Egg-cellent Eats

Welcome spring with these tips, techniques, and recipes to make the most of your seasonal egg surplus.

By Maggie Bullington
Published on February 12, 2021
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Adobe Stock/Yuliakotina

Spring is an exciting time of year for poultry enthusiasts. The weather begins to warm, the sun shines longer, and the hens think everything’s just right. It’s the season when all the hard work of keeping our flocks safe and comfortable through the cold winter is rewarded. One happy day we find the first warm, beautiful egg resting in the nest box. And then we find another, and another, and then four more, until we’re bringing in eggs by the basketful!

With the proper nutrition, a faithful laying hen in her prime can produce anywhere between 150 and 300 eggs in one year (depending on breed), and a number of those will be concentrated in the spring rush. Each of these eggs is a powerhouse, delivering complex nutrition to our bodies. They’re loaded with healthful vitamins, such as vitamins A, B12, and D, and they’re also rich in minerals, such as iron and zinc. Eggs are low in calories, yet provide ideal protein to fuel you for a full day’s work. They’re easy to cook, too! Trouble is, when I’m in the middle of the spring abundance, I sometimes need fresh inspiration for what to do with all those eggs. If you find yourself in the same pickle, here are a few of my go-to methods for using and preserving extra eggs, plus some of my favorite egg-filled recipes. Happy spring!

Eggs Every Which Way

I love the simplicity of cooking fried eggs. My family eats fried eggs for breakfast nearly every morning. Most of us are convinced that the only proper way to fix a fried egg is cooked hard, with absolutely nothing runny. But, every once in a while, I’ll get a little wild and fix an over-easy egg. Simple fried eggs, cooked how you desire, can then be spiced up with hot pepper sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, shredded cheese, or fresh cilantro leaves straight from the garden.

Scrambled eggs are an easy way to cook for a crowd. My grandad’s scrambled eggs are legendary in our family, and I’m privileged that he’s taught the art to his grandkids. Grandad’s eggs are light and fluffy, consistently scrambled to perfection. Part of the secret is to cook them low and slow, so the eggs cook through, but aren’t hard or rubbery.

To make great scrambled eggs, beat eggs well, adding a small amount of milk or water. Add salt and pepper, or hot sauce, to taste. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the eggs, and constantly scrape the bottom of the skillet in circles with a spatula or cooking fork as the eggs cook. For quite some time it may seem like nothing’s happening, but then the eggs will begin to thicken into a creamy, almost gravy-like consistency. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the eggs are done to your liking, which is a little moist at Grandad’s house. They’re absolutely delicious, and you can use up a lot of eggs when you scramble them for a crowd. Count on about two eggs per person. Scrambled eggs can be livened up with many different mix-ins, including fried potatoes, cottage cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, sautéed peppers, onions, mushrooms, hot peppers, green onions, and chives.

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