Eggs 101
January 16, 2012
Greetings, Enota Family!
Today we’re going to talk about the humble egg. If you haven’t had the pleasure of having your own chickens (and, therefore, your own eggs!), you might want to consider the idea. Eggs have gotten “a bum rap” from the media in the past couple decades, but they are making a comeback. Truly, eggs are good for you, versatile, and keep a long time… Let’s look at some of facts about eggs…
You can really taste the difference between store-bought and farm-fresh eggs. If for whatever reason you are unable to have your own chickens, seek out places to buy good, organic, free-range eggs. You will be amazed at the difference in consistency, yolk color, and taste. Free-range eggs are healthier because the chickens roam free and eat a variety of greens along with their regular feed. Their diet will have a much higher vitamin and mineral content… and, so will their eggs!
Eggs are really versatile. Scrambled , fried, poached, baked, and boiled. Omelets, frittatas, quiches and casseroles. In baking, eggs are used in cakes and cheesecakes, cookies, custards, meringues, pie fillings, soufflés , cream puffs and eclairs.
Eggs and Your Health:
Eggs promote healthy hair and nails because they have a high sulphur content and a wide array of vitamins and minerals. Many people find their hair growing faster after adding eggs to their diet, especially if they were previously deficient in foods containing sulphur or B12!
New research shows that, contrary to previous belief, the consumption of two eggs per day will not have a negative impact on cholesterol and does not affect a person’s lipid profile. In fact, research suggests that it is saturated fat that raises cholesterol rather than dietary cholesterol.
Eggs are an easy lean protein. One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids.
Eggs are one of the few foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D.
Egg yolks are the most nutrient dense, antioxidant-rich, vitamin and mineral loaded portion of the egg . The yolks contain many B-vitamins, trace minerals, vitamin A, folate, choline, lutein, and other powerful nutrients. Egg yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12 of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain all of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg. Yolk color depends on the plant pigments in the hens’ feed. For example, if the chicken is free-range and munckes on marigold petals, her egg yolks will be darker. In general, free-range egg yolks are orange in color as opposed to the yellow yolks of commercially-grown chickens.
Egg Trivia:
The ancient Chinese stored eggs as long as several years by immersing them in a variety substances such as salt and wet clay, cooked rice, salt and lime; or salt and wood ashes mixed with a tea. When broken, the eggs looked nothing like fresh eggs; often exhibiting greenish-gray yolks and albumen resembling brown jelly. Today, eggs preserved in this manner are enjoyed in China as a delicacy.
Today, we can keep fresh, uncooked eggs in the shell refrigerated in their cartons for at least three weeks after bringing them home from the store, with insignificant quality loss. Add another two weeks if you have your own chickens! Properly handled and stored , eggs rarely spoil. If you keep them long enough, eggs are more likely to simply dry up. But do keep them refrigerated; eggs will age more in one day at room temperature than they will in one week in the refrigerator.
As an egg ages, the white becomes thinner, the yolk becomes flatter, and the yolk membrane becomes weaker, making it more likely that the yolk will break inadvertently when the egg is cracked. These changes don’t have any great effect on the nutritional quality of the egg or its functional cooking properties in recipes. Older eggs are better for hard-boiling; if eggs are at least a week old they will be much easier to peel after boiling.
Egg Trivia:
Egg whites are often used in facials, because as they dry they pull impurities out of the skin. Egg yolks are used in shampoos and soaps because they are natural moisturizers. soaps. Cholesterol, lecithin and some of the egg’s fatty acids are also used in various skin care products, such as revitalizers, make-up foundations or lipstick.
The white of a large egg measures about 2 tablespoons’ worth of liquid, the yolk is about 1 tablespoon and the whole egg is about 3 tablespoons.
To tell if an egg is raw or hard-boiled, spin it. Because the liquids have set into a solid, a hard-boiled egg will easily spin. The moving liquids in a raw egg will cause it to wobble.
To tell whether or not an egg has gone bad, put it in a pan of water deep enough to cover the egg. If it stands on end, throw it out. Otherwise, it’s still good.
The eggshell accounts for about 10% of an egg’s total weight. No matter how big the egg is, the chicken uses the same amount of calcium carbonate and other minerals to make a shell. So the shells of smaller eggs are usually thicker and stronger than the shells of larger eggs.
There are 7 to 17 thousand tiny pores on the shell surface. As the egg ages, these tiny holes permit moisture and carbon dioxide to move out and air to move in to form the air cell. An egg can absorb refrigerator odors through the pores, so always refrigerate eggs in their cartons.
We hope you have enjoyed this post and that you have learned at least one new egg fact! If you are considering getting your own chickens, you might want to visit us here at Enota. Our hands-on organic farming experience could just be the deciding factor!
Enota Mountain Retreat
1000 Hwy 180, Hiawassee GA 30546
(706) 896- 9966 email: enota@enota.com
official web site: www.enota.com
Portable Chicken Coops
May 27, 2011
Greetings, Enota friends!
Today we will discuss an interesting way that you can have a few chickens in a small movable coop, easily managed on a small bit of land – even in the city or suburbs! Of course, here at Enota we have large permanent chicken coops – and lots of chickens – but for the average person just wanting a few lovely organic eggs for themselves, this might just be the way to do it!
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Movable Chicken Coops
Movable chicken coops are a great option for people who want to build a backyard chicken coop. They work well because you can relocate the coop to a new at will,providing your chickens with fresh grass to eat. Movable chicken coops are much more versatile than most standard coops. Keep reading to see why….
Portable Chicken Coops vs. Standard Chicken Coops
Standard chicken coops can be wonderful…. if you have plenty of space for one, that is! Not only do they require more space, but a lot of things factor into the location of the coop. It needs to get plenty of sunshine, but also stay cool enough during the summer. Plus most standard coops require more maintenance and need to be cleaned much more frequently.
On the other hand, movable chicken coops, are very low maintenance. They can be moved to a new location at any time and are much more forgiving than standard coops are.
They also have the added benefit of providing your chickens with a fresh supply of grass when they need it. This prevents the chickens from eating too much in one spot and running out of food. Plus the chicken manure left behind will fertilize your yard, making clean up a breeze!
Portable chicken coops may be the
right choice for you if:
You don’t plan on owning more than about 6 chickens at a time.
You want a low maintenance coop that doesn’t require much clean up.
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You want to have the option of relocating the chickens to another area if desired
You want to supplement some of the cost of chicken feed and stretch your dollars further by allowing the chickens to eat fresh grass.
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So what do you think about movable chicken
coops after reading this far? Does it sound like
an option that you’re interested in? Throughout
this post are ideas for constructing your own
portable coop…
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A chicken ark is basically a coop and grazing pen in one movable package. It generally has sleeping quarters above and a fenced pen below. A gangplank connects the two parts and can be raised at night to keep the birds in and predators out.
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Handles on each end allow two people to easily move the ark around the yard, giving the chickens fresh grass every few days. It also can be placed directly over open garden beds in the fall to let the birds fertilize, cultivate, and eat bugs.
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Other portable chicken coops/arks have various types of wheels or a combination of wheels and carrying poles. Some can be moved by one person, but most require two people to move them.
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The bigger the wheels, the easier it will be to
move your portable coop…
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As you can see from the various photos included in this post, a portable chicken coop can be made from various materials. Many folks have made them from scraps, recycled materials, and yard sale finds. Part of the charm of portable chicken coops is their uniqueness. But, if you are “not-so-handy”, there are websites on the net that will instruct you on how to buy materials for and build a portable chicken coop. Give it a try!
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And, for a hands-on experience with organic farming, visit us here at Enota Mountain Retreat. Come see and interact with the chickens, turkeys, horses, goats, ducks, rabbits, peacocks, and more… Book your reservation now for a cabin or campsite at Enota and enjoy the beautiful North Georgia Mountains.
Enota Mountain Retreat
1000 Hwy 180, Hiawassee, GA 30546
(706) 896-9966
email: enota@enota.com
official website: www.enota.com
Waste Not, Want Not
March 1, 2011
One of the beautiful waterfalls at Enota
Sustainability - A fairly recent buzzword. Here at Enota Mountain Retreat, with our focus on clean, organic, healthy living and the education of our guests, we embrace the idea of sustainability. Book your retreat or family vacation now, for an opportunity to experience our organic garden, farm animals, wildlife, trout fishing, hiking, swimming hole – all in a completely “green” environment. We are animal-friendly, so your pet is welcome. The soil here at Enota Mountain Retreat has never been touched by chemical fertilizers. Once known as sacred Cherokee Indian grounds, Enota remains clean and natural.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY? HOW CAN I MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
CAN I make a difference? You might be asking yourself these questions..
Per Wikipedia: Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are examples of sustainable biological systems. For humans, sustainability is the potential for long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions.Healthy ecosystems and environments provide vital goods and services to humans and other organisms. There are two major ways of reducing negative human impact and enhancing ecosystem services. The first is environmental management; this approach is based largely on information gained from earth science, environmental science, and conservation biology. The second approach is management of human consumption of resources, which is based largely on information gained from economics. Ways of living more sustainably can take many forms from reorganising living conditions (e.g., ecovillages, eco-municipalities and sustainable cities), reappraising economic sectors (permaculture, green building, sustainable agriculture), or work practices (sustainable architecture), using science to develop new technologies (green technologies, renewable energy), to adjustments in individual lifestyles that conserve natural resources.
Frugal living – trying not to waste anything – this can make an impact on the world we live in. One person at a time; one day at a time. Obviously, one way to make a difference in your environment, while simultaneously improving the health of your family is to have a family garden patch… The more fresh, organic food you can provide for your family, the better! You will save money and eat more healthily. Education is the key. We can not change everything in our lives overnight, but, we CAN take small steps toward a more sustainable lifestyle.
Composting is one of the simplest steps toward “green living”. Keep a container in your kitchen for compost. Every scrap of inedible vegetable goes into the compost bin. Also, add eggshells, stale bread, food scraps, coffee grounds – including the filters. All of this gets emptied daily into the main outdoor compost pile, which also contains manure, leaves, garden cuttings, a bit of wood ash from the wood stove. Compost makes your garden grow like Eden! Never allow the garbage truck to haul off the treasures that can help create good compost.
Another example of sustainable living: Save all your chicken and turkey bones, skin, grizzle, etc. Keep throwing them into a gallon-sized zip-lock bag in the freezer until it’s full; then, cook them with a few cups of water in the pressure cooker. Once they are fully cooked, the bones will be soft and falling apart. Grind them in the blender or food processor. This becomes an excellent basis for dog food. This bone puree can be repackaged and frozen, ready to mix with rice or potato or biscuits, plus any leftover cooked veggies. Dog food should be about 75% carbs, 25% meat. This creates nearly cost-free pet food, which, incidentally, is better for your dog than any store-bought variety.
Another example: If you have a wood stove, save anything/everything paper to use as kindling. Although this might sound like a “no-brainer”, you’d be surprised how much you’re accustomed to throwing away. Keep a “burn box”, much like you might have a recycling bin for aluminum cans; everything paper goes in the burn box! There’s no reason to throw away a paper towel, unless it is REALLY yucky – most anything on it will burn well. And, how ’bout the cardboard rolls from TP and PT? (Toilet paper and paper towels). Empty pasta boxes. Newspapers. Junk mail! You will not only be saving money, you will also be adding far less to your local landfill.
Chicken Feed: We have discovered that when we harvest any type of vegetable or herb, the parts that we won’t eat can be diced up small, and the chickens love it. They also love potato peels, carrot peels, apple peels, etc. - diced up the same way. Again, this is a money-saver; plus, it is healthier for the chickens than eating just cracked corn and commercial laying pellets.
Eggshells: If you have a gas oven, place your eggshells on the lower rack and allow them to dry for a few days… the pilot light will dry them sufficiently, and it won’t cost a thing! Once dry, the eggshells can be ground with a coffee grinder. This creates a powdery substance, which is a super-nutritious additive for pet food. This eggshell powder can be added to dog food, chicken food, cat food.
Fresh Organic Brown Eggs
These are some ideas for making your life more eco-friendly. Can you think of more? (I’ll bet you can!) It might not be easy to be green, but it’s worth it!
Memorial Day will be here before you know it! Book your bed & breakfast cabin, RV spot, or tent site now to get in on this big weekend of family fun. Located in the North Georgia mountains, Enota is close to Helen, GA, Blairsville, GA, Blue Ridge, GA, Hiawassee, GA., Franklin, NC. We are only 1 1/2 miles from the Apalachian Trail, only hours away from beautiful Asheville, NC.
Enota Retreat Campground and Eco-Village
1000 Highway 180, Hiawassee, GA 30546
(706) 896-9966
email: enota@enota.com
