WHEN EGGS ARE SCARCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3584, 9 March 1914, Page 7

WHEN EGGS ARE SCARCE.

NEW LAID AND OTHERS

THE PALATIAL EQUATION. “Sir,” wrote Mr Edward Brown, of Queene Anne’s Chambers, to the “London Times,” “the descriptions or inscriptions adopted by retailers in connection with eggs are many and varied. Terms used frequently mean something totally different in shops within the same street. Districts in this respect have to be taken into consideration. What would be called a ‘now-laid’ egg in Bermondsey might not rise above the ‘cooker” class in Bayswater. A ‘new-laid’ Hammersmith probably would be a ‘breakfast egg’ in Hampstead. Quality is an abstract element determined, as far as food products are concerned, by the degree of palate education in consumers. It is not like a yard measure, absolute in extent thirty-six inches, neither more nor less. “A case lias recently been tried before the Stipendiary Magistrate at Burs’em, Staffordshire, of a retailor for selling Russian eggs as ‘new-laid,’ and for which a fine with heavy costs was imposed. In the course of the evidence submitted for the defence, it was claimed that if an egg possesses all the characteristics of an English now-laid egg then it is a new-laid egg. with that J agree, provided, however, the English is really what is stated. Such could never be applied to a Russian egg. It might to a proportion <if French and'Dutch eggs, but I know of no others which come up to the standard of quality required.

OF RECENT PRODUCTION. “The term ‘new-laid’ means what it says —namely, of recent production, anti something more. Selected for size, shape, brightness, and smoothness of shell, it must be full, that is the air space very small, clear when tested by light, anti firm in both white and yolk. Within a few days the contents shrink by evaporation, the air-space enlarges, and the albumen becomes cloudy. Anything in the shape of interior blacks or spots disqualifies an egg for this class. No long distance imported or native egg more than a few old can possibly retain the feature,, named. “It is frequently thought that the designations ‘new-laid and ‘fresh’ are synonymous and interchangeable. J said what the former means. The latter terjss in dicates Unit it has not liven pr^erved. nothing more. A ‘fresh’ may be three monthg oldout it cannot lie termed ‘new-laid by the greatest effort of imagination. In Germany' this, word" includes ' all rliat are.not preserved. To me the fact of an egg being so labelled is a warning to avoid it as far as possible.

INTERPRETATION WANTED. ... “What we want to .arrive at on the part of producers, traders, and consumer’s alike is a clear appreciation of terms used, which in the best trade are: “‘New-laid.’ —Three to five- days o’.d in accordance with the season of the year, and in other respects as Laid down above. These alone are recommended for Ixnling. “ ‘Breakfast.’—ln all respects the same, save that as they are a few days older t)iere is a slight shrinkage and the bright appearance hae gone. For poaching and frying these are oxeellemt. “ ‘Fresh.’—Not preserved. Good eggs for cooking, but nothing more. Usually foreign and inferior native supplies, in which value has been lost by delays in marketing. “ ‘Cookers.’ —A varied class, including ‘pickles,’ often very doubtful indeed. Faith is necessary for their consumption ; and “ ‘Eggs.’—Upon these the curtain may be drawn. A scrap-heap for the other classes.”