The Incredible....Edible...Preserving Eggs

For years our method of egg storage has been by freezing.  I am in the process of trying to find a suitable method of storing eggs at room temperature for at least 6 months.  I have found a method online using mineral oil as a coating that is supposed to make the egg useable for up to 9 months.  I'll be doing an experiment on this method soon and will keep you updated on the progress.  The thought of keeping our home grown eggs for use during the "off" months....without the aid of refrigeration....thrills me!

In the meantime....here's some interesting reading regarding egg preservation!

I'm taking this directly from the book, Home Preserving Made Easy, I'm not endorsing any of these methods, but they are just too interesting not to pass on; although that Chinese one made me a bit queasy. EEWWW!

Anyway, here they are, enjoy!

The first rule is that the eggs should be preserved the same day that they are laid.

"To preserve eggs properly, you must protect the shell to avoid (or substantially curtail) the penetration of air and to prevent the moisture and nutritional value of the egg from exuding through the pores of the shell. A protective coating, and storing the egg pointed side down, packing eggs closely together, will maintain the egg's freshness. Positioning the egg upside down actually prolongs the life of the egg because the egg deteriorates when the bottom of the yolk touches the shell.


Before you preserve eggs in any of the ways we shall describe, examine them under strong light to make sure that none of your eggs is cracked. A cracked egg will certainly rot, and thus endanger the freshness of the whole batch. And, to avoid cracking, bring your eggs to the container, after placing them in a cool room for storage rather than working, let us say, in the kitchen and then carrying the container down to the cellar. And do not move the container during storage, so that the eggs will remain intact.


It is advisable, whichever method you choose, to use several containers. This way, if one egg breaks, the damage will be minimal.



Eggs in Lime


First pour two quarts of boiling water on four pounds of powdered lime and stir mixture with a stick. Then add another five quarts of boiling water and two cups of salt, mixing again until solution has the consistency of thin cream. Allow to cool. You can then either add the eggs to the liquid or the reverse, any way there would be less chance of breakage. We prefer putting the eggs into the containers first, delicately lowering them one by one. In this way, should one crack, we can remove it more easily; it also makes it easier to judge how much liquid to pour into each jar. If you have more than one container, mix the solution well before pouring it, so that the proportions will not be altered. The eggs must be totally submerged in the liquid at all times; if when you remove some the rest of the eggs begin to show through the surface, add a little water. The containers should be covered and labeled, especially if you plan to store more than one batch of eggs at different times.


Sometimes the white of the eggs stored in lime might become more liquid than that of fresh eggs. You may not be able to make dishes that call for fluffy egg whites, but the quality of the egg remains good nevertheless.


Eggs in lime can be preserved as long as two years.



Eggs in Paraffin


Melt paraffin in a double boiler. When it has melted and cooled somewhat, roll the eggs in it, one by one, removing them as soon as they are coated. Let the paraffin solidify around the eggs. If the spot where the drying eggs touch the table is not coated, dip those areas into paraffin again. Place the dry eggs in boxes or jars between layers of charcoal or sawdust. You can accommodate the eggs with pointed side down, in layers if the container is deep. Pack charcoal dust or sawdust in between the eggs. Cover container and store in a cool place.


Eggs can be preserved in paraffin for about six months, and you can use the same coal dust or sawdust several times.



Eggs in Oil


Wash and carefully dry the eggs, or allow to dry in a ventilated place. Very gently place them in a large, wide-mouthed jar half full with oil. If an egg breaks as you put it in the jar, just remove all the eggs, boil the oil, allow it to cool, and start again. The eggs should always be covered with oil and the jar kept closed.


These eggs will keep at least four or five months. You can reuse the oil for the same purpose, but not for eating as it will absorb some of the eggshell taste.


Eggs in Vaseline or Melted Suet


Coat each egg carefully with Vaseline or suet, then place them, small end down, in a container packed with charcoal, although you can use bran. They can be positioned close together, but be careful not to break them. Cover with charcoal or bran and close the container.


They can be stored for about three months.



Eggs in Charcoal Dust or Wood Ashes


Spread about two inches of charcoal dust or wood ashes in the bottom of a container, then add the eggs, pointed ends down and not touching. Pack and cover with an abundance of dust or ashes and close the container well.


They will keep for two or three months. You can prolong their storage life by parboiling them for two minutes and drying them well before storing them, but then you can only use the eggs you have parboiled for boiling purposes.


Eggs in Sawdust, Flour, or Bran


Follow the same procedure as for eggs packed in charcoal dust or wood ashes. Flour is preferable to sawdust because it allows less air to penetrate. You may especially want to try this method if you have flour that has gone stale or has developed bugs, but strain it first.



Soft-Boiled Eggs


Use eggs that have been standing at room temperature and boil for exactly two and a half minutes, then immediately submerge them in cold water. They do not require individual wrapping, but need only be placed among rags or tissue paper. As always, store them with bottoms up and cover container well.


They will keep several months. When ready to use, for soft-boiled eggs heat them in hot water until just before boiling. For hard-boiled eggs, boil four or five minutes.



Eggs in Waterglass


This is an old American method of preserving eggs. Waterglass is easily purchased, perhaps under the more scientific name of sodium silicate or potassium silicate, or sometimes as a mixture of both. If you have a choice, use sodium silicate and try to buy the powder rather than the waterglassed solution, so that you will be able to gauge the proportions better. Use about one and a half cups of powdered waterglass for each two quarts of water, less if the waterglass is already mixed with water. Boil and partially cool your water before mixing. Store in a cool place, and check to make sure that the eggs are always completely submerged in the liquid.


They will keep for up to six months. They may not produce good poached or boiled eggs, and sometimes the white may become more liquid, so avoid using the white for dishes that require stiffly beaten whites. This change, however, will not affect the quality of the eggs.


Eggs in Salt


Bury your eggs in a layer of salt, pointed ends down, and cover with another layer of salt. According to some sources, you can thus preserve them for a few days, and to others, for up to two months.



Thousand-Year Eggs


The Chinese thousand -year egg, sometimes called the hundred-year eggs, is more likely a hundred-day egg. The ancient practice of coating eggs (in shells) with a thick paste made of equal parts of lime, salt, and ashes held together with a little water, and drying and burying the eggs in a box in the ground for about a hundred days, produces a gray color on the eggs' surface. Hence their aged look. The paste makes the egg white firm and gelatinous and changes its color to dark green. The yolk becomes amber-colored and chewy. The taste of this "ancient" egg will be practically unrecognizable-a true delicacy!

 Duck Eggs


Make a brine of one cup of salt to one gallon of water and soak duck eggs (or eggs of similar aquatic fowl) in it. The whites will become salty and the yolks a bright orange. They can be stored for about one month and should be used only for cooking.