Does anyone else notice something different about eggs?

[coldiris]

Hello everyone,

I am wondering if it's just me or if anyone else also noticed anything different about supermarket eggs. They somehow seem different from what they were before, and I've tried them from different supermarkets now: they seem more liquid if I can describe them that way and I can't seem to get either the soft boiled or poached eggs to come out right. It's as if they all cook in what I can only describe as record time and seem to come out overcooked no matter what. When I make poached eggs, they just don't hold their shape no matter what I do. I mean I wouldn't say I am a Michelin star chef but I've never had those issues with eggs before!

Anyone else noticed the same or anything similar at all?

Thank you!

Drop them onto a flat surface (like kitchen table) instead of cracking them on the edge of something. The shell will crack but the membrane will stay intact. Then pick up and cracking fully = no shells in cake mixture.

Ps yes I onow it sounds insane btw may out this on the tips thread

That's usually due to them being stale.

Yes we were talking about this the other day!! Doesn’t matter which you buy either. All seem ‘thin.’

I’ve lost a big part of my sense of smell and also taste so yes a good few things do not taste good to me anymore.

Riverford organic posted on their social media recently that supermarkets are importing lots of their eggs from Italy because they are cheaper than British eggs 😔

The chickens are life and life stressed, cramped and abused no wonder the taste changes.

I bought some the other day and they were definitely a funny colour (dc agreed) which put me off and I threw them away.

This 👆

Not to mention the male chicks that go straight in the shredder once hatched for not being egg layers.

Also, if you keep chickens as pets, you are supposed to feed their eggs back to them to replenish the vitamins they lose from producing them in the first place.

I buy my eggs from a farm and see the chickens pecking about! When it was bird flu and they were locked up they were in a huge barn. Not all chickens are treated inhumanly

All chickens, regardless of what the egg box says, are kept in stressful captivity and not permitted the amount of movement they need to be healthy. "Free range", "organic" and "barn" eggs all go to the same factory to be sorted. The only way of ensuring you actually get so-called free range eggs is to keep chickens as pets and let them roam in a big, enclosed garden.

I've noticed thin shells when cracking. The egg only has to touch boiling water and the shell cracks immediately. I have noticed some eggs are "watery" too.

@Kindofcrunchy nope I get my eggs fresh from a woman who rescues barn chickens and they are kept lovingly. They peck and play. But when they do get there some of them look horrendous and so unwell you think they would keel over.

Yes, I noticed too. Thin shells, thin yolks that split, and watery whites.

Could it be because the chicken have been inside for so long because of Avian Flu?

No but eggs are the one thing I’m loyal to. The expensive ones. They’re still good imo

Yes! In this house they're mostly boiled eggs and it's impossible. The outside of the egg is almost rubber, really difficult to get the shell off. In the end the egg looks like I've hacked it to shreds taking the shell off

I generally only buy the Clarence Court ones, they are always good

I’ve noticed the eggs from my local farm are much smalller with thin shells- it’s to do with them not being allowed out during the bird flu lockdown . Had a great discussion with the lady about how to cheer up the hens and she said they tried a variety of music and they def prefer classical 🤣- they also didn’t like the dull and damp weather in April and may

How is this relevant?

Or find another supplier? I buy mine locally and they are as delicious as ever.

I eat a lot of eggs and I have just been through a phase of realising that most eggs are tasteless. I've gone through eggs from Sainsbury's, M&S, Waitrose, and even the local farm shop - now I'm not saying they were all terrible but on the whole I'm disappointed with the taste - I keep trying different places but haven't hot upon any that really stand out.

In Ireland, yes I definitely noticed that last Winter but seems to have improved since start of Summer. Though it didn't seem to be a problem for all of the suppliers.

Or you can buy locally from small farms where you know how the chickens are kept.

^yes to all of this!

I love poached eggs and regularly have them for dinner but I only like the XL eggs, and they have to be very fresh to get the yolks that hold their shape well.

The egg yolks are collapsing as soon as they're in the pan, same goes for fried eggs which I do for DD occasionally.

DS adores scrambled eggs and they're taking longer to mix, plus it's harder to get them out of the shell.

I actually thought it might be the warm weather as I don't keep my eggs in the fridge, so yesterday I said to DP that I was going to try putting eggs in the fridge to see if it makes a difference. Now I'm thinking that it's not that at all - and actually, thinking about it, during last year's heatwave the eggs were kept out as usual and were absolutely fine!

Really glad you posted this OP - I was thinking that I was doing something wrong!

We have chickens and the eggs are still lovely. Check whether the eggs are fresh, you never know how long it's been since they have been laid...

Mine always seem to have a bit of an umbilical cord lately 🤢🤢