The myth of the egg float test.

[88V8]

This morning, the wife noticed that our first new potatoes are ready.
Dug up some for dinner, buried amongst them she found what appeared to be a brown hen's egg.
Eventually decided that's just what it was.

About 300yds away there is a farmyard where there are some hens, so we guess that a fox had borrowed an egg and parked it for later amongst our potatoes.

The egg did not float, so we began to hard-boil it for lunch. Quite soon, it split... the white began to emerge, followed by an 'orrible pong, then the yolk began to emerge. Clearly it was not as fresh as the float test would suggest.

Good of the fox, but beware of foxes bearing gifts.

V8

[Dod101]

This morning, the wife noticed that our first new potatoes are ready.
Dug up some for dinner, buried amongst them she found what appeared to be a brown hen's egg.
Eventually decided that's just what it was.

About 300yds away there is a farmyard where there are some hens, so we guess that a fox had borrowed an egg and parked it for later amongst our potatoes.

The egg did not float, so we began to hard-boil it for lunch. Quite soon, it split... the white began to emerge, followed by an 'orrible pong, then the yolk began to emerge. Clearly it was not as fresh as the float test would suggest.

Good of the fox, but beware of foxes bearing gifts.

V8

How did your wife 'notice' that the first new potatoes were ready? When did you plant them? That is extraordinarily early!

And, as an aside, how did you know that the hen laying the egg was brown?

Dod

[Mike4]

This morning, the wife noticed that our first new potatoes are ready.
Dug up some for dinner, buried amongst them she found what appeared to be a brown hen's egg.
Eventually decided that's just what it was.

About 300yds away there is a farmyard where there are some hens, so we guess that a fox had borrowed an egg and parked it for later amongst our potatoes.

The egg did not float, so we began to hard-boil it for lunch. Quite soon, it split... the white began to emerge, followed by an 'orrible pong, then the yolk began to emerge. Clearly it was not as fresh as the float test would suggest.

Good of the fox, but beware of foxes bearing gifts.

V8

How did your wife 'notice' that the first new potatoes were ready? When did you plant them? That is extraordinarily early!

And, as an aside, how did you know that the hen laying the egg was brown?

Dod

I was wondering this too. Has she been digging them up each day to have a look then replanting them if not ready, perhaps?

[Lanark]

The float test shows you how old the egg is, but thats no guarantee of it being good.

An old egg will obviously go off, but a new egg stored in bad conditions will also go off.

[88V8]

The float test shows you how old the egg is, but thats no guarantee of it being good.

Oh.
I recall from 60 years ago and more, staying with my uncle on his farm near Bury, they had chickens that were pretty free-range and laid eggs all over the place, I'd gather them up and check them all in an old enamel bath that was kept in the farmyard for that purpose.
I did rather assume that it was infallible.
Another illusion shattered

This morning, the wife noticed that our first new potatoes are ready.
Dug up some for dinner, buried amongst them she found what appeared to be a brown hen's egg.

How did your wife 'notice' that the first new potatoes were ready? When did you plant them? That is extraordinarily early!
And, as an aside, how did you know that the hen laying the egg was brown?

She was earthing them up and dug a little to have a look.
March. The spot they are in gets the morning sun and is quite warm.

It autographed the egg. It's a habit of our local chickens.

V8

[Dod101]

The float test shows you how old the egg is, but thats no guarantee of it being good.

Oh.
I recall from 60 years ago and more, staying with my uncle on his farm near Bury, they had chickens that were pretty free-range and laid eggs all over the place, I'd gather them up and check them all in an old enamel bath that was kept in the farmyard for that purpose.
I did rather assume that it was infallible.
Another illusion shattered

This morning, the wife noticed that our first new potatoes are ready.
Dug up some for dinner, buried amongst them she found what appeared to be a brown hen's egg.

How did your wife 'notice' that the first new potatoes were ready? When did you plant them? That is extraordinarily early!
And, as an aside, how did you know that the hen laying the egg was brown?

She was earthing them up and dug a little to have a look.
March. The spot they are in gets the morning sun and is quite warm.

It autographed the egg. It's a habit of our local chickens.

V8

I suspect had the wife left them for another 3/4 weeks, they would have given a better crop but no matter, If you do not live in Jersey that is. Just found the first Jersey Royals in M & S.
In Scotland if I plant first early potatoes by the middle of April (the earliest sensible time) they will be ready by mid July so even if you can plant them in mid March, it will still take three months or so for them to be mature and worth picking, that is to the middle of June.

Dod

[bungeejumper]

It autographed the egg. It's a habit of our local chickens.

How's your avian biology? In chickens, it's the same 'ole.

BJ

[jackdaww]

hen eggs are laid usually quite cleanly .

duck eggs however are rarely clean and need to be washed - in TEPID water.

both will keep several weeks and more , in a cool place or fridge .

[marronier]

There is an old saying that a brown hen can lay a white or brown egg , but a white hen cannot lay a brown egg.

[Mike4]

Eggs are worrying in so many ways, amounting to a good reason to go vegan.

[AWOL]

Eggs are worrying in so many ways, amounting to a good reason to go vegan.

I have never worried about eggs, no matter enough to go vegan. I am considering being a lacto-ovo-carno -vegan for health reasons.

[mutantpoodle]

I have never worried about eggs, no matter enough to go vegan. I am considering being a lacto-ovo-carno -vegan for health reasons.[/quote]

but its the gluten that will get you !!