Farm fresh eggs vs store bought eggs.
People ask us at the market what the real difference is. Here is the honest version, without the marketing: most of it comes down to how recently the egg was laid and how many hands it passed through on the way to you.
Usually gathered within the last day or two before market.
Packed, graded, shipped, and shelved, which takes time before it reaches you.
Collected by hand, sorted by the same people who keep the hens.
Handled at volume through washing, grading, and distribution lines.
Varies by breed: brown, cream, blue-green, speckled, and different sizes.
Sorted for uniform size and color.
Unwashed eggs keep on the counter for a while; refrigerate once washed.
Washed at the plant, so they must stay refrigerated.
To the family that fed and watered the hens that morning.
Split across the supply chain.
How to keep them
A freshly laid egg has a natural coating on the shell. Leave that coating alone and the egg keeps on a counter for a stretch; wash it and the coating goes, so it belongs in the refrigerator from then on. If you are ever unsure about an egg, set it in a bowl of water: one that floats has aged and is best skipped.
Why the yolks look different
Yolk color follows diet. Hens with room to roam pick up greens and bugs alongside their feed, and that shows up in the yolk. It is a sign of what she ate, not a grade of quality, but it is the difference most people notice first.