May is here and it is National Egg Month. Here are some fun facts about the incredible edible egg:
• The average person in the US eats over 290 eggs per year. If you eat a three-egg omelet every day, that means you’ll eat about 1,095 eggs per year!
• The US table egg production totaled at 96.9 billion in 2020.
• There is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs. The color of the egg is determined by the color of the hen.
• White eggs are more popular with commercial producers because the chickens that lay white eggs tend to be smaller than their brown egg-laying cousins. Small chickens need less food to produce the same number of eggs.
• Iowa is the largest producer of eggs, followed by Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas. California is the number 10 producer.
• Traditionally, chef hats have pleats equal to the number of ways that you can cook an egg.
• The world’s largest egg was laid in England. It measured 9.1 inches in diameter!
• To check if an egg is fresh or stale, raw or hard boiled: Just spin it on the counter. If it wobbles, it’s raw. If it spins easy, it’s hard boiled. A fresh egg will sink in water, and a stale egg will float.
• The number of hens housed in conventional cage environments is decreasing. Today, 28% of all hens are in cage-free production. That is up from 14% in 2016.
• A hen requires about 24-26 hours to produce an egg. Once the hen lays an egg, the process starts all over again about 30 minutes later.
Don’t know about you but I’m ready for an omelet. Make mine with cheese, vegies and extra jalapenos!
