Today I got a very humble and gentle WARNING message from the Mouthshut. Ms Arti Kapoor requested me to contribute atleast something to this website that I have been using more like a newspaper - just for reading articles! So my friends, here comes my first contribution to the site that is open on my m/c almost all the time.
Egg Storage - I have choosen this topic because I love Eggs. believe it or not but I can have eggs in any forms (without theirs shells ofcourse!). I like raw eggs, eggs in milk(slurp!), boiled, half-boiled, omlettes, egg-porch, scrambled eggs. needless to mention in biscuits, cakes, bakery items etc etc etc.
I was surprised not to find any Category for Eggs. Not even under the Grocery heading!:o(
Anyways, now that I have started it, am sure more members would come up with other brilliant works on eggs(animal or human equally).
Meanwhile, enjoy the helpful tips.
For most people, storing eggs is no more problematic than finding sufficient space in the refrigerator. But if you live on a remote and isolated homestead, or somewhere that doesn’t inspire confidence in its ability to provide reliable electric power, or if you are prone to sudden cravings for eggs in large quantities, you may need a reliable alternative type of storage. In such cases, knowing that your ancestors stored surplus eggs in ash, for example, may prove to be more valuable than your friends and co-workers would have you believe.
The Rural Efficiency Guide* says:
Use one gallon of water-glass(sodium silicate) to nine or ten gallons of water. Boil the water, add the water-glass, and mix the solution thoroughly. Then you just immerse the eggs in it. Eggs preserved by this method will keep at least a year in good condition.
They also suggest preserving eggs in a solution of limewater**, and they also recommend that eggs’May also be preserved for several months by packing them in dry salt’. Further, they note, ’In cold places like Alaska they preserve eggs by simply packing them in rolled oats’.
Another old farming book recommends melting lard, dropping the eggs in, and letting it set again, for long-term storage.
Turning to a more modern reference, A Guide To Raising Chickens has this table for how long eggs keep:
Refrigerated, whole, in carton 5 weeks
Refrigerated, whites, in tightly sealed jar 4 days
Refrigerated, yolks, covered with water 2 days
Refrigerated, hard cooked in shell 2 weeks
Refrigerated, hard cooked, peeled, in water 1 week
Hard cooked, peeled & pickled 6 months
Water glass 6 months at 34°F
Oiled 7 months at 34°F
Thermostabilized 8 months at 34°F
Cold storage 9 months at 30°F
Frozen 12 months at 0°F
Thermostabilization involves heating to 160°F for ten minutes. You can also combine thermostabilization and oiling, which doesn’t extend the shelf life but does make them cook a bit better in the end.
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- The Rural Efficiency Guide, by CG Williams et al, Vol. 3, Ohio RC Barnum, 1917.
* 6 gallons of water, 1 quart of salt, 3 quarts of lime
A Guide To Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow, Storey Communications, 1995.