“But James,” I wailed, That would be like drinking horse’s milk!”

It was late winter and our hens were not laying well, which meant we had to skimp on eggs, something the farmer wasn’t fond of!

But the ducks were busy laying! There were nests all over the barn and to an egg-hungry man it was worth a try, while I revolted at the idea! I had never heard of eating duck eggs. But for my man, I decided to give it a try. For a few days, I cooked duck eggs for his breakfast and a chicken egg for mine. After he seemed to be doing all right on them I decided to give them a try, too. Hmm, not bad! The white was kind of rubbery (later I learned that is a result of overcooking) But the yolk was rich and creamy.

Since that day I have learned quite a bit more about duck eggs versus chicken eggs.

# Duck eggs have double the nutritional value than what a chicken egg has.

# The shelf life of a duck egg is longer due to its thicker shell. They will keep up to 6 weeks in a fridge.

# Duck eggs make fluffier and richer pastries. Recently at a fellowship meal, I served Chocolate Peanut Butter brownies. The ladies all wanted the recipe because of the fluffy and moist texture. At the moment I didn’t realize that it was due to having used duck eggs. They do make a difference! The flavor of the brownies was phenomenal too but I don’t think it was due to the duck eggs! Anything chocolate, peanut butter….

Duck eggs and Cancer

Duck eggs are an alkaline-producing food. One of the few foods that leave your body more alkaline which is a great benefit to cancer patients. Cancer cells do not thrive in an alkaline environment.

Duck Eggs and Allergies

The latest thing that piqued my interest in duck eggs was the rising number of requests we were getting for duck eggs due to people having allergies to chicken eggs. Why is that? What is the difference? I thought an egg was an egg!

One source says there is a specific type of protein in chicken eggs that people can’t handle, but they can tolerate the protein in duck eggs. Another source says it’s the protein conalbumin in the white that people cannot tolerate. Interestingly, the white of a chicken egg is made up of 12% of this protein while only 2% of the duck egg consists of it.

Then there’s our friend’s little girl who was born healthy but at a very young age, she contracted RSV. Twice she was given antibiotics by IV resulting in a gut cleaned not only of bad bacteria but also the good! Their life turned into a nightmare as her body was gripped by seizure after seizure. Medication did not help and so they were left with, “Now what?” After much research, they started focusing on getting her gut back to life. Part of what she can tolerate is bone broth, fish, and duck egg yolk. Her color has improved, her eyes are clear and she is practically seizure-free!

So, if you or a loved one is struggling with gut issues or allergies, duck eggs might be part of your answer!

Be blessed-Louise

PS. Here is a pic of some ripe duck eggs for you to enjoy!