Have you ever tried duck eggs? I really think that if people knew more about them, they would become a staple food in many homes! So, with that in mind, I offer to you 9 things to know about duck eggs!
9 Things To Know About Duck Eggs
- Duck eggs vary in color. Don’t be alarmed if you get a gray one, or one that will not wash up to the clean white you were expecting. That’s just the nature of the egg.
- Duck eggs are sought out by cancer patients because, unlike chicken eggs, they help create an alkaline environment in your body.
- Duck eggs are generally larger than chicken eggs. If you get particularly large ones, you may have to adjust your recipe accordingly.
- Duck eggs taste similar to chicken eggs, but the flavor is slightly richer and deeper. Also, the yolks can also be a darker orange color than you expect.
- Many people with egg allergies are actually only allergic to chicken eggs and can tolerate duck eggs without a problem. (Of course if you have a severe allergy, don’t try this without talking to your doctor!)
- Duck eggs are excellent in baked goods and are prized by many bakers for the additional “lift” they give to breads and cakes!
- Duck eggs have very thick shells that are harder to crack than chicken eggs. The harder shells help the eggs stay fresh longer than chicken eggs.
- Duck eggs can be very expensive in stores, but you can usually get them for a very reasonable price if you find a farmer who raises ducks. (Yet another reason to make friends with your farmer!)
- Duck eggs beat chicken eggs in almost every nutritional category and are a powerhouse addition to your diet!
In addition to awesome eggs, ducks are super-fun to have around the homestead! Check out the interesting way my friend Teri from Homestead Honey added ducks to her flock!
If you enjoyed this post about duck eggs, you might also enjoy my “Feathered Friends” Pinterest Board! And be sure to sign up for Beulah’s Moooooooosletter! It’s all the farm news from a cow’s point of view!
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The only downside of duck eggs is that they are almost impossible to deshell once they have been hard boiled. Other than that they are much nicer than hens eggs and Kharki Cambells lay more eggs per annum than hens.
All eggs, need to age at least 7 days before they shell easy. Most people that have duck eggs, have ducks and their eggs are schlepped up and eaten too quickly to age properly.
The exception to this rule are egg steamers. A good steamer can make any egg shell quickly.
Try putting a little bicarbonate of soda in the water you boil the eggs in, it helps to stop the shell adhering to the egg making them far easier to deshell, it works with chicken and quail eggs so no reason to think it shouldnt at least help with duck eggs 🙂
Great tip, thanks!
Found this tip for hard boil eggs on Pintrest. You can use fresh eggs. Use a push pin and put a hole in the largest part of the egg. Put eggs in boiling hot water. I keep my flame on for about 20 minutes. I like my eggs done. You need to get the water boiling again after putting the eggs in. Then when you think they are done place eggs in ice water. The shell will come off in huge pieces. Best tip ever. Who says you can’t make fresh hard boil eggs.
We haven’t had an issue peeling our duck eggs and with out aging them at all. We get the water boiling then add eggs and time it for 15 minutes followed by being dropped in a bowl of cold water. We’ve done this with eggs that were laid the same day! Give it a try 😉
I didn’t realize that duck eggs performed better in baking! We’ll have duck eggs in just a few short months, and I’m really excited to try baking with them! And thanks for linking to my post about getting ducklings!
I love duck eggs and my family truly cannot tell the difference in baking or scrambling. However, I must have a duck egg allergy because (sorry if this is TMI) I can’t keep them down. They make me very sick. So weird, because I tolerate hen’s eggs fine. And so sad, because they truly are a wonderful food.
Oh no! You are the second person who has said they can’t tolerate the duck eggs! 🙁 Bummer!
I love duck eggs in baked goods, however the scrambled duck eggs I served my family didn’t go over well at all. I got comments like “why does this taste funny?” and “tastes like smelly feet” LOL and that was before I told them it was duck eggs! My suggestion would be (if you are raising your own ducks) don’t feed them the medicated feed from the store if you are going to consume the eggs, or even the duck. Do some research and mix your own feed, because after I started feeding mostly rolled oats the taste improved and my family loved the eggs!
That’s great information! Thanks! Mine are eating mostly sprouted wheat grass lately, but my hen is broody, so I don’t know if there is a taste difference yet…
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We have ducks and love the eggs! We feed them a non-medicated feed from the feed store. I also feed them ground fruits and veggies. Their favorite is peas. When I can I order live mealworms for protein. We love that our ducks not only entertaining but they contribute what they can to their keep ~ the eggs.
And thanks for the tips. Will try them.
Quack! Quack!