Goose eggs aren’t just bigger in size than chicken eggs but they’re bigger in taste as well! Goose eggs tend to be fattier and richer than regular chicken eggs due to the animal’s diet which is mainly grubs and other pasture creepy crawlies. Since goose are seasonal layers and produce not more than 40 eggs a year, they fetch a premium when they’re in season and if you haven’t tried goose eggs, it’s a culinary experience on its own. Goose eggs also have a higher ratio of yolk to white, which lends to heavier and denser baked goods when substituting for regular eggs.
Goose Egg Trivia
- Unlike chicken eggs that can come in brown or white, goose eggs are always white.
- Goose eggs are only available for a few months every year as they are seasonal producers.
- A single goose can lay 30-40 eggs per laying season, this is very small compared to ducks and chickens that can lay up to 300 eggs per year.
- Geese are very prolific grazers, in the early days of commercial geese raising, their farmers would rent out their flocks to cotton farms to get rid of their weed problems without the use of chemicals.
- Goose eggs were probably the first domesticated eggs consumed by man since the goose was the first domestically raised bird.
- Goose eggs are desired by many local crafters who make shell engravings. A well-shaped empty goose egg can fetch prices of up to $10 at local craft stores. Talk about making money from eggshells.
- Goose eggs are approximately 2-3 times the size of a normal chicken egg.
Goose Egg Buying Guide
Due to the low production of eggs produced by geese, it’s not usually available in many supermarkets. Your best chance to get goose eggs is to go directly to local producers or to visit farmers’ markets while in season. This lack of availability is also somewhat a guarantee that the goose egg that you’re getting is humanely raised.
Goose Egg Production & Farming in Texas
Small farmsteads in Texas will have a few geese in their farms to help keep the grass and weeds to a manageable level without using any weed killers or pesticides. Of course, some farms may have more geese than others as they are producing eggs for selling in farmers’ markets.
There are also other farms in Texas that raise geese for their meat so it’s not uncommon to find goose meat along with goose eggs for sale in specialty butchers and farmers’ markets.
Due to their enormous size, some goose eggs are sold in single boxes. They are also sold in large-sized egg cartons with capacities of two to six eggs.
Enjoying Goose Eggs
Goose eggs have a richer taste than chicken eggs. While duck eggs skirt the taste barriers between chicken eggs and something stronger, goose eggs will have an in-your-face eggy taste. Goose eggs are richer, heavier, and deeper colored than both chicken and duck eggs.
While goose eggs can be consumed just like a chicken or a duck egg, their best use is to be made into goose egg paste (which we’ll have a recipe for down below). In fact, goose eggs are prized by many chefs for exactly that use, to make pasta that has a gorgeous color and intense flavor from the egg.
Goose eggs have much thicker shells than both chicken eggs and duck eggs. This thicker shell allows goose eggs to be stored in the refrigerator for about six weeks.
Make your Own Goose Egg Pasta:
Due to the goose’s diet, pasta made from goose egg will have a fuller bite to them and will have much more intense flavors that pasta made from duck or chicken egg.
Goose Egg, 1 or 2 depending on size
Semolina Flour, 150g
Grano Duro flour, 250g
Crack goose egg in a separate bowl and weigh. You should have around 200g of goose egg for this recipe.
Combine the flour and salt, make a mound and form a small well in the middle. Pour the eggs in the middle and slowly make a dough by mixing the eggs and flour mixture starting from the middle working your way outside.
Once all of the egg has been mixed and the dough has come together, cover with cling film and leave for about 30 minutes to rest.
With a pasta roller, roll out into sheets. Make them a little bit thicker than your regular pasta.
Cut into strips with a knife (or use a pasta cutter if you have one)
Allow pasta to dry for at least a couple of hours. Separate into 125g portions.
To prepare the pasta, drop into boiling salted water and cook for around 7 minutes or until desired doneness.
Add your favorite sauce and enjoy!
Note: Raw goose egg pasta can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.