Well..we’ve officially done it. We’ve cooked up our first batch of eggs from the chickens in our backyard. When we first cracked open the eggs, we couldn’t believe how dark the yolks were…they were so dark, they were almost orange. Like a dark dark yellowy-orange. At first I was nervous and didn’t really want to cook them up, but TCH whipped up some scrambled eggs…never had I seen such yellow scrambled eggs!
Maybe when we make our next batch, I’ll take a picture of our eggs next to store bought eggs cracked open in a bowl. (We still have some in the fridge) – That’s where you really see the difference! The picture below really doesn’t do it justice, but man were these scrambled eggs yellow after cooking them up.
Why are the yolks so dark? Well, being the worrier that I am, I did some research (you know, to make sure they were safe to consume) and it looks like the color is based on freshness and nutritional value. The healthier of a diet a chicken eats, the darker their yolks will be. Light yolks indicate an egg that has been in storage a while and/or a chicken that was fed a diet lacking in nutrition (grain, wheat, etc). Ever crack open an egg and it’s super light yellow? Well, that’s why I guess! This makes sense because we feed them an organic ‘layer feed’ made by a local farm along with a TON of fresh fruits and veggies…plus they roam our yard for at least 8+ hours everyday, so they eat lots of grass, too.
Oh, and I forgot to mention – yes the eggs taste amazing, definitely different than store bought (and we even buy local, farm fresh eggs!) Yesterday, TCH cooked up a yummy quiche with some more of the eggs and it was delish. Noticing a trend here? Yes, he does a lot of the cooking around The Crunchy House…I’m hoping to change that once Baby Crunchy arrives, though…any tips on getting more motivated and (more importantly) better at cooking/baking? I never feel like doing it, and when I do…it always turns out tasting nasty. When TCH cooks, it’s amazing every time!
PS – Pippy still hasn’t laid. (Well, we don’t think she has anyway.) That girl really needs to catch up with the others!
September 5, 2011 
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Hi and welcome! I'm Jenny - a green living new momma, adoring wife, and MSU fan.
to get better at cooking: just do it! follow a recipe to the letter. that book you got me is great for that. And another trick is to look up recipes for dishes you've liked at restaurants (they have copycats for the chain restaurant recipes on a lot of sites). You'll get to know what you like. Those eggs do look good!!!
I mean the Great Food Fast book. And I meant do relatively simple recipes first.
Those look great! I always know I've purchased a quality egg when the yolk is nice and dark! No chickens for us… apartment living has its downfalls! ; ) I get motivated to cook when I plan ahead and make sure I have everything I need! Getting everything together is half the battle! Also, I love a good cookbook to get me motivated!
This made me smile. I am just the opposit! I grew up on farm eggs, so the first time I cracked open a pale egg, I thought something was wrong!
A good way to know if your hens are laying is if the color of their legs is down and and their combs or swollen. They give the yellow/orange color in their legs to the yolks, so if their legs are bright and pretty – no eggs from them! Dull legs = eggs. Their conbs should also be big, swollen and flopping over their face (not as big as a rooster and floppier) If their comb is bright, and shrunk close to the head, another sign – no eggs! GL
The darker the yolk the more yummy vitamins and nutrients are in there! I think dark yellow/orange yolks are so pretty! Is it weird that I find egg yolks pretty? But it's such a pretty color :) It is a little odd at first, but you get used to it and then the lighter eggs look watery and weird!
Not weird to think they're pretty! I definitely agree :) We're loving them!
Too funny that you are used to the dark yolks and think light yolks are weird…I'm sure over time I'll feel the same!
Thanks for the tips on whether or not the hen is laying – I'll have to check out their legs and see :) I don't *think* Pippy is laying yet, but we'll see! (She's a Polish)
Thank you! And thanks for the tips…I agree that planning is the battle…dinner time will come around and I'll have no ideas – I should really start planning ahead, thank you for the tips and for stopping by!
Thanks for the help :) I bet you're right…if I would just cook more, I'd get better…and in turn, I'd have more success and like cooking more. Really need to do that! Thank you!