Carl Huber of theWAREHOUSE blog talked to a chicken farmer who was selling organic (though not "certified organic" - apparently, getting certified is an expensive process), free-range eggs in a farmer's market. Naturally, the guy was touting all of the benefits of his eggs as compared to regular eggs from the grocery store.
So Carl did the next logical step: he performed a scientific test to compare the two.
We each had half of each egg. The tastes were totally different! I honestly did not think there would be much of a difference, especially since I don't have the world's most developed sense of taste, but in a side by side comparison: there is no comparison. The grocery store brand seemed watered down, flimsy and pale. The robust taste of the public market eggs was immediately noticeable. I really thought it might be something only noticeable by, say, testing nutrient levels in a lab. But everyone involved in the taste test (er, my wife and I) clearly preferred the public market eggs.
I'd never have guessed that free range eggs are yummier than supermarket eggs. Maybe it's time to give 'em a try: Link - Thanks Carl!
BTW, theWAREHOUSE blog is running a "fan sign" contest. You can win a prize simply by taking a picture of yourself holding a sign that says "I love theWAREHOUSE" and emailing it to him. Details here: Link - Sorry this didn't get posted before Carl, I got a little swamped!
* Well, a fox got three of them, and the rooster, so we currently have one grown hen out back, and only one egg per day, down from four. However, the four older chicks out there will grow to egg-laying age in a couple months, and whatever we keep of the younger, week-old chicks, too.
And then you'll find yourself going more often to the local bio market.
It might seem nit-picky, but the very fact most people would think so is good evidence towards science literacy being so poor.
I know for certain the chickens are happier than those poor hens stuck in those egg barns... talk about a horror story in reality. Poor things.
I suggest you learn for yourself and make up your mind, but mine is def going for the organic/free range chickens.
If you are a carnivore, you need to raise your own. I don't hunt any more, But I would again to fill that freezer, save money, and eat healthier. Just not here in Floriduh, damn the animals are tiny.
I'm working on convincing my wife that when we graduate we should move somewhere we can afford enough land for a couple cows, pigs and some chickens.
And some fruit trees.
So yes, eggs straight from a farmer are likely to be more fresh (and taste better). But the chicken's lifestyle isn't a factor. If you think they're happier, and that's important to you, then pay the extra money.
We're talking about eggs from a source that isn't even certified organic. They could be from ANYWHERE. Just because you're getting your eggs at a farmers market doesn't mean they're from a different source than the eggs you buy in the supermarket.
In the UK at the moment there's a whole movement to get the treatment of chickens improved. Jamie Oliver did a special about the industry. (I'm in Ireland but we get the same TV shows) We only ever buy organic meat and eggs but watching it made me so much happier that we do!
So many other factors could have affected the results of that particular test.
I think in the Scopes monkey trial, they determined that Creationism was yummier than Evolution.
I'm going out on a limb here and saying that the freshness of the eggs is equal. Both farmer's market and my friends eggs include the laying dates.
Diets are markedly different. Farmer's use organic chicken feed from the feed store and plants and insects from the meadow. My friend uses food from the supermarket that has gone beyond the pull-date, plus grazing in his garden when he isn't growing anything.
So the question is, how can diet make any difference in the egg? Is there a difference in the composition of the egg, are the proteins different, or is it just a different mix of minerals in the egg?
The test consisted of the absolute minimum number of subject eggs possible and was not a blind test.
The test range is so small the result are totally meaningless. Probably a pathetic attempt to try to make your unsubstantiated opinion sound scientific.