THE FLAVOUR OF EGGS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11888, 11 May 1899, Page 2

THE FLAVOUR OF EGGS.

Inquiries are not unfrequently made as to the cause of the diversity of the flavour, colour and appearance of the contents of the eggs of our domestic poultry, 'ine flavour and quality/of the eggs, says 'The Field," are greatly dependent upon the food given to the fowls. Healthy hens, fed on wholesome corn and allowed a free range, supply eggs that have a very consistent white and yolk of a bright yellow colour. These eggs are veil flavoured and nutritive. Hens badly fed, that have to seek their food, not in the open country, but in dirty manure heaps and similar places, whore they come across decomposing carcases, especially if these latter be fish refuse, produce eggs with thin albumen or white, and, when cooked, are very unpleasant both to the smell and taste. If gas lime is used for the purification of the fowl run or the manuring of grass land, some of the hens, especially if not well provided with crushed oyster shells or bones, will occasionally eat a certain portion of the gas lime immediately aftar it has been spread out, and those do so—for it is only a small portion of them—produce eggs wliich have a decidedly unpleasant flavour; but this is only as long as the lime retains the sulphur compounds which it has absorbed from tho gas. Sulphur isi in fact, an essential and necessary ingredient in the yolks of all eggs, and it 'discolours the silver spoon employed in eating them, the black compound on the spoon being sulphide of sulphur. Should an egg be allowed to become putrid, sulphuretted hydrogen gas is produced, which is the cause of the extremely disagreeable odour. The yolk, in fact, contains many mineral substances. Iron is present in considerable quantity, it being a necsssary ingredient in the red blood of the young ch ; ck. This produces a singular res'nlt if the bird producing the egg eats a considerable quantity of vegetable substances containing tannin, when an ink stain, is produced in the interior of the egg. This is deposited in the skin or membrane of the yolk, whicu becomes blackened, and it is no uncn union occurrence in the spring, when the ducts begin to eat the acorns that have fallen into the pools the previous' winter, for the yolks

of their eggs to become black from"the pro*; duction oi tannate of iron in this manner.; Of course,: these eggs are perfectly wholesome if not remarkably sightly. It Js ob-: vious that eggs, like milk, are affected by ; offensive articles of food; it should be the aim of the vendor, of to take care' that no offensive matter is .accessible toJiia egg-producing birds.