Water Glassing: Egg Preservation Experiment!

[bobbi-j]

Humans have evolved a very good way to test for fresh/usable food- our senses. If it smells good, looks good and tastes good, then it is fine to eat. Water glassing has been used since the 1800s, so it was around long before modern refrigeration.

But… but…. It’s ‘different’. And ‘new’ (to me anyway…) Maybe I’ll try it on a day when I don’t work, just in case.

 

[igorsMistress]

Do you all mark the eggs with a date before putting them in the lime solution? Or just dig to the bottom and pull from there?

 

[tripletfeb]

Do you all mark the eggs with a date before putting them in the lime solution? Or just dig to the bottom and pull from there?

I didn't mark any of mine. And I pull from the top, don't want to jostle the eggs and crack any

 

[lkgerr1]

Interesting, what will you do with the eggs if I may ask?

The eggs can be used for almost anything. Because of the shell changes, not recommended for boiling but that's it.

 

[igorsMistress]

I didn't mark any of mine. And I pull from the top, don't want to jostle the eggs and crack any

Thanks! I was reading about not jostling the eggs but some people say they take from the bottom. I was wondering how that was possible lol

 

[TooCheep]

Thanks! I was reading about not jostling the eggs but some people say they take from the bottom. I was wondering how that was possible lol

Frankly, I don't know either. I keep mine in a 2 gallon bucket. Minimizing jostling is the key to minimizing cracked/broken/bad eggs. Since I eat mine over the winter and they can last for 18 months, the bottom ones being in there 2-3 months longer than the top ones isn't a problem.

 

[TooCheep]

The eggs can be used for almost anything. Because of the shell changes, not recommended for boiling but that's it.

Voice of experience: Water-glassed eggs can (theoretically) be used just like fresh eggs. However, their structure weakens a little bit and the contents become somewhat softer.

So, in practice a percentage of hard boiled eggs will crack and a smaller percentage will actually leak a significant amount of their contents into the water. A percentage of sunny side up and easy over eggs will have their yolks break. But those can be done. The only ways I've found that consistently work well are scrambled and eggs mixed into other things: baking/etc.

 

[Sally PB]

I waterglassed about 4 dozen eggs for the off season for the first time time this last fall.

After a couple months, I couldn't crack an egg without the yolk breaking. They were fine for baking and scrambled eggs, but DH likes his over easy, so he got the store bought eggs. By the end, I noticed that they seemed runnier, but no biggie for how I was using them.

I will be waterglassing a LOT more next year. I've had to buy eggs recently. The "cheap" eggs that used to be $1.88/dozen are now $4.79.

 

[igorsMistress]

Frankly, I don't know either. I keep mine in a 2 gallon bucket. Minimizing jostling is the key to minimizing cracked/broken/bad eggs. Since I eat mine over the winter and they can last for 18 months, the bottom ones being in there 2-3 months longer than the top ones isn't a problem.

Thank you, this is something I’ll be trying for the first time this year so I appreciate the info.

I waterglassed about 4 dozen eggs for the off season for the first time time this last fall.

After a couple months, I couldn't crack an egg without the yolk breaking. They were fine for baking and scrambled eggs, but DH likes his over easy, so he got the store bought eggs. By the end, I noticed that they seemed runnier, but no biggie for how I was using them.

I will be waterglassing a LOT more next year. I've had to buy eggs recently. The "cheap" eggs that used to be $1.88/dozen are now $4.79.

Thanks for the feedback Sally. I may try doing them in batches in multiple buckets to experiment with keeping the yolks intact. Depends on how much room I have.

 

[Sally PB]

Thanks for the feedback Sally. I may try doing them in batches in multiple buckets to experiment with keeping the yolks intact. Depends on how much room I have.

Ooo! What will you try to keep the yolks intact? I have to room to do different buckets. I'd be happy to do different things and report back.

Could my concentration of lime have been too strong?