Remember when grandma would let you lick the bowl when she baked a cake or a batch of cookies? Oh, the simple pleasures of childhood! Fast forward to today’s moms, they face some concerns over the freshness of eggs, often foregoing the offer of that batter coated bowl. That not only dampens our nostalgic longings, but leads us to ponder; what happened in between our carefree, spoon-licking childhood and modern adulthood? Did eggs somehow change?
Well, no they didn’t. Eggs are still a staple of the heartland diet. What changed was the way we raise chickens and process eggs for retail sale. In grandma’s day eggs came from local farmers not huge manufacturing plants. When you ran down the stairs to find mom cooking a hardy breakfast of eggs and bacon before school you can bet those eggs were only days old. Most supermarket eggs have traveled a long path to reach the shelf, and can be anywhere from 30-60 days old by the time you purchase them. In addition, commercially processed eggs are exposed to various storage conditions during their travels from the hen to processing plant to distribution center to transport truck to retail center to grocery shelf and finally to you, the consumer! Whoa! If that egg had a passport it would have a whole lot of destination stamps!
On the contrary, locally farmed eggs have a much more direct route from hen to consumer, making them fresher and healthier. Studies have shown that locally produced, free-range farm eggs have a higher nutritional value, like less cholesterol, less saturated fat, increased vitamins A, E, and D, more omega-3 fatty acids, and more carotene. All the things grandma knew you needed for a healthy diet that would maintain your energy throughout your day.
The increased nutritional value means free-range farm eggs have richer yolks and that their whites are stiffer, making them a better quality for baking, cooking, and licking the bowl!
American egg farmers who choose to carry on the their grandparent’s farming traditions, by raising hens free-range with natural feed are found to be committed to a high-quality product for their consumer, as well as a personal commitment to farming with the highest standards for their livestock and land. Grandma knew best, enjoy your eggs farm fresh!
1950’s Toasted Egg Nest
- 1 1/2 tsp melted butter or bacon fat (use butter to make kosher/vegetarian)
- 1 1/4 cups corn flakes
- 4 eggs
- Salt and pepper
In a mixing bowl, pour butter over corn flakes and toss lightly to mix. Arrange Cornflakes in 4 greased custard cups or greased muffin tin to form nests. Break eggs carefully, slipping one into each nest. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a slow oven (325 degrees) for 15-20 minutes, or until eggs are firm. To serve, loosen with a knife or spatula, lifting gently. Enjoy this flashback to simpler times with your friends and family!
