Eggstra special eggs.. are they worth it?

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

I was making up a bit of egg sandwich filling (yes there’s cress on standby) and noticed my son had bought some eggs from Aldi, as using things in date order pleases me I ended up with half Aldi and half Clarence Court Burford Browns I bought.

I looked at the mix in the bowl before mashing them and thought yep the Clarence Court ones are both visually appealing and richer tasting.
I used to have my own Chooks but when they died of old age I didn’t get more due to wanting to travel but I know what a fresh good egg is.

Since spending a lot of time in Spain I am unable to find eggs there that are any good - even the most expensive they sell are thin shelled and the yolks are easily broken.

So what are the eggs like where you live? Do you have a lot of different choices in quality? What do you choose to buy? Is the animals welfare your primary concern or the flavour? Are expensive eggs worth it?

The sliced eggs before mashing. Yes they have the unappealing ferrous sulphide greying - I cooked them in an egg steamer and left them while I did other things, heyho

 

[caseydog]

I have not been able to taste any significant difference between cheap or expensive eggs. I am willing to spend extra money for eggs that come from humanely raised chickens, but that has nothing to do with taste. I just want the animals that provide me with food to live a good life.

CD

 

[MrsDangermouse]

We buy our eggs from a local smallholding - I can't really say that I've noticed any difference in taste between them, cheap eggs or expensive eggs. But I'm happy to support a local small business and I know that the hens are well treated.

 

[TastyReuben]

I can get eggs just about any way and price point, from super-cheep () supermarket eggs, to premium eggs, to farm fresh and laid that day.

I really can’t say I notice much difference in taste, but I’m not actively thinking about taste, comparatively speaking, when I’m munching on this or that hard-boiled egg. They do look differently, though, with the “better” eggs being much more yellow/gold.

My main concern is treatment of the hens, followed by convenience, followed by price.

 

[caseydog]

I can get eggs just about any way and price point, from super-cheep () supermarket eggs, to premium eggs, to farm fresh and laid that day.

I really can’t say I notice much difference in taste, but I’m not actively thinking about taste, comparatively speaking, when I’m munching on this or that hard-boiled egg. They do look differently, though, with the “better” eggs being much more yellow/gold.

My main concern is treatment of the hens, followed by convenience, followed by price.

Wow, you and I are in complete agreement. I'm a bit concerned. Am I going to start wearing a "waistcoat" and a hipster hat? This may keep me awake tonight.

CD

 

[Morning Glory]

For me its worth buying 'special eggs' for the colour of the yolk which makes such a difference in terms of its appeal - but also for food photography.

SandwichShortOfAPicnic, I buy The Black Farmer eggs (Ocado) as they have yolks of an even deeper orange than Burford browns (which I also buy). I like Old Cotswold Legbar too, which also have an orange yolk. Do they really taste any better? I'm not sure as I've honestly never done a blind tasting...

This is a Black Farmer egg on asparagus I made ...um... a while ago.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

For me its worth buying 'special eggs' for the colour of the yolk which makes such a difference in terms of its appeal - but also for food photography.

SandwichShortOfAPicnic, I buy The Black Farmer eggs (Ocado) as they have yolks of an even deeper orange than Burford browns (which I also buy). I like Old Cotswold Legbar too, which also have an orange yolk. Do they really taste any better? I'm not sure as I've honestly never done a blind tasting...

This is a Black Farmer egg on asparagus I made ...um... a while ago.

View attachment 98679

That looks great. I’d be more than happy to be served that in a restaurant.
You’ve just reminded me I bought a load of edible plant seeds back in January so it must be planting time!

I used to buy Black Farmer but I had an interaction with one of the family there that just put me off them. Funny how things can taste sour after that
I favour a Cotswold Legbar too.

Welfare is important to me, the visual aspect is a big bonus but I really notice the difference in the way the yolk is texture wise. Cheap eggs yolks run more like water, better quality eggs ooze.
Plus I’ve noticed the sac containing the yolk is more fragile in cheap eggs, I wouldn‘t have believed it or noticed unless I’d had to buy rubbish eggs in Spain. Confirmed when Mr SSOAP (who likes to cook breakfast) said their eggs are

Taste wise I think boiled it would be hard to tell but in a dish like the above, yep I reckon you could.

I was recently disappointed to read how awful a ducks life is, there’s not a single manufacturer who allows free access to water so the poor things spend their whole tiny lives searching for water.. no more duck eggs for me!
Maybe when I’m done moving about I’ll get myself some ducks

Or geese. There’s no messing with a Goose and if they aren’t happy they won’t lay, good on ‘em

 

[Morning Glory]

I was recently disappointed to read how awful a ducks life is, there’s not a single manufacturer who allows free access to water so the poor things spend their whole tiny lives searching for water.. no more duck eggs for me!
Maybe when I’m done moving about I’ll get myself some ducks

Duck eggs definitely taste richer than hen's eggs (as do quail's eggs). I didn't know that about access to water. Yorky who lives in Thailand only ever gets duck eggs. I'm not sure I want to know (or that he knows) how those ducks are kept but the eggs do have luscious looking yolks. His 'egg bleed' photos are infamous here!

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Duck eggs definitely taste richer than hen's eggs (as do quail's eggs). I didn't know that about access to water. Yorky who lives in Thailand only ever gets duck eggs. I'm not sure I want to know (or that he knows) how those ducks are kept but the eggs do have luscious looking yolks. His 'egg bleed' photos are infamous here!

I love duck eggs too, more yolk.
But not for me anymore, nor duck meat either for the same reason.

 

[caseydog]

For me its worth buying 'special eggs' for the colour of the yolk which makes such a difference in terms of its appeal - but also for food photography.

SandwichShortOfAPicnic, I buy The Black Farmer eggs (Ocado) as they have yolks of an even deeper orange than Burford browns (which I also buy). I like Old Cotswold Legbar too, which also have an orange yolk. Do they really taste any better? I'm not sure as I've honestly never done a blind tasting...

This is a Black Farmer egg on asparagus I made ...um... a while ago.

View attachment 98679

That's why your food photos are so good... you think of stuff like egg yolk color. I've been a professional photographer for over 30 years, but your food photos look much better than mine. You put time and effort into your plating, and it makes a huge difference. I will spend an hour making a 1936 Packard Twelve look perfect before I take the picture. I just can't make myself spend more than five minutes prepping a food photo because I'm generally too hungry to spend the time trying to make the food look pretty.

CD

 

[caseydog]

I love duck eggs too, more yolk.
But not for me anymore, nor duck meat either for the same reason.

I have never eaten a duck egg, but it is on my "to do" list. I've eaten quail eggs, and fish eggs (not a big fan of that), but not a duck egg.

I do love properly cooked duck meat. Grocery store duck meat in the US is really bad, from my personal experience. As for the eggs, I don't think I have ever seen them in a typical grocery store.

CD

 

[caseydog]

Duck eggs definitely taste richer than hen's eggs (as do quail's eggs). I didn't know that about access to water. Yorky who lives in Thailand only ever gets duck eggs. I'm not sure I want to know (or that he knows) how those ducks are kept but the eggs do have luscious looking yolks. His 'egg bleed' photos are infamous here!

I like quail eggs, but you need a couple of dozen of them to make an omelet.

CD

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

I like quail eggs, but you need a couple of dozen of them to make an omelet.

CD

One of my favourite supermarket treats (you know - well done me for doing the shopping, get yourself a little something while you’re here) is a little carton of hard boiled peeled quails eggs that comes with a little sachet of celery salt. Marginally overpriced as well which somehow makes the treat taste better

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

I won’t pretend I’m not missing duck meat. I really am. I used to love roasting a couple of ducks for DIY duck pancakes. It’s just not the same with chicken!

 

[caseydog]

I won’t pretend I’m not missing duck meat. I really am. I used to love roasting a couple of ducks for DIY duck pancakes. It’s just not the same with chicken!

Back when I was young (and the Earth was still cooling), I lived on the Gulf coast, and did a lot of duck hunting during duck hunting season. I would get the ducks processed, and take them to a good friend's mom, and she'd make a huge pot of duck gumbo. OMG that was good.

Wild ducks have a more intense flavor than farm raised ducks. Gumbo was a great way to tone down the gaminess of the wild ducks.

You did have to be careful eating that duck gumbo, because every now and then, you would encounter some steel shot/pellets.