SC - Conversations about Eggs (long)

[Hupman, Laurie]

I followed the recent thread about egg size, and the differences between
eggs in period and what's available in the grocery store, and then posed a
question to an apprentice in Indiana who is raising period poultry.  He
provided me with the following information:

> > I really can't give you specific documentation about egg sizes but, > >
I have been researching and raising antique and period breeds of> >chickens
for 7 years now. I raise Sussex ( a 14thcen English breed)> >which lays a
white Medium egg, Light Brahmas( known in period a Polo di> >Poli) from
Venice, they lay a Medium to Large Brown egg, Black Jersey> >Giants(11th
cen. Channel Isle) which is a huge bird and lays a Large> >white egg.> > The
best bet for an Italian egg is the Light Brahma, known form the> >12thcen.
on, though it later was reintroduced by English Traders with> >it's modern
name. There is also known in Italy, The Roman (now known as> >the Roman
Dorking,( they lay a Medium egg) it was the first breed of> >domestic fowl
introduced to the British Isles by the Romans before this> >the natives had
no domestic> >fowl!?! It would also be a good bet to look for Arcuna and
Palermo> >birds, but good luck I've still not found a state side breeder!>
>> > Generally the Large eggs we now would have been their Extra Jumbo!>
>Standard egg size in most antique breeds remains Medium to Small. I'm> >not
saying that we can't use modern eggs, but we do have to bear the>
>differences in mind. > > Bear also in mind that the whites of the egg might
also carry a flavor,> >less than the yolk of course, from the diet of the
hens. In late period> >we were just re-introducing the planned diets of
fowls for fattening,> >but we were not yet planning for egg production and
most hens foraged> >for their feed or were fed a grain and refuse diet,
fairly rich in> >protein for strong egg production.> >> > If you need more
info or discuss points let me know, I loave to talk> >about poultry and my
birds!!
and:
Yes, most of that line is holding true to what we can see in the records.
However, we have to note that there were even then exceptions.While we do
not see a recording of our Extra Large and Jumbo eggs, we can see our
standard Large egg as being indeed a LARGE egg. The controversy isn't so
much as the chickens are bigger or larger but that they have been bred to
have ever larger eggs until now in many cases they are out of proportion
with the size of the bird laying them!! BTW, we have shell fragments from
middens and entire eggs from Pompeii, so we do have evidence to bear up
various findings! I think it is fine to use modern eggs and even the extra
large sizes, just bear the extra liquid in mind, and the fact that the
battery eggsDON'T taste the same at all!! Sorry, personal preferance!!
and,
> Waitaminnit! You mean that the size difference isn't as, well,> different,
as the taste? So what do period eggs taste like? Do the> chickens taste
different as well?> > Rose :)Ja Wohl,Madame the secret is the diet of the
birds and the amount of excersice they get!! like everything else what you
put in is what you get out!! Breeding gives you the egg and body size,
feeding gives you tha tasteand texture. Period and Free-range birds ate a
much more diverse and simplified diet. Those birds who are kept in cages are
fatter and fattier and have a much blander taste than those who eat what hey
choose and run around.Period eggs are richer in color and in taste, having a
slightly gamey taste, much more flesh-tasting, sort of hard to describe
though. If Modern birds are allowed a free-range lifestyle they will produce
a much more natural tasting egg, thoughthe size of said egg will still be a
good deal larger than in period. 

So it seems to me that we'd be safe in using small to medium sized eggs to
approximate the appropriate level of liquid in each recipe, but in using
grocery store eggs, we're probably not coming too close to the right flavor.
However, if you wish, Brother Johann will sell both eggs and chickens to
interested parties, and is quite happy to talk "chicken."

Rose :)
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