What to do with your FRESH eggs

Okay, you found a place to buy real fresh eggs! Not the "fresh" eggs from the supermarket, FRESH eggs from either a farm, or a Farmers Market. Here's some tips on how to handle the eggs and storing them-

1. When an egg is going through the egg laying process many wonderful and curious biological adventures begin. Just like in humans a chicken releases an egg the difference is that a chicken releases an egg about once a day. How's that work?
   1. The chicken releases a yolk from her ovary into the oviduct.
   2. The yolk travels down the oviduct and picks up the albumin, or what is commonly called the egg white.
   3. After acquiring the egg white, the yolk continues its magical journey until it picks up the shell membrane that will hold the egg "insides" in place.
   4. After picking up the membrane the egg picks up the shell (which starts out soft!) which is made up of calcite, a crystalline form of calcium carbonate.
   5. After the shell is added the egg is ready to be laid but not before the bloom, a protective coating, is applied as the egg passes from the chicken.
      
       
2. After collecting eggs you can store them unwashed on the counter, but if you don't plan on eating them for a few days, it's a good idea to store them in the fridge. It's better to store them rounded side down, pointy side up to retain their moisture.
   
    
3. Washing the eggs should be done carefully and only right before you plan to use them, unless they are really soiled. Wash them by gently rubbing them with a damp paper towel. For stubborn spots, gently scrub them with running WARM (NOT COLD) water, using a scotch-brite pad. You should never use any kind of detergent unless specifically made for egg washing like Manna Pros Egg Wipes. After washing the egg, you MUST refrigerate it.
   
    
4. It's NOT unusual to find blood or meat spots in an egg. While it's fairly unappetizing to come across, it's perfectly safe to eat the egg. It just means the chicken had a broken blood vessel while the egg was passing through her reproductive tract. IT DOES NOT MEAN THE EGG WAS FERTILIZED! I had always been told that's what it meant, but I can assure you, that is untrue. I have FEMALE chickens, and not a roo for miles around us, and my first few eggs had blood spots.
   
    
5. Fresh eggs are beautiful to look at. The albumin is glossy, thick, and clear, and the yolk is beautiful deep yellow. As an egg ages, the white becomes thinner and cloudy. The yolk also fades in color as it ages.
   
    

 
Thanks for buying your eggs from Little Lane Farm! We hope these tips will help you understand the difference between "store fresh" and FARM FRESH as well as the way an egg is made!