# preserving eggs?



## bassmaster17327 (Apr 6, 2011)

Is there anyway to preserve eggs besides freezing them? I have seen canning recipes for pickled beet eggs but you have to buy beets and then use that juice, if I did that I would want to make my own juice. Is there anyway to dehydrate eggs?


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## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

I copied this from http://agrariannation.blogspot.com/ 

A Good Way to Preserve Eggs
The most convenient and satisfactory way to keep eggs fresh that we have ever tried is to punch numerous holes in a small tin pail, fill it with fresh eggs, lower the pail with the eggs into a kettle of melted tallow, which is as hot as it can be without burning one&#8217;s finger when thrust into the liquid; then lift the pail out quickly, and the melted tallow will flow out, leaving a thin coating over every egg. Let the eggs be removed as soon as possible from the pail, and be placed on the ends in a keg or barrel, which should be kept in a cool cellar until the eggs are wanted for use. We have kept eggs in this manner more than six months so fresh that expert judges supposed they were fresh. As the eggs are so much colder than the tallow, a thin melted pellicle of cold tallow formed almost instantly, which may render the shell impervious to air.


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

The only safe way is to freeze them. There is no way to safely dry them without risking getting salmonella, etc. 
If you follow the other methods, you are taking risks. I would not do anything but freeze them. 
Pickled eggs are only safe to do at home and keep in the fridge, not can them in any manner.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

You can simply rub them with mineral oil and they will keep for several months in the fridge.


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## Parttimefarmer (May 5, 2011)

You can oil them!


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Wikipedia - Sodium silicate (water glass) was also used as an egg preservation agent in the early 20th century with large success. When fresh eggs are immersed in it, bacteria which cause the eggs to spoil are kept out and water is kept in. Eggs can be kept fresh using this method for up to nine months. When boiling eggs preserved this way, it is well advised to pin-prick the egg to allow steam to escape because the shell is no longer porous.

Lehman's carries it for $19.99 + s&h.
You can also get it thru websites that cater to science & chemistry.

I've toyed with the idea of having this on hand for those times when eggs are on sale (post Easter). 


~~ pelenaka ~~


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

This is not something I want to do, personally. The eggs are porous and I am not convinced that it won't go through the shells. Just my personal views and of course, you can all do as you feel safe doing. Not considering it is drain cleaner mixed with the silica, do not eat, packets. 

You can prepare sodium silicate or water glass from gel beads (silica) and drain cleaner (sodium hydroxide). Sodium silicate can be used to make chemical gardens, like those that result from Magic Rocks (which you can make yourself).
Sodium Silicate Materials

All you need to make a sodium silicate solution are water, silica, and sodium hydroxide. Silica comes in those little packets labelled 'do not eat' with electronics, shoes, etc. Sodium hydroxide is readily available in its pure form or can be found as drain cleaner.

Sodium silicate is the common name for a compound sodium metasilicate, Na2SiO3, also known as water glass or liquid glass. It is available in aqueous solution and in solid form and is used in cements, passive fire protection, refractories, textile and lumber processing and in automobiles.


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## farmhome5 (Dec 20, 2005)

This has been a recent discussion in the poultry forum. The thread is titled To Many Eggs.

There are directions for dehydrating eggs. I am going to give it a try and see how it goes.

It is my understanding that the only way one would get salmonella is if it is already present in your flock. I myself would not try this with store bought eggs.


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## Sarah J (Jun 28, 2003)

I have personally tested and used the Waterglass (liquid sodium silicate) and can attest that those eggs stay good for up to 18 months - that's when we pulled the last egg out of the bucket or I'd have kept going! It seals the eggs quite thoroughly and keeps them safe. I agree with not trying this with store-bought eggs, and only use unwashed farm fresh eggs. The natural coating on the egg will prevent bacteria from slipping into the shell. If you wash that off, you potentially allow bacteria to get in, thus ruining the preservation. If they're super-dirty eggs, don't keep them for long-term storage, or find a different way to preserve them.

Do not try to hard boil those eggs, either, as the waterglass hardens and prevents the shell from expanding - which creates quite the explosion of eggs in the boiling water. I thought Dh was making popcorn that night! LOL The whites also become thinner and it's nearly impossible to make a sunny-side up or over-easy egg that has been preserved, but hard cooked, scrambled or used in baking, etc is fine.

I have also successfully pickled eggs and they were still good (though slightly rubbery) after 10 months, as long as we kept them in the refrigerator...I've never tried just leaving them sealed on the cellar shelf for that long.

Myself, I have ordered another bucket of waterglass from Lehman's, expected to arrive this week.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Sarah J said:


> only use unwashed farm fresh eggs. The natural coating on the egg will prevent bacteria from slipping into the shell.


Actually, if someone just wants to store them in the refrigerator for 2-3 months, simply putting unwashed eggs into cartons and then refrigerating will keep them for that long. Longer term, they need to be coated, but for the shorter term of 10-12wks or so, the natural coating will keep them. You really shouldn't wash fresh eggs until you are ready to use them. You can even put them, unwashed, in a basket, and keep them on the counter for a week or two just fine too. The natural covering keeps them safe just fine. It's just if you are keeping them longer term that you need to do something more.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Sarah J said:


> I have personally tested and used the Waterglass (liquid sodium silicate) and can attest that those eggs stay good for up to 18 months - that's when we pulled the last egg out of the bucket or I'd have kept going!


Thank youu for giving me a first hand expirece.
Even though I don't have a flock there has been times when I been offered a good deal on farm fresh eggs however storage would be an issue.
I'll add water glass to my wish list for the next oppertunity.


~~ pelenaka ~~


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