EGG-CELLENT

Duck eggs can provide nutrition and flavor to your diet.

One of the many benefits of keeping backyard ducks: the wonderful eggs they lay. Duck eggs are pretty similar to chicken eggs, but duck eggs tend to be about 30 percent larger. Our duck eggs usually weigh right around 3 to 3 ounces, which is considerably larger than even jumbo chicken eggs.

DELECTABLE EDIBLES

Duck eggs are alkaline, meaning they leave your body less acidic after eating them. This helps cancer patients, as cancer cells do not thrive in an alkaline environment. Often, those allergic to chicken eggs can eat duck eggs without a problem.

Duck eggs contain slightly less water and more fat than chicken eggs, and their firmer whites contain more protein, making them superior for baking. Cakes and breads turn out fluffier and richer and rise better. However, overcooking duck eggs can make them rubbery, so avoid frying or scrambling. Their slightly stronger, “eggy” taste holds its own when paired with a strong cheese, such as Roquefort or sharp cheddar, in an omelet.

Due to their thicker shells and membranes, duck eggs stay fresh longer than chicken eggs. Unwashed to preserve the natural “bloom” that blocks air and bacteria, a duck egg will last more than two weeks when unrefrigerated and more than two months if refrigerated.

The average duck egg contains nearly twice the calories of a chicken egg but they have a higher omega-3 fatty acid content than chicken eggs, making them a nutritious choice for brain, skin and overall health. ■

With her poultry-keeping website Fresh Eggs Daily, Lisa Steele is a fifth-generation chicken keeper, who focuses on old-timers’ tried-and-true methods to raise chickens and ducks as naturally as possible on her farm in Virginia.