Sure, that one friend of yours with chickens always tells you that their multicolored, all-natural eggs are simply beyond compare — but until you manage to install a coop in the backyard, is it really worth shelling out the extra cash at the store to bring your breakfast from caged to pasture-raised? The answer will, of course, depend on your budget and preferences, but there are definite differences between the two.
Nutritionally, farm fresh eggs tend to have a higher nutritional content, including more vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids, owing both to their diet and methods of preservation. There are also differences in texture and color of the yolk, which can impact flavor, unlike shell color — despite what you may have heard, there is no functional difference between brown- and white- shelled eggs. Because they’re preserved differently, there can also be differences in how long store bought and farm fresh eggs last, depending on how you store them once purchased. And of course, beyond flavor differences, some buyers’ preference might be based solely on treatment practices for the birds. It’s important to note that this varies widely even between, say cage-free versus free-range store bought eggs — so if this is something that’s important to you, although buying farm fresh eggs can be a good way to ensure good animal treatment practices, there are certifications and labels that you can use to find ethical eggs even at your local Trader Joe’s or Safeway.
Store-bought eggs
“Store-bought” covers a wide variety of choices, from cage-free, to free-range, to organic, to eggs that boast enhanced omega-3s (which, by the way, are essential unsaturated fats that we typically get from fish, avocados, walnuts, and, yes, eggs). The reason the latter category of eggs exist is because store-bought eggs are, in general, less nutrient dense than those that are farm fresh. Commercially sold eggs are washed when collected, which removes a protective layer called “the bloom” from the egg’s shell and makes it easier for bacteria to enter the egg through now-exposed pores — which is why we have to refrigerate them. Cool temperatures slow bacterial growth, but the shell’s newfound porosity can result in a loss of nutrients, especially because by the time they make it to shelves, grocery store eggs might already be a couple of weeks old.
The lack of omega-3s can also be attributed to the hens’ diets — which also explains textural and color differences between store-bought and farm eggs. Store-bought eggs tend to have paler, runnier yolks, and thinner shells. Still, this shell quality can be beneficial if you’re baking with kids who struggle to crack a thick shell, or if you’re making hard boiled eggs — fresher eggs with thicker shells tend to stick when you try to peel them, while eggs off the grocery store shelf will make for a much easier lunchtime snack. Store-bought eggs can also be a good choice for baking, since the many ingredients mean that you likely won’t be able to taste the difference, anyway.
Farm eggs
So, what’s in it for you if you pick up your weekly egg haul from the farmer’s market? Certainly, a more nutrient-dense egg that comes from a hen living her best life on an omnivore diet of grains, greens, and bugs (which may also give you a sense of inner peace if you’re an animal-lover concerned about the caging practices and restricted access to the outdoors that is sometimes a fact of life with commercialized egg farms). But beyond that, farm fresh eggs also just taste great.
Admittedly, some blind taste tests, including one by Serious Eats, have found that when people don’t know which eggs they’re eating, they can’t discern farm fresh from store-bought. And yet, dozens of first-hand accounts of people trying farm fresh eggs for the first time describe a noticeable difference. So whether it’s placebo effect, a reaction to the often larger, yellower yolk and firmer egg white, or something else entirely, many agree that farm fresh eggs simply taste richer and more flavorful — especially when used for a dish that highlights the egg’s flavor, like scrambled, fried, or poached eggs.
But there’s one thing to keep in mind if you go this route: Although farm fresh eggs do not have to be refrigerated, since they are typically unwashed and therefore still have a protective bloom, you should wash farm eggs just before use to avoid bacterial contamination. If you do plan to wait more than two or so weeks before using them, however, it is perfectly fine to refrigerate the eggs, washed or unwashed, to extend their lifespan. And P.S. — to check if your eggs are still good, try placing them in a cup of water and see if they float (old) or sink (still good!).
