Eggs

I have just returned from Sainsburys, having bought half a dozen eggs 'of mixed size' which are quite a bit cheaper than the eggs of uniform size. I like to think I'm eating all the little rejects that nobody else wants ...

In Canada all the eggs are white & they think it's odd that we have brown eggs. Another difference between my family in Canada and those of us here is that Canadians always keep their eggs in the fridge and are horrified that I keep mine on the worktop

Years ago, when we holidayed on a farm, they had free range hens that laid blue/ green eggs. They always kept them for us. The children thought they were really special.

x

I kept araucanas, they lay blue-green eggs. I had a lavender araucana, she was so pretty. Her eggs were the bluest. A little white silkie for white eggs, a maran for dark brown and hybrids (goldliners) for maximum egg production.

There are a few hybrids, I have had others, on the whole they are bred from chicken varieties that lay best all year round, and eggs of a decent size. They get worn out, so don't live as long. I don't have any chickens at the moment because DBH and I are having a disagreement. I want pretty, pet 'designer' (as he calls them) chickens that have a long and happy life and don't lay as often, he wants loads of eggs from short-lived chickens that are far cheaper to buy and you get paid back in eggs what you spent on them.

Capitalist pig.

DS1 has a mixed group of chickens and some of them are the kind that lay the blue-green eggs. He has 'pretty' ones and the more practical kind so there doesn't seem to be a problem in having a mixture. Recently one of them has been presenting him with 100gram double yolkers.

yogagran, you have solved my problem. It dawned on me (in bed last night) that it is because I keep the eggs in the fridge, and they are so cold when they go in the pan, that they do not cook in the allotted time. So I trotted downstairs at half-past midnight and took my morning eggie out of the fridge and left it on the work surface. Cooked fine this morning! (Durrrr....)

A result jingl ...I have a picture in my head of you trotting downstairs in you nightie after midnight, thrm I decided you are probably more a PJ type of person??

When my American BiL & SiL visited the UK and stayed with us, I had a lecture about (among other things) the danger of keeping the eggs on the worktop. As I write the date they were laid on the eggs, use them in that order, there's never any old ones hanging round and I've never had one go off on me yet.

Next time they visit they can stay in a local B&B

No! Nighties always. M and S specials. Can't stand pj's.

At a cottage we stayed in a little while back, they sold their (really) free range eggs. They were so lovely! Never seen such bright yellow yolks. Wish it was nearer. I'd buy from them all the time.

@Katek - "Why are they all brown?"

Short answer@ superstitious belief that brown eggs taste better than white. So people buy only brown eggs - so producers supply only brown ones.
NB: In the USA, the opposite is believed, and you see nothing but white eggs.

In fact, of course, there is no difference whatever in flavour between white-shelled eggs and brown ones.

Glad to be of help to you jingle, room temperature eggs are also less likely to crack when you boil them so it's a double bonus! Hope you continue to enjoy your eggie breakfast.

A little while ago I saw a suggestion that you break your boiled egg down the long side instead of at the top/bottom. They said it was much easier to dunk your soldiers that way. I've tried but cannot understand how you could crack the boiled egg shell lengthways

How could you fit it in the egg-cup lengthways?

Ah but a soft boiled egg sandwich still hot is lovely and you could split that she'll lengthwise.

When the eggs are that lovely deep yellow and really tasty it means that the hen has been scratching around eating slugs and worms as well as greenery! My hens spent a lot of time in a nearby muck heap, their eggs were delicious.

I might make DH take me on a special journey deep into the countryside to find some proper free range eggs. You've got me hankering now. #eggsfoodofthegods