Which Eggs Should You Buy? 

As a former small chicken farmer, your information is correct. The only egg that comes from a chicken that will taste better are from small to mid size farms where you can see the chickens roaming. The yolk is school bus yellow and tastes creamier. The green eggs are from American or Auracana chickens, which are originally from South America. White eggs are rare in chicken breeds. Yolks are more golden from spring to fall, as the chickens are more active, eat more, have longer exposure to light, and the golden color comes from the legs and beak. If you compare a chicken from winter to summer, the color of the beak and legs are muted in the summer. Also, there's zero taste difference between fertilized and non-fertilized eggs, and hens that are around roosters can be far more stressed if the rooster is aggressive. Chickens, on average, lay 1 egg every 26 hours, though breeds like Black Astrolorpe can lay every 23 hours. Farmers will put a fake egg in nesting boxes so chickens will lay. Also, chickens no longer will incubate their eggs naturally, as that has been bred out, though getting a bantam chicken, which is a miniature version of each breed, can be used. That's most of the interesting information that I can recall. P.S.: Chickens really are dumb and will eat any that die, and turkeys are serious A-holes and make a great guard bird for keep everyone including you away from the house.

I am so glad that I got some confirmation that I can eat months old eggs and no harm for anyone. Just fyi, my eggs were about 3 months old in the fridge, in the original paper carton. The egg whites were runny but no foul smell, no weird taste after cooked and no one got sick.

YOU FORGOT: A) Pasture-Raised Eggs (Hens raised with constant pasture diet), and B) Born-On Day. The born-on day is a 3-digit code on the carton that indicates a day, from 001 (Jan 1st) to 365 (Dec 31st), and is a great tool to use when comparing the stacks of eggs in a market. I often find numbers that vary by 2-3 weeks, so easy to pick the freshest!

I love my chickens! I feed them well, they run around outside all day eating bugs and greens and they feed us delicious eggs! No, I never eat the girls! They are pets and each has a name. When they retire I let them raise babies for us. I give them a brood in the spring and they are good mommas. 😁🥚🥚🥚

For everyone asking about pasture raised, non-gmo, etc branding - those are all marketing terms that are NOT regulated by anyone. There's no legal requirements that a producer must meet to use those terms. The eggs MAY be better, but there's no requirement that they are. This video covered regulated terms that have a minimum legal basis to be used in the branding.

I use pasteurized eggs for tiramisu and I only recently learned that their whites are more difficult to beat into stiff peaks. I was wondering why I kept getting a little puddle of liquid at the bottom of the bowl! To be fair, I was also trying to whip the whites with eggs straight out of the fridge instead of at room temperature, which is a big no-no even with non-pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized egg whites don't whip up as nicely because the albumen is "tighter." You can loosen the albumen by adding 1/2 tsp cream of tartar or some lemon juice when the egg whites start to get foamy.

My own chicken's eggs still taste and look great after a year in the fridge (not washed). Pretty amazing.

Thanks Jack, all good to know. It seems we use to have lower grade B eggs, and Jumbo, Extra Large, Large, Medium and Small. What happened? We were told if the price difference was less then 10% between sizes then it might be a better buy to get the next size larger. It was fun to sometime get an extra large or jumbo and get two yokes. It seems to be a lot easier to buy eggs now. I am not sure I will ever be able to eat a raw egg even if it is safe.

This information is great! I really appreciate your tips. Thank you.

Thank you! Always so informative. 👍🏼

Great information, as always, thank you Jack.

Hi!! You guys are great!!! I have followed many of your recipes successfully!!! Very trustworthy, great job keep it up!!! And many thanks!!!!

I'm glad I hear this information. I had a lot of eggs from the food pantry and I want to use it as much as possible

I'm very glad to hear that I shouldn't be ashamed of using my 2-3 month old eggs that I keep in the back of my fridge. I always make sure that they don't smell or anything, but my family and friends insist that they're bad after 3-4 weeks. I can't wait to send them this video and tell them to chill. Thank you ATK

Appreciate all the good information, Thanks!!

Thank you for this because many of us most of the time are buying supermarket eggs, not from a farm stand. Plus some of the agri-lingo is confusing when we do not know what it is actually attesting to. And so many people see a friend on a farm or who gets their eggs from a farmer directly who keeps those on their kitchen counter and they don't know those eggs aren't washed, so it's OK to leave them out. Whereas, those from the supermarket are washed. Good to know they last 2-3 months.

This was a very helpful video. Great information. Thanks!

I love eggs! Thank you for that valuable information about eggs, I pray I will always be able to afford a dozen. God bless you all at the test kitchen.

A word about older eggs and hard-cooking them. As eggshells are slightly porous, as they age in the fridge they lose moisture through the shell which is replaced by air. So with a now bigger airspace inside the egg, they are more susceptible to rupturing when hard-cooking. The air in that airspace inside the egg quickly expands faster than it can escape through the shell pressurizing the egg from the inside... and POP! The older the eggs, at least a month or more, the more I will have them crack/pop/explode when hard-cooking.

Thank you. Valuable information

Great information! Thank you!

Thank you. Good information.

Thank you. Learned alot.

Very informative and thank you ☺️

short but loaded. VERY useful info.

I save ALL of you videos! Everything I’ve tried has been delicious! I’m looking forward to trying that holiday ready Chuck Roast! That was so interesting!

This was useful. Thank you.

Hi ATK Thanks for information about the 🥚 Salutations

Brilliant man. Thank you.

thank you so much for the info

Thank you for that !!

Thank you Jack for explaining that there is no nutritional difference between brown, white or any other color egg. It’s the breed, not the egg. Maybe when enough people figure that out they’ll start asking for cage-free white eggs, not just brown, then the poor white egg layers can get out of their tiny cages.

YOU'VE BEEN MY SOURCE OF "REPUTABLE INFORMATION", 4 MANY YEARS ☺, THANK U AND MAY 2023 LOOK ON U WITH LOVE , MERCY AND KNOWLEDGE.

Thank you!

Good info to have!

thanks good advices

Thank you very much and I'll take mines over easy.

Thank you 😊

I lost almost all of my flock of chickens to the bird flu. Migrant birds flying over an area carry the virus and in their droppings infect chickens on the ground. I hope the bird flu eases up. I remember about 2000 we had the same thing happen.

Due to a medical issue I now eat animal protein only rarely. A carton of eggs lasts months in my refrigerator, and I do eat them until they are all gone. I do think they dry out a bit toward the end but I have never had an issue with them. Good to hear all your info.

Thank you for all of this much needed information. Please discuss my FAVORITE eggs, the luscious DUCK eggs, How many minutes for a soft cooked egg, hard cooked egg, etc.

When I saw the title I said to myself, Anyone you can get without mortgaging your house.

Gracias! Living in Mexico I didn't know that I could keep eggs on shelf since they are sold on shelves, not refrigerated.

I like to hear the part about how long to use them because I use mine pretty long past the due date and they have been fine also even though some say that is just not right. And I have always been told the blue eggs had richer yoke taste to them??? That it wasn’t just about color???

THANK YOU

I’m about to take out a second mortgage so I can bake that cake I’ve been wanting…

He didn’t mention Pasture Raised eggs which I think are the best ❤

Jack is the best!

You can also do a "float test", and throw-out any eggs that rise to the surface in a glass of water.

Very informative

as a former small farmer, the best eggs I can buy near me are the brown organic costco eggs... very good flavor.

Thank you @cookscountry always luv the information

Another hint: To find the absolute freshest eggs in the store, look for the 3 digit number next to the "sell by" date. That number is the numbered day of the year that the eggs were laid, washed and packaged and can be a few weeks before the sell by date. For instance, last week I bought a dozen with 031 (for Jan 31st) on the carton and the sell by date is Mar 16th. The higher that 3 digit number, the fresher the eggs.

For something new to excite your kids , try an Ostrich or Emu egg and allow them to help with it. I found these to be very rich in flavor.

good info

Is there a standard unit of measurement for egg sizes? For example extra large, large, & so on?

Good to know 👍

What about pasture raised organic eggs, e.g. those eggs from hens that do roam around outside 24/7? They are the best, as far as I know.

Glad about that last comment. I don't like eggs... so the only time it's used is to get baked into something or meatloaf. I don't do omelets or similar. So when I buy eggs, they last forever... sure, I can bake some brownies or a cake every week but I don't (different topic). I generally do the water test on an egg before usage (or plan to use), though I don't know how much water it holds ;)

Thank you for the information. For me, you guys are number one for recipes and all research you do to bring us. Thank you!

Perfect timing with Easter around the corner! 🥚

Makes sense!

I shop Aldi so I just get the eggs with the 10% down 30 year fixed APR.

I personally love Brown and blue eggs. Tastes a lot better goes bad slower 😇🥰👌🏼

Everything we wanted to know?? What about the TASTE of the different label types? Regular, cage free, organic, home grown….etc. Thanks!

We buy eggs by the tray; then transfer them to several 18 egg LockNLock containers. I like cooking with eggs, so just the regular size eggs are what we get. Can't be bothered spending too much on foo-foo eggs.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm so tired of hearing about the date on eggs cartons (and everything else). My Brother-in-law, will not eat an egg that he can see the white that's around the yolk (he thinks they're bad)...I tell him to "Google" information about eggs....Just glad you have set some people straight!

2 weeks is the maximum for eggs for Pastry. speaking in terms of performance and quality of egg whites and yolks for confectionery products. only if the eggs stay in the fridge. Im a pastry chef btw.

Great information on eggs. I didn't know organic birds have access to the outside. But I think people are just buying whatever is the cheapest right now 🤣🤣🤣

GOOD JOB

What about pasture raised eggs? Like Vital Farms.

Thank you, but he forgot to mention my favorite which is pasture raised

What about the float to the top of the water egg test? If they float to the to do you still toss the egg? Wish that test was mentioned.

Eggcellent!! ♥️🥚

I buy my eggs from the farmer. They are free range and the chickens roam in the pasture. The taste is totally different that supermarket factory eggs. The yolks are bright orange and not yellow like the factory eggs.

I can barely get a week out of a dozen eggs. I hard boil 6 for snacking. I kind of got hooked on squirting a little Huy Fong Siracha for every bite. The other six are either over easy soft-boiled or a french omelet if I am in an adventurous mood. That's a tough one, but like all things the more you do the better you get. Nothing like two soft-boiled eggs some siracha and a nice toasted English muffin to start the day with. Of course a couple of slices of bacon and maybe a light serving of home fries.

Is there any true significance in the designation of size (medium, large, extra large), for seems as if any can be in a given carton?

Thank

"Everything you ever wanted to know about eggs...." No, I came here for which size is the best bang for your buck on average. Like, how much more egg do you REALLY get in the jumbos and is it enough to justify the price. Thanks anyway, you rock!

Thanks for the info. Recently we've experienced very runny eggs. Rumor has it that retailers are freezing eggs due to supply problems. Does freezing fresh eggs have an impact on the quality? Please do a video on hot pepper flakes...I believe they are just seeds and skins that the processor can't get rid of any other way.

A question: (Background) If eggs a not washed, they can be stored unrefrigerated for several weeks. Washing removes their natural, protective coating. It is my understanding that, without that protective coating oxygen can easily permeate, and this hastens deterioration. My question is, cannot the protective coating be reestablished? Say, with a vegetable oil? Couldn’t that return the egg’s storage stability? Or at least extend it? Thank you. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

the last comment was gold, 4 months thanks that is good to know

Nice information but which eggs give me the most golden flavor? And how do I tell which eggs are fresher and haven’t been stored for weeks in the market?

You missed “pasture-raised” like on the Vital Farms brand.

Thanks for the clear information. Thanks for adding actual captions for the Deaf

Hi good job.

Modern Sizes (US) Size Minimum mass per egg Cooking Yield (Volume) Jumbo 70.9 g 2.5 oz. 61 ml (4.75 tbsp) Extra-Large (XL) 63.8 g 2.25 oz. 56 ml (4 tbsp) Large (L) 56.8 g 2 oz. 46 ml (3.25 tbsp) Medium (M) 49.6 g 1.75 oz. 43 ml (3 tbsp) Small (S) 42.5 g 1.5 oz. Peewee 35.4 g 1.25 oz. -wikipedia

Jack, please do red wine vinegar.

I tried two dozen brown eggs and half of them had brown or reddish flakes adjacent to the yolk. I suspect that brown shells interfere with the candling process or maybe foraging in the yards cause more inclusions in the eggs.

I buy pasture raised, free roaming eggs - they taste so much better!!

Hi… I would like to know if the freshness of eggs has anything to do with the “peelability” of hard boiled eggs? I was told that super fresh eggs (hard boiled) will be more difficult to peel than eggs that are a few weeks old. Any thoughts? Thank you!!!

As I have never made a soufflé in my life, I'm good!

EGGcellent presentation- very informative!

How do I know an egg is bad? Some say crack it in a bowl and if the yolk breaks, don’t use it. Also what are the differences between A, AA. Does size matter? Is organic better? Not detailed enough. Left me with more questions than answers. Please reshoot this and crack it open a little more!!😊

Pasture raised I think best

WOW that smile. Thanks I knew all of this but one point. That egg carton can say what ever it wants inspections a few if any at times, and 99% of time a date is set before an inspection. In the end profit and greed rule. This time around they price gauged all of us. God will judge them.

I live in North Dakota and shop at several different grocery stores. One large big box store, where I buy eggs, always offers a great price....but the eggs taste 'funny'. They're always sold with plenty of time remaining on the carton, but they just taste strange. Then from other stores, the eggs are more expensive, but they taste like a normal egg. Can you tell me what's happening? Also, the eggs from the big box store...the yolks aren't often very 'perky', and the whites tend to spread all over the skillet...but the egg carton still has at least 1-2 weeks left before they're out of date. Something doesn't seem right. The big box store sells their eggs in a foam carton, while the local grocery (with the normal eggs) are sold in a grey pulp box. Thanks for any input.

What about pasture raised? Does this term mean anything?

What about pasture raised eggs?

What about "Pasture raised" as a label and a concept?