Maverick wrote:
>
> I have the opportunity to buy fresh eggs where I'm currently living.
I've
> kind of refrained from it because a) I don't know how long they are
good
> for; b) I didn't know if there was a way to test for freshness; c)
Would
> have to come up with some way to track how long I've had each batch
of eggs
> (ok, minor deal) and d) I've always purchased eggs in the cardboard
crates
> from the store. Wait, there's an e) as well; We don't use all that
many
> eggs. We go through periods where we'll use several dozen eggs one
week and
> then not use a single egg for a month or so.
>
I'm going to assume you mean you can get eggs from a non-commericial
grower. If that means the chickens are allowed to roam around the
ground and eat more than commercial chicken feed, you should definitely
go for it. These could be the best eggs you've ever had: bright,
vividly colored yolks that stand high, richer tasting. If the farmer
has a mix of chicken varieties the eggshells could be white, brown, or
green, and the sizes could vary from smaller than you've seen in a
store to quite large. Fun.

a: now you know they keep well.
b: ask the farmer how fresh they are; tall-standing yolks mean really
fresh; placed in cold water, the freshest eggs will lie down, older
ones will want to let one end rise.
c: or, hard cook the oldest ones
d: save the carton the next time you buy eggs from the store
e: you may eat more when you find out how big the difference is.

-aem