What Are Organic Eggs?

Unlike "free range" chickens and eggs, which are not defined by the USDA and can mean just about anything a farmer wants them to mean, "organic" eggs do have USDA guidelines that must be adhered to. Organic eggs must come from cage-free hens that can roam freely outside. They must be fed only organic feed. They must NOT be given any antibiotics. These are the standards set forth by the USDA for Organic eggs.

No other egg categories have USDA standards. Cage free eggs are laid by hens that are not caged, but they may or may not have access to the outdoors. It is totally up to the farmer, and there is no certification process for cage free.

Organic eggs and regular eggs are equally nutritious. Chickens for either type of egg can be fed a supplemental flaxseed meal diet that will boost the omega-3 levels, making them healthier for human consumption.

A valid point has been brought up about organic eggs, vegetarian organic eggs, and organic chickens. Vegetarian organic eggs follow the rules about organic grains, and have the additional stipulation (not USDA) that hens are fed plant-based food only. But if the hens are outdoors, they will certainly scratch and eat bugs, worms, and anything else they find. If only organic feed is to be given to the chickens, and if they are kept outside, there is no way they can be completely closed off from the outside environment. Chickens are voracious eaters, and they will peck at anything. What the hens eat is what determines the color of the yolk. Commercial feed of corn and alfalfa meal make dark yellow yolks. Wheat and barley make very pale yellow yolks. Chickens that eat a variety of things by free ranging lay eggs with bright yellow-orange yolks.

You can tell how fresh an egg is by the color and condition of the white. If it is cloudy and thick, it is very fresh. As an egg ages, the white becomes more clear and more watery. The color of the egg shell has no effect on the nutritional value of the egg, but many people think that brown eggs just taste better. The reason that brown eggs are more expensive in the grocery store is because they are laid by hens that are larger and need more food.

Any egg, organic or not, must be stored properly. Salmonella can be carried inside an egg, but it is easily killed by thorough cooking. Eggs should be kept cool. Even a few minutes of exposure to warm temperatures will shorten an egg's storage life. Eggs should keep fresh in the refrigerator for about one month. Store eggs on a shelf in the refrigerator instead of the door. The door is not as cold as the interior. Leave them unpeeled, and you can store hard boiled eggs in the refrigerator for one week. For hard boiled eggs that peel easily, use your least-fresh eggs. As eggs age, moisture from inside evaporates through the membrane and shell pores. This makes a very slight pocket of air between the shell and the liquid egg, which makes the shell easier to separate from the cooked egg.