Cooking Eggs Sunny Side Up

OK, I'm crazy about eggs! They're like a self-contained breakfast (or breakfast-for-dinner) packed with health benefits. Plus, they're so easy to put together in a 13×9 dish for an easy, cheesy family brunch.

I've always bought organic eggs at the grocery store without thinking too much about it, but lately, I've wondered: Is that extra $4 worth spending? Is this just another egg myths people fall for? I taste-tested organic eggs and conventional (non-organic) eggs to find out!

About the eggs

I bought two dozen eggs at Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, our local grocery store. For the test, I picked up the cheapest dozen in the cooler (which happened to be a store brand), plus a carton of Organic Valley eggs. Both were Grade A Large eggs. There are six different egg sizes available—here's the difference between jumbo and large eggs.

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Eggs (Non-Organic): $1.69
Organic Valley Eggs (Organic): $5.99

organic eggs Taste of Home

I noticed a difference as soon as I opened the box—the organic eggs had a brown shell, while the non-organic eggs had a white shell. This is why the brown eggs are more expensive than the white ones. When I cracked 'em open, the Fresh Thyme eggs, my non-organic contender, had a beautiful orange-yellow yolk! I loved the deep color, which held up even when eggs were scrambled or cooked over-easy. I was surprised to see that the organic eggs had a yolk that was a much paler yellow.

The taste-test

To test the eggs, I prepared them scrambled, with a splash of whole milk, and over-easy. Here's what I discovered…

Non-Organic Eggs

Scrambled: They scrambled up flat and somewhat rubbery, though they definitely had a brighter yellow color. Surprisingly, I couldn't taste a difference between the two options at all! Although this secret ingredient to fluffy scrambled eggs might do the trick.
Over-Easy: Super yolk-y, which is perfect for anyone who dunks a piece of toast in their runny yolk. The only downside—a white that was somewhat rubbery.

Organic Eggs

Scrambled: The scrambled eggs were light, fluffy, and so easy to eat. The egg-y flavor was good, but not overpowering. I could still taste the ½ Tbsp. butter I cooked the eggs in.
Over-Easy: The yolk taste was bland in comparison to the non-organic egg! But the white was smooth, not chewy at all.

eggs over easy Taste of Home

So—are organic eggs better?

Nope. It turns out organic eggs aren't automatically better than their non-organic competitors simply because they're organic. It really depends on what you're cooking and personal preference.

For low-and-slow scrambled eggs, or anything else that needs an extra-fluffy texture, splurge on the organic dozen—like these. You might also prefer organic eggs if you want something that's from free-range hens. But for anything else, you could probably save the extra $4 and go with a non-organic brand. Especially if you make eggs often with one of these 55 delicious egg recipes.

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