Look in any grocery store in the United States, and you are not likely to find duck eggs. The exceptions are if you are shopping in an Asian supermarket or a local farmers’ market.
This is unfortunate because duck eggs are delicious, packed with nutrients, and easy to cook. They are prized by chefs and nutritionists alike for their rich, creamy flavor. Many people prefer them over chicken eggs because they are simply that tasty.
So what is everything you should know about duck eggs? This guide will lay out all the facts about how they taste, how long they last, and how to use them in your kitchen.
What Do Duck Eggs Look Like?
The appearance of duck eggs varies widely depending on the breed. However, there are a few aspects that set them apart from chicken eggs, with which most people are more familiar.
Duck eggs can be every color from white to off-white, brown, blue, green, gray, or even black. Some have various patterns such as speckles while others are smooth and even in color.
Here are a few of the main differences in appearance that you will notice when comparing duck eggs to chicken eggs.
Shell thickness
The shells of duck eggs are usually significantly thicker than chicken eggs. This may make them more difficult to crack. However, some farmers think that the thickness improves the shelf life of duck eggs, making them last longer whether you store them in the fridge or a pantry.
Size
Though duck eggs themselves vary in size based on the breed and the layer, they are generally larger than chicken eggs. As a rule, you can expect a duck egg to be about 50 percent larger than the largest chicken egg.
Egg yolk
Duck eggs are prized by chefs for their thick, nutritious yolks. These are very large and dark in color, often deep yellow or even bright orange. The yolks are rich, fatty, and full of flavor.
Egg whites
Unlike the whites of chicken eggs, which are often slightly yellow, the whites of duck eggs are translucent.
Nutritional content
The nutritional makeup of duck eggs is roughly similar to chicken eggs with a few key differences. Thanks to the large, rich yolk, duck eggs are higher in fat, cholesterol, protein, iron, folate, choline, and omega-3 fatty acids.
What Do Duck Eggs Taste Like?
Duck eggs taste much like any other egg but are richer and more intense in flavor. This is due in part to the regularity of ducks’ diets.
Specific duck breeds tend to favor certain dietary components, such as insects and plants. This affects the taste of their eggs. In other words, you can depend on duck eggs to be consistently rich and flavorful.
Which Duck Breeds Are the Best Layers?
There are many breeds of domesticated ducks. These vary widely in terms of adaptability, temperament, size, needs, and of course, laying ability. Some duck breeds are prolific layers, while others aren’t good at producing eggs and are usually kept as pets or meat birds.
If you want to get ducks specifically for eggs, here are a few breeds to consider.
Khaki Campbell
Khaki Campbell ducks are some of the most prolific egg layers among domesticated duck breeds. A single bird can lay up to 340 eggs in a year, though the average is between 170 and 230. As you can imagine, a small flock is sufficient to produce a huge number of eggs.
Khaki Campbell ducks lay eggs even into their senior years with no decrease in the quality. Their eggs are larger than average, with a soft white shell that may look slightly green.
Runner
Runner ducks are lightweight ducks that are also extremely active layers. These usually white-feathered birds can lay up to 300 eggs every year. Their eggs are very large and white or blue-green. Chocolate Runners may produce eggs with a black-tinted shell.
The color is not necessarily an indication of the purity of the duck’s genetics or the quality of the egg. Runners lay consistently for about five years, after which their numbers might decrease. However, the quality remains for as long as they keep laying.
Magpie
Magpie ducks may be either black and white or blue and white. They are lightweight but prolific layers, producing close to 300 large eggs every year.
One of the most striking things about these eggs is how colorful they can be. Magpie ducks eggs may be white or off-white but can also range toward blue and green. These ducks are also healthy and tough, usually living a long and productive life.
Ancona
Ancona ducks are excellent dual-purpose animals, as they are good layers and delicious meat birds. Though they are only about six pounds at full maturity, they produce about 240 eggs every year.
Their eggs can be a wide variety of colors, including white, off-white, blue, and green. These eggs are fairly large, making them ideal for eating.
Ancona ducks are listed as critically endangered, so they are seen less commonly these days. This is unfortunate since they are hardy, friendly ducks that tend to grow quickly and enjoy a long lifespan.
Buff
Buff Orpington ducks don’t produce quite as many eggs as some other breeds, but are still above average, reaching between 180 and 235 eggs every year. They are also slightly larger than many ducks, reaching between seven and eight pounds at full maturity.
These ducks are excellent meat birds. Their eggs are large and white. Buff ducks usually lay three to four eggs in a given week.
They are also friendly and healthy birds that tend to grow quickly and live a long life, which means that they may start producing eggs when they are just a few months old.
Many other duck breeds are good layers, but the ones listed above are a good place to start.
What Is the Shelf Life of Duck Eggs?
The shelf life of duck eggs depends on a few different elements. First, know that you don’t have to refrigerate them! If you are taking duck eggs right from your ducks, there is no need to wash them. They should of course be washed if they are cracked or have fecal matter on them.
Unwashed eggs do not need to be refrigerated because they retain a protective layer called a “bloom.” Once they are washed, the bloom is removed, leaving the egg pores unprotected and open to bacteria.
Some people believe that the thicker shell of duck eggs improves their shelf life, though the evidence on that is not conclusive.
In general, however, you can expect unwashed ducks to last two weeks at room temperature. Unwashed eggs can last up to three months if you put them in the refrigerator. Washed ducks will last at least five weeks in the refrigerator and possibly longer.
How Can You Use Duck Eggs?
In general, you can use duck eggs any way you use chicken eggs. Many people enjoy them scrambled, fried, or in omelets. You can also bake with them with some minor adjustments. In other words, there is literally no limit to the ways that you can use duck eggs!
What You Should Know About Cooking with Duck Eggs
Because duck eggs are slightly different in texture and nutritional makeup, cooking with them might be a slightly different experience than what you are used to. While they taste more or less the same as chicken eggs, the rules of cooking with them are a bit more unique.
If your duck eggs are refrigerated, make sure to take them out of the fridge about an hour before you start to cook. This will let them cook more evenly. If you do not do this, you might be surprised to find that your eggs are not cooked thoroughly and may even still be raw when you expect them to be finished.
Boiling Duck Eggs
Boiling duck eggs is a bit different from boiling chicken eggs. Duck eggs have a lower water content, so it is easy to overcook them, which gives them an unpleasant rubbery texture. When boiling duck eggs, cut your cooking time down by a few minutes to keep the texture from turning.
Frying Duck Eggs
Frying duck eggs or otherwise cooking them in a pan (such as in an omelet or frittata) is comparable to cooking with chicken eggs. Just make sure you avoid overcooking them or they might end up becoming rubbery, just as with boiling.
Baking with Duck Eggs
Successful baking is heavily reliant on the exact right amounts of wet and dry ingredients, fat content, and other elements. For this reason, you might find it difficult to bake with duck eggs. At the very least, baking with duck eggs can require some experimentation!
A good rule of thumb is to substitute two duck eggs for three chicken eggs. Things get trickier when it comes to measuring out egg whites and egg yolks, in which case you might need to get much more specific.
To access a handy chart with a comparison between chicken and duck eggs for baking, check out the one linked here.
Best Things to Cook with Duck Eggs
As we said above, the options for things you can cook with duck eggs are essentially limitless. However, if you need a boost to help you start, here are a few delicious recipes that are perfect for duck eggs.
1. Soft-Boiled Duck Eggs
Soft-boiled duck eggs are delicious fatty with a runny yolk. To make a perfect breakfast, pair them with toast and some sausages.
To soft-boil, put the duck eggs in a pot of salted water with about an inch of water over the top of the shells. Bring the water to a simmer and let the eggs cook for roughly seven minutes. This will get you the solid white and runny yolk that you want!
When the eggs are done cooking, drain the hot water. Shake the eggs hard in the empty pan to crack them. Serve them immediately while still warm and runny.
2. Maple Custard
You might not think of duck eggs as something to be used in a sweet dessert-like custard. But that is exactly where they are perfect: in a dish that is made to be sweet, creamy, and fatty.
Duck eggs add an amazing richness to this custard. The recipe is low in sugar, so it is not overly sweet. But with that extra loaded flavor from the duck eggs, you won’t miss the sweetness.
The custard comes together more quickly than you might think! To make it, you will need three duck eggs, real maple syrup, and a few basic pantry and fridge ingredients. Start by scalding some milk on the stove, then adding the eggs, syrup, and spices. Finish by baking over a water bath.
3. Hamburger With Fried Duck Egg
This recipe is as simple as it sounds. Just top your favorite burger recipe with a duck egg fried sunny-side-up with a runny yolk. The result is a burger that will make your mouth water thanks to that extra salty, fatty kick.
This recipe has gained traction as an indulgent treat. You might have seen it in upscale restaurants, where it has been popularized by famous chefs.
4. Sponge Cake
If you want to taste the best sponge cake you will ever have in your life, you need to try this recipe for a sponge cake made with duck eggs. This super-simple cake uses only three ingredients to make a cake that is light, fluffy, and delicious.
Duck eggs are coveted in baking because they make it easy to achieve light, soft textures. This is due to the perfect combination of fats, proteins, and liquids in the egg.
Conclusion
If you have never tried a duck egg before, you are in for a treat. They have a devoted following among farmers, chefs, and regular people who love them for their unique taste, richness, and texture.