Duck Eggs vs. Chicken Eggs.. Are they all they're cracked up to be?
Do you ever wonder who that first person was that decided, “Hey, that chicken just pooped that thing out. Let’s fry it up and eat it!!”
Gross right?
Well, duck eggs are even grosser. Don’t get me wrong, we eat them.
They taste delicious.
They’re not gross to eat.
But, they stink. That’s right, they smell like swamp-a$$.
If you’ve ever watched Impractical Jokers that will crack you up. If not, I’m sorry, that was totally inappropriate. But go look them up, you’ll thank me later after you’re done laughing!
So, yes, duck eggs stink. You may never notice it because I wash that swampiness off of them before they go to the store. I’m not sure why they stink, so let’s move on to the goodness inside.
Duck eggs actually have a different protein in them than chicken eggs.
Some people that have an egg allergy can actually eat duck eggs with no problems. Kind of like the cow milk/goat milk thing.
Other ways they compare (or don’t compare..)
When up against chicken eggs, Duck eggs have more:
Calcium
Vitamin B12
Vitamin A
Thiamin
Omega 3 fatty acids
Protein
That may all sound fine and dandy, but they also have more fat and cholesterol.
Here are a few other nutrition facts:
Duck Eggs
130 calories
10g Fat
619mg Cholesterol
9g Protein
Chicken Eggs
70 calories
5g Fat
210mg Cholesterol
6g Protein
Healthy fats are good for you, but if you’re watching your cholesterol (619mg!!) you may need to consume them in moderation. Like I try to tell myself when eating chocolate! If I could only listen…
If you’ve ever seen a duck egg, the first thing you’ll notice is the size difference. MUCH bigger than a chicken egg.
They have bigger yolks that are very dark orange (remember the higher Vitamin A I mentioned? There may be a quiz at the end!).
Ducks forage much more than chickens, they prefer to eat a lot of plants and bugs as opposed to grains.
Duck egg whites are clear, instead of a yellowish tint like chicken eggs, and much thicker. Forget using your egg yolk separator to separate the yolks, you’ll be waiting a loooong time.
All of these things make for better baking, fluffier meringues, & stupendous soufflés!
Sure, all those things sound great, but can I swap duck eggs for chicken eggs?
Short answer, YES.
Some of our duck eggs are about the size of a chicken egg. Those are easy to substitute in recipes. But we do have a few overachievers in the flock!
Their eggs can equal 2 chicken eggs!! Just use your judgment, it won’t ruin your yummies.
How do they taste?
We haven’t noticed a dramatic difference in the taste between duck and chicken eggs, except the duck eggs are richer & more flavorful. If hard-boiled, the yolks are creamy instead of dry and crumbly like chicken eggs.
I’ve heard if you cook them too long, duck eggs can be a little rubbery. But I have not had that issue.
All-in-all they are GREAT!
Ducks are fun to watch too, but they are a mile down the road now living at our daughter’s house.
They just couldn’t stay away from our neighbor’s ditch water HAHA! And anything that can sleep in ice water all night, you don’t want to mess with!
