...sometimes even a single feather is enough to fly. (Robert Maclean)

1.02.2012

all of our eggs in one basket


I love this antique basket that Sasha and Anja gave us recently. 
The wings go up and look like they're flying while also serving as a handle,
and when you spread/open the wings,
the basket entry opens up to put the precious eggs in... 

Despite the cold weather and short winter days,
(and our decision to not put artificial lighting in our coop),
we've still been getting an average of 4-5 eggs per day from our 7 hens!

For those of you wondering about egg storage, we follow the European custom:
We do not wash our eggs, nor do we refrigerate them.

The chickens leave a naturally protective coating on their eggs,
 a thin membrance called 'bloom.'
The bloom seals the porous egg shell, ingeniously keeping out bacteria, etc.
Washing eggs destroys the bloom. 
Over-handling can also wear away the bloom,
but if you handle your eggs minimally,
the bloom should stay intact. 

Some people leave their eggs unwashed (i.e. bloom intact)
but place their eggs in the refrigerator for extra peace of mind...

We love to look at our beautiful eggs all the time,
so we leave them out on the counter.

We've never ever gotten sick from our eggs,
even after eating raw eggs in cookie dough and other batters.

(Yes, we are wild women...
We are living on the edge!)

Eggs from any American store have been washed
and are generally coated with mineral oil (i.e. petroleum derivative, ewww!!!!)
to 're-seal' the shell. 

We figure, why mess with nature's perfect system? 
Seems to me salmonella is far more likely to infect an egg
that has been made vulnerable by washing and re-coating.

A cracked egg is a different story, of course, and should be used immediately. 
We tend to give these rare cracked eggs to our dogs, who lop them up with glee! 



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