Yahoo Finance Egg Prices Are Rising Again—Here Are 6 Things Experts Say You Can Do About It
It's smart to pay attention to what's worth paying extra money for and learn ways to reduce waste.
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Today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the price of eggs increased 4.6% from February to March 2024. There was also a 5.8% increase the prior month, from January to February 2024. Egg prices have continued rising this year because of a bird flu outbreak as well as other factors.
On April 2, Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the largest producer of eggs in the U.S., announced that it halted production at one of its facilities after detecting bird flu—3.6% of its flock, including about 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, were taken out of production.
Though NPR reports that experts believe it is unlikely eggs will return to their peak prices of January 2023, today's CPI report shows that an ongoing outbreak will continue pushing prices up.
As the price of eggs rises and it's more difficult to stay within your grocery budget, it's smart to pay attention to what's worth paying extra money for and learn ways to reduce waste when it comes to eggs. Here are six practical tips from Simply Recipes contributors and food experts:
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1. Eggs and Labels That Aren't Worth Paying Extra Money For
Contributor Lena Abraham's parents are farmers who have been raising chickens for over 30 years. She spoke to them for a story about white eggs vs. brown eggs, and learned that "diet has a bigger influence on the quality of the eggs, meaning it’s worth paying for local farm-raised eggs over the cartons in your grocery store. Paying more for brown eggs? Not worth the extra cash." It's the same for those beautiful blue, green, and tinted eggs—you're paying up for looks.
Contributor Grace Elkus did a deep dive into the egg carton labels and found that the following six egg labels are not worth shelling out extra money for:
A higher grade like Grade A vs. Grade AA
Farm fresh eggs
Natural eggs
Vegetarian-fed eggs
Pasture-raised eggs
No added hormones
2. For Long Lasting Eggs, Avoid the Fridge Door
Keep your eggs fresh for longer and safe to eat by storing them properly. Contributor Mary Jo DiLonardo spoke to Jeanine Flaherty, vice president of food safety and quality assurance for Vital Farms, and learned that eggs should be stored in the coldest place in the refrigerator, which is not your refrigerator door because the temperature fluctuates every time you open and close it. The shelf, towards the back of the fridge, is colder and a safer place to store your eggs.
Read More: Never Store Eggs in This Part of Your Fridge
3. Freeze Eggs for Longer Storage
Did you know that you can freeze eggs for longer storage? This is a smart choice for when you have excess eggs that you know you can't eat before they go bad.
According to contributor Sheela Prakash, "To freeze whole eggs, crack them into a bowl and gently whisk until the whites and yolks are just combined. Pour the beaten eggs into an empty ice cube tray, freeze the tray until solid, then pop the cubes out into a zip-top freezer bag and store the bag in the freezer."
Find more tips on how to freeze eggs HERE.
4. Before You Discard Eggs, Check for Freshness
Unsure if your eggs are spoiled and should be composted or if they're fresh and still good to eat? Sheela also has a clever trick for checking your eggs for freshness.
Fill a tall glass with water. Gently drop your egg into the glass. If it sinks to the bottom, your egg is fresh. If it floats, it is not fresh and should be discarded.
5. Breakfast Recipes That Don’t Call for Eggs
Breakfast of champions doesn't always have to include eggs. There are plenty of filling and delicious options that don't call for them. Craving something sweet first thing in the morning? Try Brownie Baked Oatmeal, Strawberry Buttermilk Overnight Oats, or 3-Ingredient Skillet Apple Crisp. Do you prefer a savory and satisfying breakfast? What about Biscuit and Gravy Casserole, Savory Breakfast Rolls, and Corned Beef Hash?
There's more! Here is a round-up of 10 egg-less breakfasts options.
6. How To Substitute Eggs for Baking
Eggs are a multi-hyphenate ingredient. They leaven and provide moisture, structure, and stability to baked goods. No wonder almost every baking recipe under the sun calls for eggs. If you replace eggs with another ingredient, the recipe won't turn out the same—there's no way around it. However, there are smart substitutions that will get you as close as possible when you don't have eggs or want to avoid them.
For example, when Editor Megan Gordon had an egg-sensitive toddler, she used a "flax egg" instead. For each egg substituted, she mixed one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water. You can use this trick when making baking recipes that call for one or two eggs, like banana bread, brownies, and muffins.
Another substitute for an egg is water—1/4 cup water for one egg. This is a trick I use when baking rolls, like milk bread rolls or salted honey dinner rolls. Cookbook author Yossy Arefi also uses this trick in "Snacking Bakes" for vegan recipes that avoid eggs.
Read the original article on Simply Recipes.
