Duck Eggs V Chicken Eggs

*Screams!I CANNOT KEEP CALM!

My ducks started laying eggs!!

The difference between chicken and duck eggs are quite interesting.

Duck eggs are bigger than chicken eggs. Naturally, that would mean that they have more of everything in them: more fat, more cholesterol, more protein, and more calories.

Duck Egg Appearance

Chicken eggs come in a variety of colours but duck eggshells come in a much more varied array of colours. Imagine white, various shades of grey, light green, brown, speckled, to a nearly black egg, depending on the breed of the duck. It should be noted, however, that just like in chicken eggs, the color of the shell has no relation to the flavor or other properties of the egg.

The shells of duck eggs tend to be thicker than those of chicken eggs, so cracking those takes a little more force. The egg white of a duck egg also appears to be a little more clear than that of a chicken egg. I actually didn’t think much of the egg white of a chicken egg until I cracked open a duck egg and realized that those of chickens have a somewhat yellowish hue.

But Do They Cook The Same?

Duck eggs cook up just the same as chicken eggs; they can be fried, scrambled, poached, and hard-boiled, but because of their larger yolks, they might require an additional minute or so of poaching time to achieve the equivalent degree of doneness in the yolk. Remember to achieve the same nutrient composition as three chicken eggs, use two duck eggs. Also, because of its larger yolk, scrambled duck eggs will have a richer, creamier flavor than ordinary scrambled eggs. For comparison, imagine scrambling two chicken eggs with an additional yolk added in. Definitely creamier and richer.

Let’s Get To Baking

Baking will always be a game of ratios, hence baking with duck eggs is a bit trickier, owing to the fact that its larger mass and higher fat content will not correspond with the way eggs normally work in baking applications.

This is not to say that you can’t bake with duck eggs, but the results won’t be the same. Remember, two duck eggs have the same mass as three chicken eggs, so you can substitute them on that basis. If the recipe is fat sensitive, the duck eggs will have a higher fat content, which means things won’t turn out exactly the same.

I would suggest you experiment, or simply enjoy your slightly altered recipes. Things like cookies and quickbreads won’t be as risky a proposition as cakes. You might have to reduce the amount of liquid or fat elsewhere in the recipe.

Classic Duck Egg Preparations 

The cuisines that feature duck eggs are typically the ones that prize duck, such as French and Asian cooking. In France, duck eggs are served poached and fried, often paired with asparagus, ham, potatoes, or even salmon.

Asian cuisine notably features a number of classic duck egg preparations, including various ways of preserving them, think pickling and brining.  In China, the so-called thousand-year egg, or century egg, is a preservation technique that involves encasing duck eggs in an alkaline clay mixture, along with other ingredients for up to several months.

Shelf Life

In terms of storage, duck eggs have a slightly longer shelf life due to their thicker shells, but in general, it is the same as with chicken eggs: in the fridge, and try to use them within a week or two. But one thing is for sure, duck eggs are so much creamier and richer than chicken eggs. Since mine are farm fresh, I get to store them on the shelf, unwashed for two weeks. Just like I do chicken eggs. Can they last longer? probably. Am I willing try? Nope!

Have you ever tried eating duck eggs?