Eggs

May’s NH Harvest of the Month: eggs!

People have been eating eggs since 1400 BC. Besides fowl, eggs from reptiles and other birds were also eaten. The domestication of chickens around 6,000 BC increased access to and consumption of chicken eggs. Hens typically lay an egg every 25 hours and lay mostly in warmer months when there is more daylight. Eggs are a great source of protein, are affordable, and versatile in their use.

The color of the yolk is determined by the hen’s diet. The rule of thumb is the darker the yolk, the more likely that the hen was free-range. Darker yolks are attributed to diets higher in green plants and deeply-pigmented plant materials, easily accessible by free-range chickens. Lighter yolks are a result of a diet high in wheat, barley, and corn meal. Eggs bought from a local farm will likely have darker yolks than eggs bought at a grocery store. Most of the nutritional value of an egg is in the yolk.

This webpage includes a variety of educational materials, activities, recipes, and more about eggs for use at home, in youth or family programming, in the classroom, and in the cafeteria. For more New Hampshire Harvest of the Month resources for May click here.

Additional resources for eggs:
“Helpful Information for Granite Staters Considering Buying Eggs from Local Farmers: the impact of eggs in New Hampshire is far-reaching,” by UNH Extension

Lesson Plan for Eggs

Developed in partnership with UNH Extension, NH Farm to School, and the UNH Education department, the Harvest Lessons lesson plan and curricular activities can be used by education professionals to incorporate eggs into dynamic, long-lasting learning in the classroom and other education-based settings.