Free Range Eggs

[bigbanana]

I like fried eggs and I've been eating eggs from caged hens for many years now (Yes, I know it should be outlawed but old habits die hard).

This week I bought a box of 18 free-range eggs at Asda as they were out of stock of the usual ones I buy.

The taste of the free-range eggs was much nicer than that from eggs from caged hens and I had no idea that free-range eggs could taste so markedly different. They even look better in the frying pan and on the plate. I'll never buy a box of caged hen eggs again not only because of the ethics but because of the taste as well!

What exactly is it that makes free-range eggs taste so much nicer and do others feel the same about them?

[BBWCHATT]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-range_eggs

Free range eggs may have more of an orange colour to their yolks due to the abundance of greens and insects in the diet of the birds.

[lafrancaise]

I think that any animal which is allowed to use its legs and breathe fresh air will produce better meat , milk or eggs. A stressed animal isn't a happy chappy.

[cascarelli]

But wasn't there something recently saying that most 'free range' hens weren't free range at all, or not in the sense that most of us would understand the term to mean?

[KenR]

I could quite believe it cascarelli. Just as bigbanana found a marked difference between the supermarket battery eggs and their free range I have found an equal if not greater difference between supermarket free range and ones you can pick up from a good local butcher.
There just aren't the resources (for lack of a better word) to supply the supermarkets with free range eggs as most would imagine the term to mean.

[bigbanana]

Thanks all for your contributions.

I've since come across a similar question asked here:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Food-and-Drink/ Question301890.html

It's a shame that kev100 got so vociferous at the end as more facts might have emerged.

[flipflop104]

I was told that only Organic eggs are truly free range in the sense of the words - ie free to roam and peck, etc.

[lafrancaise]

You're right flip flop. Hens producing organic eggs are allowed a certain amount of space both inside and outside in the open air and fed on organic grain etc Most free range hens though outside (and sometimes only for a few hours a day) are packed together but they do get exercise that battery hens don't get. Free range eggs or organic eggs bought from a farmer's shop or market (or local shop) are usually fresher than from supermarkets hence a better flavour.

[seadart]

Try the ones from a farmers market then you'll really taste the difference....... Enjoy