578331 Mon Dec 08 09:13:40 -0800 2008 82 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 4229195 I am tired of bland, lousy, grocery store eggs. I have purchased a couple of different organic types from Whole Foods; at about $6.00 per dozen, I was pretty unimpressed although they were a bit tastier. My understanding is that it all comes down to what they eat. Any ideas, suggestions, thoughts, recommendations? I would not mind paying so much, if the taste warranted it. Mon Dec 08 09:13:40 -0800 2008 246675 szmeterling 1 4229223 What about St. Lawrence Market (north side of Front St.) on Saturdays? I haven't been in a while, but I'm sure you'll find a farmer selling farm fresh eggs. I can't guarantee they'll be certified organic, but the person selling them should be forthcoming about what the chickens are fed and their living conditions. Hopefully a small farm will take more care with the chickens, which will in turn, improve their eggs. Other than that, you might try some Google searches for farmer's markets or farms that are willing to sell to the public. It would make for an interesting weekend drive in the country. I'm not an egg lover, but my SO is. Any eggs sold in grocery stores seem to have very weak flavour, whether they're free range, organic, omega-3 enhanced or just plain old factory eggs. They're all pretty poor, IMO. The best eggs I've ever eaten were in Tunisia, where the chickens wander free and peck at whatever specks they can find in the dirt. I saw many a chicken foraging in refuse. What can I tell you? The eggs were fabulous. The yolks were orange and the hard cooked ones that we often bought on the street peeled like a dream. Mass production of anything, be it a vegetable, an animal or dairy, just reduces it to a poor cousin of its original incarnation. Mon Dec 08 09:21:01 -0800 2008 4229195 239809 1sweetpea 2 4229249 Thanks for the reply. Truth is, I'm not overly concerned with the organic aspect - but I do suspect that whoever is marketing the elusive tasty egg is probably doing it organic. Is St. Lawrence Market only on Saturday? I've had that notion in the back of my mind and, since I keep the Jewish Sabbath, it rules it out as a place for me. Mon Dec 08 09:27:21 -0800 2008 4229223 246675 szmeterling 3 4229298 The Clark's only come to the Saturday North market. Their eggs are the freshest that I have found. They taste much better than the supermarket stuff, but do not have golden yolks, or the true brilliant taste of eggs overseas, where most eggs are free range (bug eaters). In a pinch I buy the organic eggs from Rowe's available at Loblaws. They seem a bit better than the others widely available. How long Loblaws stores them, I don't know. I can tell you that I wanted to buy some tru-taste milk at Loblaws on Dec. 3rd. and the milk was dated the 3rd... Check the date!!! Mon Dec 08 09:40:09 -0800 2008 4229249 10837 erly 4 4229319 You're so right erly I had eggs in switzerland this past fall and I could not believe just how eggy those eggs were! Everywhere I went the eggs were just phenomenal. Like egg flavour dialed up to 11 I've never had an egg like that in North America. How close to the Clarks' eggs ceom to european eggs on a scale of 1-10? 10 being spot on and 1 being powdered eggs Mon Dec 08 09:45:37 -0800 2008 4229298 225662 CoffeeAddict416 5 4229373 I'd choose organic eggs in North America and Western Europe simply because I can't bear the idea of battery chickens raised in appalling conditions and fed hormone and drug-addled feed designed to keep them from infecting one another in such close quarters and to keep them pumping out (inferior) eggs. Organic is no guarantee of superior flavour, just superior farming practices. Ideally, I love the idea of supporting independent farmers, which is why I suggested St. Lawrence north. You can certainly buy eggs Tuesday - Saturday at the regular (south side) market, but there is no guarantee that they won't be pretty much the same tasteless product you're buying in the big grocery chains. In-a-pinch solution: find a friend who's willing to pick up some eggs for you on Saturdays. Invite him or her to a meal at your house to compensate for his or her efforts. Mon Dec 08 09:58:09 -0800 2008 4229319 239809 1sweetpea 5 4229900 Unfortunately I would give them a 5 out of 10.. However most eggs available here would get a 3. I am going to try Embee's suggestion of Fresh From The Farm, just have to google to find the exact location location, will pick some up this week, and I will give feedback. Mon Dec 08 12:12:49 -0800 2008 4229319 10837 erly 1 4229331 Here are a couple of threads you might find interesting - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/483980 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/539079 Mon Dec 08 09:48:53 -0800 2008 4229195 98493 JamieK 1 4229345 I know what you're looking for and Clark's eggs are not going to cut it. The closest I've found is an egg guy who sometimes sells at the Dufferin Grove farmer's market - but you need to get there RIGHT at 3pm because he sells out fast... Mon Dec 08 09:53:12 -0800 2008 4229195 146420 fussychow 1 4229349 Fresh from the Farm on Donlands sells farm fresh eggs. They're open Tues-Sat. Mon Dec 08 09:54:23 -0800 2008 4229195 43422 cheesymama 1 4229419 Wow! My first post on Chowhound & so many helpful, knowledgeable replies. Thanks. I only just remembered that there was an egg place in Kensington Market ?on Augusta? I may try them out when I get a chance (more convenient for me than St. Lawrence) but would like to hear if anybody has bought there, do they just have standard cardboard-y eggs? Mon Dec 08 10:10:16 -0800 2008 4229195 246675 szmeterling 2 4229583 the egg place in Kensington closed about a year ago Mon Dec 08 10:46:14 -0800 2008 4229419 15506 blogs 3 4232568 But they re-opened at 1289 Caledonia Road. Tue Dec 09 10:18:08 -0800 2008 4229583 229970 SweetSweetPotato 1 4229585 Fresh From the Farm on Donlands has great eggs and they are cheaper than supermarket eggs. Mon Dec 08 10:46:29 -0800 2008 4229195 23411 embee 2 4229604 I had been buyng them at FFTF for the last 7 years or so (been buying from them before they moved to the current location) but didn't notice they were cheaper than the supermarket. But I did notice that their "large" eggs were smaller than the supermarket eggs. Not much difference in taste, though. Mon Dec 08 10:51:13 -0800 2008 4229585 41175 foodyDudey 3 4229704 They are all jumbo size (the largest of extra large). Two dozen cost less than $6. They don't make any organic, or "natural" claims. The natural is implied, which is the same situation as at Cumbrae's, but natural is an almost meaningless term anyway. I've found that the yolks are more vividly coloured than those of any supermarket eggs I've tried in Toronto. The yolks sit much higher, which implies freshness. Some of these eggs do taste especially good, while others are more ordinary. Similar supermarket eggs can cost twice as much, definitely aren't as fresh, and never taste special. I don't really like Fresh From the Farm all that much. I will not buy their meat or fish, which is premium priced, mainly frozen, and can't even be seen through the wrappings. The prepared foods are extortionately expensive and usually very bland. The groceries are ordinary and also expensive. The "home baking" we've tried has been awful. However, I find those eggs to be a bargain. I gave up on supermarket eggs when the major supplier of all Toronto supermarkets had a fire and reportedly lost 30,000 chickens in one building. Yikes. Most of the "specialty" eggs in the supermarkets have different brand names, but come from the same supplier. Mon Dec 08 11:12:36 -0800 2008 4229604 23411 embee 4 4229801 It's interesting what you said about the FFTF products, as I have a very similar opinion. I don't buy frozen meat, and they have lots of that. Everything seems very expensive, in some cases much higher that at the grocery store. I have some specific examples of that, suchg as the Welsley apple cider that they sell for $3.75, when it's available at T&T for $2.75 or so. I was buying expresso from there, but recently the supply was very erratic, and that was all the reason I needed to get my own roaster. I'll still order my Christmas turkey from them, as certain items are very good. Did you get my email which I sent last night? Mon Dec 08 11:43:35 -0800 2008 4229704 41175 foodyDudey 5 4229863 I have it now. It was caught in my spam filter for some reason. Mon Dec 08 12:01:40 -0800 2008 4229801 23411 embee 5 4230343 I really like the fresh turkeys and the breakfast sausages at FFTF. I stopped buying most of the other meats long ago for the same reasons as you. But I do like supporting them when possible, and I try to buy their produce when in season. I'll have to try their eggs. Mon Dec 08 14:33:37 -0800 2008 4229801 12124 TorontoJo 6 4294681 Yes, what is with not having the meat visible before purchase? I once asked if they could unwrap what I was interested in so I could see it and they complied but certainly seemed put out by the request. As a result, I have bought produce a few times in the summer, but I, otherwise, don't even consider them for shopping and I live about 5 minutes away! I genuinely can't understand how they stay in business. Sun Jan 04 09:59:25 -0800 2009 4230343 24055 Atahualpa 4 4325785 Tried the FFTF eggs this week. Taste and consistency were average, but I was impressed by the thickness of the shell. Reminds me of REAL farm-fresh eggs -- they were always easy to crack and crack right. Still searching... (Taste is a function of the feed given the chicken. Too bad the farmer doesn't spend that little extra for quality feed -- per egg, I'm sure it wouldn't add too much to the cost.) Wed Jan 14 10:44:00 -0800 2009 4229704 96383 yaddayadda 5 4327330 Difficult in winter. What feed would you suggest? Wed Jan 14 18:41:56 -0800 2009 4325785 56131 jayt90 6 4328627 Any whole grain is good for the chicken diet. And they can be stored throughout the winter. I would suggest oats. Chickens love them, you can combine with other nutrients easily, and they are all around good for poultry (and humans naturally). Thu Jan 15 08:48:01 -0800 2009 4327330 96383 yaddayadda 1 4232178 OK, I may be on to something...spent far too much time googling around and found Springcreek Farm Produce on Roncesvalles which claims to have eggs from "free-range chickens". While I know that this phrase is not guaranty of what we're looking for, I phoned & spoke with the proprietor - I think I drove her crazy with my picky questions. Anyhow, she claims that her eggs are great & just what I'm looking for. Anybody heard of the place? Tue Dec 09 08:35:11 -0800 2008 4229195 246675 szmeterling 2 4232376 Springcreek is good. I have bought eggs there before and did not have any issues with them. But I am not a picky person. The price is right though. Tue Dec 09 09:30:11 -0800 2008 4232178 164580 bustercat628 2 4235175 I purchased eggs at Springcreek several months ago. They sold me the same eggs (Burnabae) I can get at no frills. Free-range eggs are available almost everywhere. I specifically went into Springcreek to purchase eggs hoping I would find those beautiful deep coloured eggs I ate at an Ontario B&B several years ago (they had their own chickens). I was, needless to say, very disappointed. Wed Dec 10 07:48:25 -0800 2008 4232178 191380 eribgood 1 4232364 Am I the only one who thinks that it is absolutely outrageous that finding good eggs in a city of Toronto's size, ethnic make-up, and cosmopolitanism, is soooooo difficult??? Tue Dec 09 09:26:13 -0800 2008 4229195 246675 szmeterling 2 4234825 Try Culinarium 705 Mount Pleasant Rd. (647) 430-7004 www.culinarium.ca Edible Toronto magazine is a good place to find sources for local food as well. Wed Dec 10 05:22:29 -0800 2008 4232364 51014 garlicscapes 3 4235047 Thank you for the tip. I just telephoned Culinarium - I couldn't find eggs on their website. Yes they have eggs; currently they have 5 doz. @ about $6 per dozen. She tells me they come from free-range chickens "not free-run" [I've concluded that all of these terms are pretty useless]. I asked her what the chickens eat and she told me they are fed grain and corn but that they wander around the barn & outside and peck at the grass!!! sounding good, no? She says the yolks are oranger and larger than typical eggs. I am getting excited. Wed Dec 10 07:07:41 -0800 2008 4234825 246675 szmeterling 4 4235101 That sounds similar to the Fresh From the Farm eggs, which cost less that half of Culinarium's price. Wed Dec 10 07:25:22 -0800 2008 4235047 23411 embee 5 4235316 I was also a bit taken aback by the price, but for me the location and hours are MUCH more convenient. Wed Dec 10 08:27:23 -0800 2008 4235101 246675 szmeterling 4 4235133 My brother lives North of Huntsville and raises 100 chickens for eggs and can't keep any. They are "free range" meaning they walk in and out of the coop and are free to go wherever they want. They peck at the bugs, eat grass and like to raid the birdfeeders for seeds the birds drop. He feeds them "scratch" which is cracked corn, and a commercial chicken feed. His daughter works for a food store and brings home all the vegetable greens that are out of date, and that gets fed to them. I was surprised at how fast they will devour a tomato. He gets about 7 doz eggs a day and can't keep them. His regular customers take as many as they can get. He doesn't even have a sign out the end of the drive anymore. I'm a firm believer there is a different taste to his eggs, and its depending on their food. Natural food has the best taste. Wed Dec 10 07:32:50 -0800 2008 4235047 92947 jack_sprat_ca 1 4237306 OK, folks, some interesting news. I made to Culinarium and bought a dozen eggs for $6.29. I cracked, then fried, then tasted 3 different eggs: No.1 from Highland Farms around $5/doz., touted as vegetarian (the chickens' diet) and cage free No.2 from Culinarium, $6.29/doz., cage free and organic No.3 from Metro/Dominion, $3 and change/doz, ordinary grocery store eggs egg yolk colour: darkest was No.3, next was No.1, palest was No.2. That said, not much difference between darkest/palest egg whites: No.1 was most transparent, with none of those stringy white things attached to the yolk, but 2 "blood spots", otherwise whites identical. When cooked, however, No's 1&2 had remarkably firmer whites than No.3. I do not know what this means but, yes, they all cooked evenly. taste: all 3 tasted ABSOLUTELY the same. Bland and flabby, like we are all so used to. How disappointing. Wed Dec 10 18:21:12 -0800 2008 4229195 246675 szmeterling 2 4239278 I too want "real" eggs and have been following this thread with interest. Now, as a city-slicker I know nothing about raising chickens but I was wondering if it's even possible/realistic to find good eggs (i.e. from pasture-raised hens) at this time of year. That is, are chickens allowed to roam outside during winter when there are no bugs or grass? If not, then their eggs wouldn't be any different from indoor-raised hens, no? Thu Dec 11 11:53:39 -0800 2008 4237306 162654 DishyDiva 3 4239328 It depends on what they are fed. I know of a place at the corner of McCowan and Mt Albert Rd where you can get fresh eggs. I bought a dozen a few months ago but never tried them. After going into the henhouse while the eggs were being collected, I just couldn't eat them. I'd never been in one before, and found the smell in there too much for me. Maybe all the henhouses smell like that, I don't know. Thu Dec 11 12:05:14 -0800 2008 4239278 41175 foodyDudey 4 4240294 Barnyard smells do not bother the animals or birds.(Would your dog care?) The old fashioned method of getting hens through the winter while still producing eggs was to establish a straw covered floor for them to peck and roam, for tiny worms or insects. The hens' droppings would encourage growth and promote warmth as the straw composted through the winter. This may have been what you were exposed to, but it is a manageable method of husbandry, and much more humane than caged hens. To achieve an organic label, these indoor winter hens have to get access to an outdoor yard, and they will go out for awhile most winter days, but there is not much to scrounge or peck at. Major food sources are grain and water from the farmer. If Mt Albert is not too far from Pickering, I'll check out that source. Thu Dec 11 17:16:07 -0800 2008 4239328 56131 jayt90 5 4240394 North on Hwy 48. Thu Dec 11 18:00:53 -0800 2008 4240294 23411 embee 5 4240550 Look for Blue Star Farm, about 100 m north of Mt Albert Rd, on McCowan. Here is the website: http://www.bluestarfarm.com/ When you enter the driveway, stay to the right. It's quite a drive from Pickering, as it's about 5 km north of Davis Drive. Thu Dec 11 19:03:27 -0800 2008 4240294 41175 foodyDudey 3 4239439 I went on a mission to find pasture raised eggs and have learned a lot. Yes, during the winter, even the pasture raised chickens have pretty pale yellow yolks. They're still better than supermarket eggs. But wait until May. you'll be blown away by the dark orange yolks and the far superior flavour. Thu Dec 11 12:38:53 -0800 2008 4239278 21022 acd123 4 4239582 acd Even in May, where did you purchase orange yolk eggs in Toronto? Thu Dec 11 13:14:49 -0800 2008 4239439 10837 erly 4 4239586 So, the question remains: Where can one buy eggs from pasture-raised hens in Toronto? Thu Dec 11 13:17:05 -0800 2008 4239439 162654 DishyDiva 1 4240492 You need to find a farmer close to the city and get fresh eggs. brown eggs are the tastiest. Supermarket eggs can be 30-45 days old. Thu Dec 11 18:39:17 -0800 2008 4229195 161694 fatman0000 1 4240794 You could try contacting Karma Co-op. I believe they sell a few different kinds of free-range eggs; maybe some of the are from pasture-fed hens. They let you shop there once without being a member. You could go and by all the different kind of eggs and do another taste test. http://www.karmacoop.org/ Thu Dec 11 20:55:54 -0800 2008 4229195 179628 toveggiegirl 1 4240803 So what i'm getting here is unless you have access to a car or have a chicken in your yard you're not gonna be getting grade A (excuse the pun) farm eggs? So I might as well just buy the cheapest eggs I can get my hands on for the winter because there's no distinguishable difference between the different kinds of eggs out there. This is just for taste of course... not accounting for anything else. Thu Dec 11 20:59:39 -0800 2008 4229195 225662 CoffeeAddict416 2 4241121 CoffeeAddict, you got it right. I don't claim to be the final arbiter, but I have done the taste test and really wanted to find a difference in taste. I plan to try toveggiegirl's suggestion as Karma Coop is convenient for me, and I will let you know how that goes. But once I am done with the 3 doz eggs I bought for the taste test, I'll go back to the cheapest I can find. And, by the way, I take exception to your online name. Can a person be a "water addict"?? I do not see how a person can be considered "addicted" to a substance which is necessary to sustain life! Fri Dec 12 03:48:57 -0800 2008 4240803 246675 szmeterling 3 4241240 It would be nice to have your taste test confirmed, with poached eggs, and with soft boiled eggs, szmeterling. (I suspect CoffeeAddict feels a daily need for the caffeine jolt in coffee, though not a serious addiction!) Fri Dec 12 05:29:31 -0800 2008 4241121 56131 jayt90 2 4241271 There is definitely a better flavor to a freshly laid egg. The Clark's eggs NSLM are fresh, and you can tell the difference. Are they as good as the deep orange yolk eggs, no. I have not been able (lazy) to get to Fresh From The Farm, which is out of the way for me, but I will, and see if there is a difference between their eggs, and the Clarks. Fri Dec 12 05:50:49 -0800 2008 4240803 10837 erly 3 4241851 i gotta hit up the SLM tomorrow anyway at some point so i will pick up a dozen eggs for the week from the Clarks' As for my name I appreciate the joke szmeterling! Gotta love the java! I do love coffee a lot but do get pretty harsh migraines when i don't have caffiene for 24 hours. =( Fri Dec 12 09:45:33 -0800 2008 4241271 225662 CoffeeAddict416 3 4242528 I'll take some pictures of eggs from the supermarket , FFTF, and from Blue Star Farm and post them on Sunday. I won't have the fresh ones from Blue Star till Saturday afternoon Fri Dec 12 13:34:24 -0800 2008 4241271 41175 foodyDudey 1 4242987 I've been buying my eggs at the Healthy Butcher for the past year. They source them from a farmer in Zurich, near Grand Bend. Price is 5.99 a carton, which I'm sure some would find expensive. It seems reasonable to me based on the quality of the product. The yolks are a warm yellow and go a little darker when cooked. Frying one sunny side up just now, I noticed a nice rich smell, almost similar to duck fat. I tried the egg without salt and both whites and yolk are quite flavourful. With just a few grains of salt, the egginess really came through. The eggs are certified as organic and that's the only description on the carton. The Healthy Butcher confirmed that the birds move freely in a large barn with access to outside. They're fed a grain diet of mostly roasted soy and barley. I didn't think to inquire about possible changes in diet due to the season and I don't recall if the yolks were a different colour in the summer. Fri Dec 12 16:52:39 -0800 2008 4229195 49045 Pantz 2 4243153 I've tried these eggs as well; they aren't the type most people are looking for. Pretty much the same as the other options presented in the thread. Fri Dec 12 18:20:36 -0800 2008 4242987 202405 tjr 3 4244291 I wanted to add my 2 cents as I love eggs and if there was a source for those brightly coloured yolks, I'd go the distance to get them. I get my eggs regularly from the Clarks at St. Lawrence and I've had fresh from the farm (memmonite eggs) which are also sold at the butchers at Roxton & Bloor and I've had organic eggs from almost every market I've seen them at. Now what qualifies me to tell you what I think is that a) I love soft boiled eggs and you can't hide anything when you make it that way b) I've recently (in the last 2-3 years) had very fresh eggs as my husband is from rural Sask and we go there every other year for xmas and I had eggs laid that day for breakfast. c) I've been to europe and eaten those yummy yellow yolked eggs that are eggy (it was a few years ago but I remember being shocked at their colour) So...I was surprised to find that supermarket eggs usually have a 'musty' taste to them, like someone covered them in dust and then you ate them. Fresh eggs don't have that but have a 'clean' taste more pure. That's what you can find here/ Clarks/ local markets. I've never had or seen the yellowish yolky eggs from Europe and without researching it, I would guess that it has to do with feed. So if you can find a farmer who feeds their chickens the same stuff as Europe, you will luck out! Sat Dec 13 12:30:17 -0800 2008 4243153 15158 Janine 4 4244346 Hi Janine, It is bugs, and anything they find on, or in the ground. They must be true Free Range, not a walk around the barn, which is better than the supermarket eggs, from chickens that never leave their cages. I have had those wonderful Golden eggs occasionally in the States in rural areas, but never here in Toronto or surroundings. Sat Dec 13 12:56:39 -0800 2008 4244291 10837 erly 5 4245894 Perhaps this is yet another reason why Toronto ramen is so bad! Sun Dec 14 10:26:55 -0800 2008 4244346 202405 tjr 5 4247007 Bugs is the secret ingredient. Very informative. Thanks for the education. Sun Dec 14 20:15:11 -0800 2008 4244346 15158 Janine 1 4249007 I raise free-range, pastured chickens and here are my thoughts on why it is so difficult to find wonderful eggs in the big city. Without a quota, I can only have a maximum of 100 layer hens in Ontario. If I want to sell eggs off the farm, meaning I take them to the store, the eggs must be graded and inspected. I can sell all the ungraded, orange yolked eggs I want directly from my farm. The government and regulatory organizations make it very difficult for small farmers (farmers more likely to pasture their birds), to make a profit from raising them. Larger farms are less likely to pasture their hens because of the "risks" involved, like disease, predator losses and inefficiency. I will admit though, that in more than a decade of raising pastured birds in the fresh air, I have not once lost a chicken to disease. Coyotes, raccoons, foxes and owls (for those stubborn hens that roost in trees!) are a different story. Do I make money off my chickens? No. Do I have faithful, happy customers and chickens who make it all worth it? Yes. Mon Dec 15 15:40:08 -0800 2008 4229195 180331 earthygoat 2 4249137 Thanks for an enlightening post, and too bad Campbellford is some 200 km away from where I live! Mon Dec 15 16:27:43 -0800 2008 4249007 18015 tarteaucitron 2 4249171 Thankfully there are people like you and a curse on those bloody marketing boards. Mon Dec 15 16:40:27 -0800 2008 4249007 246675 szmeterling 1 4293300 I picked up the wrong type of eggs the other day, but to my surprise, they were the best eggs I've had here--outside of the eggs I've eaten in Europe. They are the Burnbrae Naturegg Omega Pro...you must make sure they are the PRO. More expensive than the regular, but to me they taste and look amazing. The yolk is a spectacularly orangey-yellow. Just like the ones I eat in Europe. I bought mine at Loblaws. Sat Jan 03 16:01:53 -0800 2009 4229195 15543 Raquel 2 4293751 I can't understand how supermarket eggs can have super orangey-yellow yolks. By definition, they can't. Even pasture raised eggs don't look like that at this time of year. Food colouring in the chicken feed, perhaps? Sat Jan 03 19:50:13 -0800 2009 4293300 21022 acd123 3 4293943 I've bought these before and they didn't, so... either Raquel received a "bad" batch, or something is amiss. Sat Jan 03 21:44:45 -0800 2009 4293751 202405 tjr 4 4294442 You've bought these before and they didn't....what? Sun Jan 04 08:09:46 -0800 2009 4293943 15543 Raquel 5 4294585 Have yolks typical of European or Japanese eggs. They were just plain old yellow, like every other egg. Hence why I suggested that you got a "bad" (ie: good) batch, and the ones I've purchased have not been of the same quality. Sun Jan 04 09:17:19 -0800 2009 4294442 202405 tjr 6 4295687 Ohhhh..now I get ya. Actually, my hubby got so excited at seeing the colour of these yolks that he whipped us up an exquisite batch of carbonara for Sunday dinner....it was silky deliciousness with those yolks. He went out today and I asked him to buy some more because we had obviously run low, and they are exactly the same bright-ish colour. Now, I *may* have been a bit excited comparing them to European eggs...which in my mind are unbeatable, but they are the best I've found in North America, and I'm including farm fresh eggs. tjr, why don't you give them another try, but I'm stressing that these aren't just the Omega 3 eggs....they are the Omega 3 PRO. Sun Jan 04 16:30:29 -0800 2009 4294585 15543 Raquel 7 4295840 Omega 3 eggs taste fishy. Sun Jan 04 17:27:30 -0800 2009 4295687 68071 Fat Swine 8 4296957 Sort of. They taste flax-seed like (from the flax they are fed). Flax-seed tastes a bit fishy though (only really noticeable when served ground). Mon Jan 05 07:18:30 -0800 2009 4295840 24055 Atahualpa 9 4297176 No, some of them are fed fish meal to get the Omega-3 count up,and eggs from those hens taste distinctly fishy. That's why I stopped buying them - it was strong enough to be distracting. I like fish and eggs, I don't like fishy eggs. I find vegetarian-fed Omega-3 eggs quite tasty. Mon Jan 05 08:33:48 -0800 2009 4296957 139230 Wahooty 10 4297418 I can't really speak to any taste advantages in the Burnbrae Omega 3 eggs sold in the Toronto area. When I sampled these, I didn't find them superior to the regular supermarket eggs. I can, though, mention a few other considerations. If you check the nutrition data on Omega 3 eggs, you might come to share my perception that this is mainly a marketing gimmick. Yes, the Omega 3 and Omega 3 Pro eggs have a better Omega 3 profile than this company's regular eggs. However, if you feel that you need Omega 3 supplementation, some quick research will show you that these eggs are an inefficient way to get it. These eggs have extra Omega 3 because the chickens get Omega 3 supplementation in their diet. It makes much more sense to get the Omega 3 supplementation directly. The Omega 3 eggs are from chickens that are fed some flax. Ground flax seed is delicious. Flax seed oil in capsules is efficient. Why have your supplementation go through a chicken first? While flax is a suitable source of Omega 3, fish oil is a much better source. The difference between the "regular" and "pro" Omega 3 eggs is that the pro eggs come from chickens that get both flax and fish oil in their diets. If you have a problem with fish oil, you may very well have a problem with these eggs also. They also mention lutein in their description of the Omega 3 Pro eggs. Feeding some marigold petals to the chickens would likely produce beautiful golden yolks in addition to upping the lutein content of the eggs. What is more important to me is that neither of these Omega 3 enhanced egg brands is listed by the company as "free run". While I know nothing about the living conditions of the free run hens beyond the company's website description, the conditions in their "regular" barns have been described in the mainstream news media - 30,000 chickens in a barn. Mon Jan 05 09:50:58 -0800 2009 4297176 23411 embee 11 4300313 Thanks for the more thorough update. Even if some Omega-3 eggs are fed fish products, I stand by my assertion. If you take ground flax meal and place it on your tongue, there is a fishy quality to the taste. Now, I say this as a person who has flax cereal for breakfast and flax bread on the counter. Tue Jan 06 08:04:06 -0800 2009 4297418 24055 Atahualpa 12 4301073 As far as I know, in order to gain the health benefits of flax seeds, they do need to be ground, whether by machine, or by teeth, as otherwise they pass straight through your system, taking all possible health benefits with them Tue Jan 06 11:37:07 -0800 2009 4300313 19782 Full tummy 13 4301600 I believe that is true Tue Jan 06 13:48:48 -0800 2009 4301073 23411 embee 11 4301136 embee, you have hit on the key to the richer colour of Omega 3 Pro eggs, in a single ingredient: "lutein". The colour may be rich from marigold extract, but there is no way they will taste like farm fresh eggs from pastured birds, if they come from an indoor battery and never eat grass, weeds, or grubs. Tue Jan 06 11:52:28 -0800 2009 4297418 56131 jayt90 7 4297335 i may be wrong but my understanding is that the colour of the yolk is not necessarily the best way to assess the quality/naturalness of the egg. bright yellow could mean simply that the feed is largely corn-based. if i remember correctly, in his chapter on egg farming in omnivore's dilemma, pollen explains the difference in yolk texture as a true test. the yolk should be firm and should 'stand up' when separated from the egg white. the eggs from my CSA farm, chickabiddy farms, did that and they were exquisite. those chicks were pastured in the field, not just in 'free run' in the barn, and ate lots of bugs in the summer. they also came in all kinds of colours and sizes. needless to say, i miss those eggs terribly and can't wait till next summer. Mon Jan 05 09:25:59 -0800 2009 4295687 17778 Kasia 2 4908220 Well, I haven't seen Burnbrae Omega Pro, but I have been buying Burnbrae Free Run Omega 3 eggs from Galati's at Leslie and Finch. I'll admit, it doesn't say organic, and they do state on the packaging that it's an open concept barn (so I guess they aren't really roaming around outside), but they guarantee "no antibiotics or medication are in the feed". Also, they use Bullfrog Power. So, I feel good about that. I can't comment on the taste of these vs. fresh, not ever having had the pleasure, but I feel better about buying these than the cheapo supermarket ones, and at $4.29, they are a good price for this category of product (on sale they were $3.69!). Fri Jul 31 21:43:52 -0700 2009 4293300 185565 chuang 1 4297586 I'm finding this a very interesting discussion. Thanks for this further info, embee/Kasia. I too finally went to the Burnbrae website and took a look this info. I guess we can't expect farm fresh eggs like we used to anymore, but for me, this has been an unexpected surprise. I did notice that they have a line of 'Free Run' eggs as well, but haven't seen that anywhere in my shopping travels yet. And, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought the regular Omega 3 eggs were "fishy" sometimes in taste/smell. These new ones though don't seem to have that same aroma or flavour. Mon Jan 05 10:29:07 -0800 2009 4229195 15543 Raquel 1 4300986 Kensington Market has a poultry store that also sells eggs from their hens, it's on St. Andrew which is one block north of Dundas, just west of Spadina. Also, in the summer, many farmer's markets sells eggs too. In the winter, I head to Fiesta Farms and Kensington. Tue Jan 06 11:06:22 -0800 2009 4229195 144700 eatereater123 1 4313787 okay so i finally got jumbo eggs from the Clarks at SLM North Preparation was in a Rosti plus two sunny side up eggs on top of the rosti as per my first experience with eggs that wowed me back in Switzerland. The whites tasted quite amazing! the yolks though were good.... but not what i was looking for The freshness of the egg was evidenced by the solidity of the raw yolk but the taste and color were lacking. I`ll reserve full judgement until the spring. I can`t see myself getting any other eggs now though at that price and at that quality ($3.50 for a dozen!) Sat Jan 10 09:56:38 -0800 2009 4229195 225662 CoffeeAddict416 2 4316050 One of the things I find remarkable about Harlan Clark's eggs is just how tender they are when scrambled. I've been making my scrambled the same way for years now. They were never this delicate until I switched to his eggs. Sun Jan 11 09:55:50 -0800 2009 4313787 12072 Googs 1 4330660 The closest I have found that resembles anything I had in europe,...especially my last trip to Crete where we literally got the egg the morning it was hatched ...to dye for....is at the Carrot Common- Big Carrot...the brand I cannot remember as they have a few but it is the most expensive one at about $7.99 a doz. I remember because I couldn't believe I was spending that much for eggs but yet I always go back and get more. All the other organic brands I find don't taste much differenct from the regular eggs here. Thu Jan 15 18:53:41 -0800 2009 4229195 251357 cynthias 2 4330749 There is nothing forthcoming about these eggs on the Big Carrot site. Do you have any information about their origin, feeding, care? Thu Jan 15 19:38:45 -0800 2009 4330660 56131 jayt90 3 4876538 The eggs in the Maritimes and in France are WONDERFUL. I have yet to find anything, at any price, here in Toronto that compares. I would love a source of Maritime eggs here. Tue Jul 21 05:12:12 -0700 2009 4330749 184133 Portail 4 4876758 I agree, the eggs in France are really wonderful, as is the butter, the cheese... Oh, how I miss the smell of the fromagerie. It did take me a while to adapt to the milk though. It is almost tangy; I prefer North American milk. Tue Jul 21 06:53:16 -0700 2009 4876538 179628 toveggiegirl 4 4878631 It's unrealistic to ship eggs from the Maritimes to Ontario. Better to find local farms using the same breeds and feeding techniques that make Maritime eggs special. There are a lot of specialised farmers here, it's just a matter of locating them. Tue Jul 21 15:47:04 -0700 2009 4876538 56131 jayt90