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Demystifying Egg Yolk Color

The eggs I buy from the farmers’ market have really bright orange yolks. Do brighter yolks mean fresher eggs?

The eggs I buy from the farmers’ market have really bright orange yolks. Do brighter yolks mean fresher eggs?

No. The yellow color of egg yolks comes from plant pigments called xanthophylls that the hen gets from her food. The color of an egg yolk depends on what the hen eats; alfalfa and corn feeds provide more of the yellow pigment than barley or wheat feeds do. Some egg producers add marigold petals or other additives to chicken feed to deepen yolk color, so deep golden yolks may not be reliable indicators of the diet of the layer. There is one visual cue, however, that clearly indicates the freshness of cracked eggs: their posture. Cracked fresh eggs stand up straighter and spread less than do older eggs.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The color of the yolk has nothing to do with freshness and everything to do with the hen’s diet. Fresh eggs, however, have taller yolks and tighter whites than older eggs.

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