See Grandma, my eyes are really dark blue....not big brown ones like daddy

See Grandma, my eyes are really dark blue....not big brown ones like daddy

Ryan and friend

Ryan and friend
Mommy, Daddy, I'm saying Hi to Grandma?

This one is for you, Grandma!

Nathan

Nathan
soccer with determination and no airplane distractions

Friday, March 9, 2012

The Bad Egg

The bad egg is not just an expression, but poisoning from a bad egg can make one extremely sick. Fresh eggs contain nutrients not found in other foods and are a valuable source of protein. They are worth their weight in gold, as the story of the golden egg suggests.

Today, I learned how to test for an egg that has gone bad. This happens when hens lay eggs apart from a nesting area, all over the place, and sometimes it is overlooked for a period of time. I read that eggs can be as old as two years in the marketplace. I sure hope that is not the case. The test for a fresh egg is so simple that it should not be overlooked.

Beside the checking for a good egg, normally an egg is cracked open and placed in a small bowl for examination before consumption, especially if you have a rooster who resides with the hens. Blood spots found within an egg, called meat spots are okay to use.

So how do you spot a bad egg? You lower an egg, one at a time into a deep bowl. It should sink to the bottom and lye flat on its side. That usually denotes a very fresh egg. If the egg begins an upward trend, it is still good as long as the bottom still touches the bottom of the bowl, pointing to the surface. This egg is about three weeks old. Should the egg float to the top of the bowl, it is not good. Throw it out.

A bad egg will be light in weight and give off an offensive odor.

I will take the time to examine my eggs more carefully now that I have learned why my grandmother dipped the eggs in a deep bowl before consuming them. I thought she was just washing them. Little did I know. These processes, now almost never done or heard of, can save your life, and much unpleasantness. The fact is that there is nothing better than a fresh egg from your own coop, which is starting to gain popularity once again.

Usually, eggs are washed for purchase in the store. I never knew that they should not be washed, as they have a protective coating. Store bought, are washed and I believe, oiled. It is important to be mindful of the freshness dates stamped on the carton.

The only way that chicks could be determined years prior, was by weight. There is a story told that after cooking a boiled egg, and cracking it open, a chick was discovered. Who knew!

My dad believed like many, that "the cure all" was an eggnog made from a fresh and uncooked egg, with a little sweetening, vanilla and fresh milk. So much is said today, that cooking food kills all the best nutrients in foods. We had many of his special shakes growing up. Today, it is unwise to eat a raw egg unless you know it was freshly picked from the hen that day.

Even those who suffer from heart conditions are allowed to consume four eggs a week. Soon we will not be fasting from eggs. It is tradition to color the eggs (red) in preparation for Pascha, or Easter, recalling the great miracle of Christ's Resurrection from the tomb, (colored on Thursday,) and delivered to church on Holy Friday.

As each person comes up to venerate the Holy Cross on Pascha, (Easter), they will be given a red egg, which has been blessed by the priest. This egg is a symbol of life and every good thing.

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