens can still roam around – and  look for the RSPCA foot print.

Cage – no thanks! However, there are some farms that have cages designed to allow the hens to move ‘a little’ and easy access to water and feed – but NO, it still doesn’t sit well with me.

Tips:

Always use eggs at room temperture, so remove them from the fridge about 20 minutes or so before mixing… you will get a better volume particually with meringues and  cakes

Freshness: pop an egg into a container of water… if it sinks it’s fresh

Hardboiled: if the egg is too fresh it can be difficult to peel.

Always store in the carton – the shell is porous and absorbs flavours

Eggs stored at room temperature will age very quickly… always refrigerate if given the choice.

Check out these great recipes over at Peter McInnes’ recipe database. Just click on the image to see the recipe:

The Best Scrambled Eggs

Lemon Butter

Gluten Free Feather Light Sponge

Fluffy Omlette