double yolks-how many have you cracked?

[yourmyboyblue]

at work today and cracked a double yolk. ive been doing pastry for more than 7 years now and got to thinking that ive only cracked 5 double yolks. needless to say ive cracked more than my fair share of eggs. i asked a cook that was next me and he said he's only seen two, and he has been working for about 5 years. so i figure at this rate that after 14 years i still wont have a baker's dozen!! any thoughts?

cakes

[mnebergall]

I see them off and on, at home. I had a whole dozen of them one time. There seems to be more of them if you use jumbo eggs.

[Redsugar]

For my home kitchen, I invariably purchase eggs lain by free-run hens. I've often had double-yolks; indeed two weeks ago, all sixteen eggs (sold in 8-shell fillers) were double-yolk delights. Beautiful omelets & whipped-cream eggs!

[Jujubee]

I've seen a double yolk twice, and both times I was at a friend's house. She only buys jumbo eggs and says she gets them regularly. I believe her because I've only cooked with her twice (within maybe a few months), and saw a double yolk both times. I only buy large eggs, as they seem to be the standard in most baking recipes, and I've never, ever come across a double yolk in a large egg.

[Suzanne F]

A few years ago, when I was working for a food manufacturer, we had a case of eggs (10 flats of 30 eggs each) that had about 30% double-yolks. Never before, never again. Just the luck of the packing, I guess.

[Malawry]

I get a double-yolk egg about once every three cases of Grade A Large eggs from Sysco.

I almost never see them in the farm market eggs we consume at home, though.

[chromedome]

I see them more in the spring than the fall, generally. They're more common in the farm eggs I get from a neighbour as opposed to the Safeway kind, but I get them a lot from the supermarkets as well. When we raised our own chickens, years ago in Newfoundland, about 1/3 of our flock laid double-yolkers on a regular basis.

[Wendy DeBord]

Gosh, I get them pretty often, at least a half dozen per case. Many times I've gotten several on the same flat. I do recall having a case (like Suzanne mentioned) that was just loaded with doubles. It never occured to me that this was unusual...............hum.

[Malawry]

BTW, at the farm market where my parents live (Greensboro, NC), several purveyors sell double-yolk eggs. You also see these at a lot of the farm stands by the road in the North Carolina mountains. I asked one of the Greensboro guys once how he managed to produce double-yolked eggs. He said younger chickens are more likely to produce them but wouldn't offer any more information. The double-yolk eggs I've bought from the Greensboro market have been delicious--a little fattier and richer than a regular farm egg. So good, in fact, that I don't think I've ever baked with them--I just ate them as scrambled, fried or shirred eggs.

[bakerboy]

I was always under the impression that the eggs were "candled" and the doubles were sorted out and sold as "double yolks". Thats why i figured i've only seen 2 in about 10 years. Now i'm shattered!!

[Susan G]

I saw my very first double-yolker two days ago!

[chefpeon]

I've actually seen quite a few double yolked eggs in my time.....and I will concur, if you get the jumbo eggs you see a lot more of 'em!

My husband used to raise chickens. And actually we will be raising them again this spring. I can't wait! We'll be getting some Buff Orfingtons and some Rhode Island Reds. Maybe a few Aracanas.

But I digress.

I asked him if double yolked eggs, if fertilized, would mean you'd have twin chicks. He said, technically yes, but they don't survive. Still though, I wonder if any twin chicks have ever hatched successfully?

Have any of you had the pleasure of cracking and eating a super fresh egg? It's wonderful. The yolk is such a bright orange and stands up so nicely, and the white is beautiful and firm....not runny at all. That's why I'm so excited to get the chicks in the spring.....I'm going to have these beautiful fresh eggs! Another bonus is that you don't need to color the eggs at Easter time either.....different breeds of chickens lay such colorful eggs on their own......from pinks, to greens, to blues, to browns......some are lightly spotted even!

The eggs I use at work are SO runny in comparison......makes me realize how old they must be.....and they aren't even Grade B!

[duckduck]

I don't think I've ever had one! Not that I can recall.

[KarenS]

I've cracked lots of them- sometimes we'll get a case that is mostly doubles. In addition to pastry- we produce 400 plus popovers every day (its a full time job for one baker) We use 3-4 cases per day.

[andiesenji]

My local egg man has Wyandotte and Buff Orpingtons and both lay very large/jumbo eggs, most of which have double yolks.

His chickens are all free range and very healthy. They are also very friendly birds. As soon as one walks up the driveway they run to the fence and say hello.

The eggs are mostly brown of various shades from a dark beige to very dark, almost mahogany brown. The yolks are very dark yellow, almost orange and stand up high in a very tightly contained white. The flavor is very rich.

When he doesn't have enough eggs to fill his orders and sell the extras to me, I buy the jumbo eggs at Smart & Final. They have a rapid turnover and the eggs are always fresh. About 1 in 3 is a double yolk at certain times of the year.