Festive Feasting

Farm-fresh Ontario eggs are the right choice for the holidays

For your holiday feast or elegant dessert, pick up a carton of Ontario eggs stamped with the Canada Grade A or Egg Quality Assurance symbol. They’re a nutritious and delicious ingredient that comes straight from hard-working Canadian farmers who care.

Published: Tuesday 18th November 2025

Eat & Drink

At a time when it’s easy to feel disconnected from where our food comes from, knowing the source and quality of your ingredients can make all the difference. Behind the Canada Grade A or Egg Quality Assurance (EQA)-marked cartons of eggs at your local grocery store is an Ontario farm family who truly cares about what they produce. With over 500 egg and pullet farm families across the province, Ontario's farmers are passing that dedication on to the next generation of food producers, too.

Spot the Canada Grade A or EQA symbol, and you can crack into your next omelette or quiche knowing it’s going to be fresh, top-quality and packed with nutrition. It takes just four to seven days for an egg to travel from the farm to your kitchen — guaranteeing freshness every single time. That same care continues well beyond the carton.

The Kaiser family, egg farmers from Lennox & Addington County

Canadian farmers follow a national Animal Care Program based on a rigorous Code of Practice, so hens have a clean and comfortable environment, nutritious feed and fresh water around the clock. So, next time you’re reaching for a carton, look for the EQA symbol — it’s your guarantee that every egg meets the highest standards for food safety and animal welfare. Your holiday dessert or meal (and the guests who enjoy them!) will thank you for choosing Ontario eggs.

Did you know that yolk colour can vary depending on what a chicken is fed? If the hen has a diet consisting mainly of corn, the eggs will have a brighter, yellow yolk, whereas a mainly wheat-based diet will produce a yolk that is pale yellow. Rest assured, though, no matter what colour the yolk is, the nutritional value is the same. Ontario farmers work closely with feed nutritionists and veterinarians to ensure that their hens are receiving the best possible nutrition, which directly translates to the high-quality protein that lands on your plate.

The Elgersma family, egg farmers from Wellington County

Another fact that will save time at the grocery store: Eggshell colour doesn’t have any bearing on how nutritious the egg will be, either. It’s dependent on the breed of hen that lays it — typically, white eggs come from white hens and brown eggs come from brown hens.

Be sure to look for cartons with the Canada Grade A or EQA symbol. To learn more about how Ontario farmers are making your eggs the best they can be, head to getcracking.ca.

Sweet and savoury twists

These crowd-pleasing and protein-packed twists offer four different sweet and savoury flavour toppings combined with an easy cheat’s egg custard.

Serves 10

Preparation time 40 minutes

Cooking time 45 minutes

Ingredients

6 eggs, divided
¼ cup (60 ml) milk
¼ cup (60 ml) icing sugar
450 g package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed

Toppings

2 Tbsp (30 ml) good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp (30 ml) cherry jam
2 Tbsp (30 ml) crumbled 3-year-old cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp (30 ml) canned apple pie filling, chopped
4 slices prosciutto, chopped
2 figs, fresh or dried, diced
6 soft caramels, diced
2 Tbsp (30 ml) chopped pecans
Rosemary and/or thyme sprigs for garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Carefully add 5 of the eggs and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl of cold water. Peel off shells.
Place hard-cooked eggs in a tall cup and add milk and icing sugar. Using an immersion blender, purée until smooth.
Place 1 sheet of puff pastry (keep remaining sheet refrigerated) onto a sheet of parchment. Spread egg filling evenly onto pastry, leaving a ½-inch border. Lightly score egg mixture and border of puff pastry into four equal squares as a visual marker to separate the flavours.
Scatter dark chocolate and spread cherry jam onto one square. Sprinkle cheddar and chopped apple pie filling on a second square. Scatter prosciutto and figs onto a third square. Scatter caramels and pecans onto the fourth square.
Place second sheet of puff pastry over fillings, lightly pressing to bottom sheet around the edges. Cut through pastry where border is scored to divide the four quadrants leaving a 1-inch circle intact in the middle. Cut each square into five strips 45 degrees from the corner to centre while leaving the middle 1-inch circle intact. Twist each strip two turns. Carefully transfer parchment with the pastry twist onto a baking sheet and chill 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk remaining 1 egg; brush all over pastry.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and if necessary, and run a knife between twists to help pull apart. Serve on a board or platter; garnish with rosemary and/or thyme.

Eat & Drink