GLENCROFTeggs

At GLENCROFT FARM we have chooks and ducks as a part of the 'work force' because they deliver much more than eggs for the kitchen.  They are at the front line of our composting system and key players in helping us deal with in sustainable croft style farming. Because there was a demand for 'farm fresh' eggs at Launceston's Harvest Market we decided to collect our eggs for the market's fresh food appreciators. We are pleased in some small way to be able to share something of our lifestyle with our friends at the market.

Almost everyone knows the value of farm fresh eggs laid by HAPPYhens. Its why we keep chooks and why we are thinking about keeping a few more so that we can share the benefits around a little more. So its on the agenda for Mr Majestic and his girls to have company on the farm but we are only looking to have just enough chook eggs to keep our market friends happy. 

Sadly not everyone knows just how good farm fresh eggs laid by HAPPYducks are. We keep ducks because they are such characters and also because we have a creek for them to swim in. Their eggs are wonderful for cooking and once you get to know about duck eggs and all they have to offer, we guess that like us, you'll want to have some in the kitchen whenever you can get some. We will have some at our market stall just so long as our moterly team of comical quackers keep on delivering their delightful eggs to us for you. 

Introduction to Duck Eggs: In Australia, compared with the chicken industry, the duck industry is very small. However it is estimated that about 6.5 million ducks are slaughtered in Australia each year – a high proportion going to the Asian food market.  

Yet duck egg production is at a very low level with mostly small operators like us at GLENCROFT FARM producing for foodies and other 'cooks in the know'! However, with more people experimenting with Asian cuisine we are bound to see more duck eggs available. 

There are several breeds of ducks, including the Rouen, Pekin, Aylesbury, Khaki Campbell and many others. The GLENCROFTducks are mostly HEINZducks – a GLENCROFThybrid of 57 varieties for hybrid vigour. They're a motley but a very vigorous lot and rather 'picturesque' as they troop off to the creek every morning for a swim. While we like their eggs the ducks' main roll in life is ridding the garden of snails and other little juicy bugs and grubs – the chooks tend to eat the vegies and we'd rather they didn't. 

Despite what many people think, duck eggs are indeed very edible. They have a richer flavour than chook eggs. Generally speaking you can cook and bake with duck eggs just as you do with chook eggs. Duck eggs are larger than a chook eggs. Duck eggs are a tasty, healthy and a versatile alternative. Scramble them. Poach them. Bake them in a cake. On the inside, you'll find that duck egg yokes are larger in proportion to the whites than your average chook egg – and typically a richer yellow/orange too. 

But before you try your first GLENCROFTduckegg learn more about what makes duck eggs distinct – better! Duck eggs are less watery than chook eggs, so overcooking them can make them a little rubbery. 

Duck eggs are excellent for baking. Because to their high protein content, duck eggs make cakes rise high and stay that way, while their high fat content gives baked goods a richer taste and colour. The size difference between duck eggs and chook eggs should be taken into account – some cooks use 1 duck egg for every 2 chicken eggs called for. 

Duck egg whites are harder to whip than chook eggs. Adding a little acid, in the form of lemon juice, will help whip them into shape. Duck eggs make the best custard. Duck egg custard tarts are light and incredibly rich yet – and something for a foodie to die for. The texture is simply extraordinary. 

Anything you make with chook eggs become extraordinary when made with duck eggs. Some people are a little afraid of cooking with duck eggs – please don't be. Duck eggs are a little luxury in life albeit with a shorter season than chook eggs’ season, so it should be taken advantage of. 

In short, don't let the chefs be the only ones to get hold of these wonderful ingredients and the ‘secret ingredient’ in this or that dish. But you'll need to be quick or you'll miss out as demand exceeds supply. 

Why Eat Duck Eggs: Free range organic duck eggs are very nutritious, bigger, more creamy and richer in flavour than normal chicken eggs. Even though duck eggs are a lot less common than their chicken counterparts, they are quite easy to prepare. The duck egg yokes are fattier than chicken eggs, and their whites contain more protein. Duck egg shells are more fragile than a chicken egg, so care must be taken during preparation not to break the eggs. They can be prepared just as you would a chicken egg – over easy, sunnyside up, scrambled, etc. There are quite a few ancient Chinese duck-egg specific recipes worth investigating. 

Cleaning Duck Eggs: At GLENCROFT FARM any 'dirty eggs' are cleaned immediately after collection to prevent spoilage. We rub them lightly with fine-grade steel wool to remove any dry mud and then the eggs are wiped over with a warm clean damp cloth. We avoid washing them as this removes the waxy covering over the shell. We also avoid using cold water to wash our eggs as it will cause the contents of the egg to contract, allowing any dirt and bacteria on the shell to contaminate the egg. |

WARNING : You should avoid eating raw duck eggs (people DO eat raw egg when making mayonnaise, eating Japanese food, drinking eggnog, etc. etc.) because you can contract a type of food poisoning called Salmonella enteritidis, or SE. Only about one in 20,000 commercial eggs are contaminated with SE. However in the UK, a 2010 outbreak of Salmonella poisoning attributed to duck egg consumption affected at least 66 individuals. 

Duck Eggs Qualities: Omlet.us notes that duck eggs are about 30% larger than chicken eggs, which means that the whites and yolks of duck eggs are also bigger, adding to their nutritional value. Duck egg shells are off-white in colour and harder to crack than chicken egg shells. You should try duck eggs for baking and cooking – their body and texture retains moisture better than chicken eggs. 

Nutrition Basics: A typical duck egg weighs about 70 g and has nearly 130 calories. About 67% of the calories in a duck egg come from fat. One cooked duck egg contains over twice the daily value (DV) of cholesterol needed by your body, 15% DV of total fats, 18%  DV of protein, 9% DV of sodium and 4% DV of potassium. 

You receive many nutritional benefits from eating a single, cooked duck egg. You'll get over half of the amount of vitamin B-12 your body needs each day for blood production and neurological function, and 19% of the DV you require of vitamin A for healthy bones, a strong immune system and good vision. Duck eggs also provide the following daily value percentages of B vitamins and minerals: 13%  riboflavin, 8%  B-6, 5%  thiamin, 1%  niacin,15% iron and phosphorus, 10% folate, 7% zinc, 4% calcium, 3%  magnesium and 2% calcium. 

Cholesterol Concerns: In discussing whether eggs should be avoided to reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, Jacquie Jacob and Tony Pescatore at the University of Kentucky's Cooperative Extension Service assert that research has shown no effect of egg consumption on elevating your blood cholesterol levels. On the other hand, the American Heart Association, or AHA, advises you to limit your intake of dietary cholesterol to no more than 300 mg daily. According to the USDA National Agricultural Library database, a raw duck egg contains about 619 mg of cholesterol – one egg puts you over the AHA restriction. 

Cooking With Duck Eggs: According to the website www.newagrarian.com, cooking with duck eggs is duck eggs have a different taste than chicken eggs do – click here to read more. The flavor also will vary depending on the diet of the hen duck. Generally, duck eggs have a higher fat content and a stronger taste than chook eggs. Many recipes that include duck eggs are designed to take advantage of these characteristics.

Storing duck eggs is really no different than storing chicken eggs. Once the eggs are gathered, they should be washed and dried, then stored in a dry, cool place. If the eggs are put in the refrigerator, they can keep for up to six weeks. They also can be frozen if you plan to use them at a later date. They can last in the freezer for up to six months. Keep them separated if storing duck eggs in the refrigerator, make sure to keep them away from other foods, particularly onions and things that contain ingredients that have a strong smell. The reason for this is simple: The shell of an egg is porous, so it tends to pick up odors easily, which can cause the taste of the egg to be altered. This is also true if you are storing other types of eggs in the freezer. 

When cooking duck eggs, make sure that you bring them to room temperature before you cook them. This means that they should be taken out of the refrigerator or freezer and allowed to reach room temperature before they are cooked. In addition, eggs that have cracked or otherwise damaged shells should be not be used or stored. They should be thrown out immediately. Also, never use eggs that have been stored in the freezer for more than six months or in the refrigerator for more than six weeks as they may go bad. Generally, place the eggs in a large bowl or in another suitable container. Store duck eggs in a cool place for up to two weeks. Or store them in the refrigerator for up to six weeks.

Disclaimer: A note to anyone thinking about using duck eggs: please remember that what we’ve written here is based on personal experience  and having searched the internet. We suggest that you do what we did before we started to nsell our duck eggs, which is to get advice from as many sources as possible and use your own common sense and best judgement. Everyone’s experience and circumstances will be different, so don’t expect yours to be exactly like ours, and please don’t hold us responsible when it isn’t. Nonetheless, if you try eating duck eggs we think that you are as likely as not to enjoy them.