The pullet egg is the one on the right.
Since our members tend to be food-curious, green, and adventurous in the kitchen, we knew you’d want to know about these little treasures.
This week and for the next couple of weeks, the youngest hens (pullets) at Thistledowne Farm will be laying some special eggs. They're a little smaller than what you may be used to, as illustrated by the eggs on the right in the picture above.
Chicken farmers like Christy Callas at Thistledowne Farm know the joy of eating pullet eggs, which are the first-ever eggs laid by "teenage" hens. Pullets are hens about 18 weeks old. They lay eggs that are smaller than what folks may be used to finding in a carton, but what these eggs lack in size, they more than make up for in richness and flavor! Pullet eggs are usually a little light on the whites and heavy on the yolks, hence the extra richness.
Pullet eggs are a rare treat. You’ll find them on our list only when one of our egg producers is bringing new laying hens into the flock. They're well worth choosing as part of your market haul, but get them when you see them, because a hen will only lay these for about 4 weeks before maturing to the point where she lays regular-sized eggs. This week (and for the next two or three weeks) check the Thistledowne Farm page to find them. Once they're gone, they're gone.
So what do you do with a pullet egg? They’re really wonderful for poaching, but you can use them for any other kind of egg dish you like or for baking. You simply have to adjust. For example, if you’re baking and the recipe calls for two eggs, you might need to use three instead. If you usually scramble two eggs for breakfast, you will want to use three of the pullet eggs. You get the picture.
Stop the waste! It’s kind of horrifying that, because they are too small to be “graded” in the commercial system, pullet eggs are often used in pourable egg products or other places where their special qualities are completely lost. Worse yet, they’re often just discarded. Such a sad and needless waste!
Our farmers know that pullet eggs are a true treasure, and we wanted our members to be in on the secret, too. We know that you enjoy learning about the food you find on our pages, and we wanted you to be equipped to look for these delicious little nuggets of goodness and to understand why they’re special!
Happy eating!
Commentaires