Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs Review

I'm not sure why I thought Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs were the best rated organic eggs in the country, even pleasantly and categorically declaring to my wife when I brought home this first dozen of them: "These Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs are the # 1 rated organic eggs in the country!" Neither am I sure why I thought a cloudy egg white meant it was an old egg, when in fact, a cloudy egg white means the egg is fresh. Aside from the eggs I used to collect as a kid on my grandparents farm, Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs are the freshest eggs I've ever eaten; but, there's good reason why they aren't the best rated organic egg in the country.

Pete and Gerry's Confused Organic Hens

Incompletely describing its egg-laying hens, Pete and Gerry's somewhat ambiguously says, "Our organic hens are similar to a Rhode Island Red hen." Whatever the name is of its organic hens, they're organic hens mostly because of what they're fed and not because of the overall organic ideal. Pete and Gerry's keeps its hens in barns, "providing them with outside access when conditions are appropriate." Nowadays, that's usually a slick saying resulting from minimal compliance with the organic standard for egg-laying hens. Hens were created to scratch around under the sun, not mostly on a barn floor.

However, to their credit, in its comments about Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs, The Cornucopia Institute says: "Pete and Gerry's is an example of a large-scale producer that is moving away from the industrial model of egg production, committed instead to increasing both indoor and outdoor access for its birds. At its New Hampshire location, the company has attached winter gardens ("like a screened-in porch for chickens") to all its organic buildings, and increased vegetated outdoor space as well."

"Rather than building larger hen houses without meaningful outdoor access to meet demand for organic eggs, Pete and Gerry's has chosen instead to work with family-scale farmers to meet increased demand."

Pete and Gerry's Cloudy Organic Eggs are Very Fresh Eggs

The first Pete and Gerry's Organic Egg I cracked open was an egg with a cloudy white; and then the next egg too had a cloudy white, and the next, and the next... I clucked under my breath how rather than laying me best rated golden eggs, Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs were nothing but old eggs!

Double-checking the meaning of cloudy whites in eggs, the USDA says: "A cloudy white (albumen) is a sign the egg is very fresh (ital. added). A clear egg white is an indication the egg is aging."

Pete and Gerry's says: "We get our eggs to you as fresh as possible. As soon as the eggs are gathered, they're washed, graded, packaged and immediately chilled to 45 degrees. They are shipped the following morning and remain chilled to your grocer's dairy case."

Making the Grade

Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs are graded AA. When an egg farmer chooses to pay to have a USDA inspector grade its eggs, they're agreeing to comply with USDA standards for egg quality and egg weights. The USDA says: "U.S. Grade AA eggs have whites that are thick and firm; yolks that are high, round, and practically free from defects; and clean, unbroken shells."

I observed Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs met all USDA criteria for Grade AA. In fact, while misunderstanding the meaning of the cloudy whites, I was rather impressed the eggs' high and round yolks, when cracking the first few eggs.

Hatching ( Conclusion ) Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs

While misunderstanding the meaning of the cloudy whites, I was impressed with the eggs' high and round yolks, when cracking the first few eggs. In fact, that's what was so puzzling to me: I was seemingly seeing contradictory signs for an old egg; high and firm yolks but cloudy whites. I knew that the flatter and more easily broken an egg yolk, the older it is; yet Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs' yolks were were very high and firm. Which is why I double-checked the meaning of cloudy whites.

As for recommending Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs, I'd recommend them based on the fact that many of its organic eggs are from family-scale farmers. Usually, smaller family-scale egg farmers' hens scratch around under the sun like God created them to do. Plus, Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs are Grade AA, yet they're priced about the same as Grade A organic eggs. Those yolks really are the most impressive looking yolks I've ever seen.

Sources:

Shell Eggs from Farm to Table, USDA, http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Focus_On_Shell_Eggs/index.asp#14

Organic Egg Scorecard, The Cornucopia Institute, http://www.cornucopia.org/organic-egg-scorecard/egg_profiles/FarmID_40.html

Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs, Our Family Farm, http://www.peteandgerrys.com/family.php