Khaki Campbell Duck Eggs — Pasture-Raised Half-Dozen
Pasture-raised Khaki Campbell duck eggs. Bigger yolks, harder shells, a little farm dirt. Great Falls, South Carolina.
Half-dozen pasture-raised Khaki Campbell duck eggs — about 1.5× a chicken egg, with deep orange yolks and the muddy fingerprints of the pond. Brush them off; don't wash them.
A duck egg is not a chicken egg's cousin. It's a different animal.
Our Khaki Campbells — a Welsh breed bred for laying — split their day between the pond, the pasture, and the duck house, in roughly that order. They don't have a chicken's tidy sense of where to lay. You'll find duck eggs at the bottom of a puddle, in the mud at the edge of the run, half-buried in a corner of the duck house. By the time we collect them they look like they've had a hard week. They have. Brush off the worst of it; the shell is thicker than a chicken's and the bloom seals the inside.
What you get for the trouble: a larger egg, by 30 to 40 percent. A yolk that's deeper orange and proportionally bigger. More protein, more fat. Thicker shells that last six to eight weeks in the fridge without losing a thing.
Bakers know about duck eggs. The extra fat and protein is why a pound cake made with duck eggs rises higher and cuts cleaner. Pasta dough is a little springier. Custards are richer. If you've ever wondered why old-country bakers swore by duck eggs, do one batch of cookies with them and you'll find out.
Some people who can't tolerate chicken eggs — minor allergies, mild sensitivity — can eat duck eggs without trouble. Different protein structure. (Not medical advice. If you have a real egg allergy, see a real doctor.)
What's in the carton
- A half-dozen Khaki Campbell duck eggs
- Most weigh 70–90 grams (about 1.5× a Large chicken egg)
- Deep gold-orange yolks; firm, springy whites
- Thicker shell — needs a sharper crack
- Unwashed; bloom intact; dirt likely
How to keep them and use them
Counter for two weeks if you don't mind looking at the dirt. Fridge for six to eight weeks. Don't wash until you're about to cook — water dissolves the bloom and the egg starts ageing fast.
Crack on a flat surface and pull, don't tap on the rim of a bowl: the thicker shell shatters into the egg if you crack it on an edge.
For baking: 1 duck egg ≈ 1.5 chicken eggs. Or use weight: 60g of duck egg ≈ 1 large chicken egg's worth.
For frying: a little less heat than you'd use for a chicken egg, and a little more time. The whites are firmer and need it.
Pickup at the farm in Great Falls, SC — we'll text you when your half-dozen is set aside. Eggs do not ship.