From Flu Wiki 2

Forum: Preserving Eggs

22 March 2006

HerdChemistat 10:44

Is there some way to preserve eggs ? Can you carefully break them open, contain them and freeze them for storage ?

How about dried/powdered eggs ? Are they readily available anywhere ? Can they be used in baking recipes ?

Any assistance on the topic would be appreciated !!

Carrey – at 10:57

I beat some eggs in a bowl then poured them into ice cube trays and froze them. It was difficult to get them out after they were frozen though, so next time I will probably spray the tray with a bit of pam first. We are going to try the eggs this weekend to see if they taste alright. I’ll report in afterword.

JV – at 11:04

I purchased my powdered eggs from Honeyville:

http://tinyurl.com/ldon7

JV – at 11:07

Powdered eggs can be used in any recipe calling for eggs. To reconstitute them, you just add water.

Rainla – at 11:33

My aunt had 5 kids and had to shop very carefully for bargains. She would buy eggs on sale and then freeze them. She would carefully break each egg into the tin of a muffin tin. She would cover the tins with saran wrap and place them in her deep freeze. She did not mix them up so that when they thawed she could fry them like a fresh egg if she wanted. My guess is that you could do this with the tins and then “pop” them out when frozen and repackage them. Pam would probably help. I don’t know how long she stored them but I know that they lived paycheck to paycheck and this helped her to save money.

kristikaylene – at 12:17

You can use 1 tablespoon soy flour plus 1 teaspoon water to equal 1 egg in baking.

Sahara – at 12:55

I remember reading about pioneers who dipped the eggs in wax to take on their long westward journeys. The wax seals the porous shells, preventing air from entering. However, given what we know today about the mechanisms of food spoilage, I don’t know if wax would be a recommended method.

While I was searching for more info on the wax method, I came across this:

http://tinyurl.com/q5kyg

The first paragraph from this site:

According to Tibbles, eggs are preserved in western countries to restrain the growth of bacteria by storing them in a “pure” atmosphere at 30°F ( - 1°C). Other methods used to prolong shelf-life are wrapping tightly in paper, packing in dry lime, or varnishing the shells with glyceride, salicylic acid, boroglyceride, colloidin, shellac, or petroleum jelly. The best results are achieved when the eggs are put into a solution of water-glass (silicate of soda) or lime water.

The site goes on to talk about Chinese methods for preserving eggs. I don’t think that is what is needed here, as Chinese preserved eggs are very different than fresh eggs, in the manner that cheese is very different from milk. They are an acquired taste!

Sahara – at 12:58

Can you scramble the powdered eggs, or make something like spaghetti carbonara with them?

While we’re on the subject, I have to say I tried the Mountain House freeze dried eggs and found them vile. I could eat them if I was very hungry, but until then no thanks.

author – at 13:03

http://standeyo.com/News_Files/Food/storing_eggs.html

Standeyo made this site, and here is a good explanation of fresh raw egg storage. I do know that our grocer says their eggs will last two months in the frig, and perhaps more.

I was also wondering of you could coat the eggs with coconut oil? I think it is supposed to be antibacterial? Anyway, the liquid glass stuff seems like a good idea. Worst cae, you can test to see if the eggs are still fresh when you use them. If not, it’s a loss but you won’t get sick from them.

Eduk8or – at 13:05

I’ve been spraying my muffin tins with Pam, breaking a single egg into each cup, scrambling it and then adding a pinch of salt.. Freezing the tray, once frozen a quick run under warm water on the back of the pan, pops the eggs right out. Place into a ziplock baggie and back into the freezer.

Have thawed them in the frig to use in cookies, as well as in the microwave to just make a “scrambled” egg.. both were fine.

Sahara – at 13:15

author @ 13:03 - Looks like “waterglass” preservation of eggs is the way to go. Here’s a quote from a British civil defense site:

http://tinyurl.com/q266s

“Centuries ago, people stumbled upon the trick of excluding air from eggs by dipping them in tallow. In the late 1800s, they switched to using water-glass, the eggs being stored in a 1 : 9 mix of sodium silicate solution in covered crocks or jars. This skill was only lost after the 1940s, when refrigerators reached most households. If in a crisis you have one or two evaporative coolers, then you can keep eggs, milk and butter cool; if you don’t, then the old waterglass trick is worth reviving. According to an American site, the eggs will keep for up to a year, but one should wipe them clean and choose only the freshest eggs.”

The site also talks about making evaporative coolers, which is a good thing to know.

Kim – at 13:24

I’ve never tried the waterglass thing with eggs, I know it’s supposed to work but I consider powdered and/or frozen eggs to be easier. However, i did do some research on the waterglass method a few years back, and some info I got said that it would change the taste and texture of the eggs, also you have to keep the eggs completely submerged in the waterglass solution. Anyone considering using this method should do some homework on it, and maybe be so kind as to report back to us on what you find out. i do know that as of a few years ago there were a few websites selling the waterglass powder.

anonymous – at 14:34

I pickled two gallons of eggs using my dad’s recipe. He called them “golden eggs.” They are in the fridge now and let me tell you how hard it is not to dip into them now. They will keep for months that way. Dad kept them as long as 6 months, I’m going to start eating this batch in June and then make some more. If anyone wants the recipe I can post it tonight.

anonymous – at 14:40

Oh, sorry ya’ll, that last post on golden eggs was a Chillindame post, didn’t realize I wasn’t signed in.

BroncoBillat 14:55

http://www.classic-cooking-school.com/

This site presents contents of a set of textbooks used by a cooking school in America in the 1920′s.

PRESERVATION WITH WATER GLASS.--Putting eggs down in a solution of water glass is without doubt the most satisfactory method of storing them in the home. So effective does this method prove that the housewife who has a convenient and proper storage room should not fail to take advantage of this way of laying up a supply of eggs.

The commercial form of water glass is usually a mixture of potassium and sodium silicate, which, besides being cheaper than that which is chemically pure, is the kind that is preferred for the purpose of preserving eggs. A good quality of it either in a sirup-like solution or in the form of a powder retails in drug or grocery stores for about 10 cents a pound. To make a solution of the desired strength to preserve eggs satisfactorily, dissolve 1 part of water glass in 7 parts of warm water that has first been boiled to drive off bacteria, mold, spores, etc. One quart of water glass will make sufficient solution to cover about 12 dozen eggs. With the solution thoroughly mixed, it is ready to pour over the eggs.

http://tinyurl.com/ov7kz

I’m guessing, along with Kim – at 13:24 that the eggs need to stay in the solution. However, a wide-mouth canning jar should be able to hold about 8–10 eggs this way, or even an airtight 5-gallon bucket. ‘twould get heavy, of course, but you could prob’ly put away a few dozen eggs this way. Just gotta keep ‘em cool…no refrigeration needed.

JustMeat 15:16

To stretch stored/powdered eggs in baking just boil a tablespoon of flaxseed in a cup of water for 3 mins and strain (or just scoop out and ignore the seeds). Use a tablespoon of the gooey stuff to replace one egg - we actually liked this better than eggs in soft cookies like oatmeal. Save the real thing for omelettes and quiche!

kwd – at 15:30

When my father provisioned his ship for six months at sea — in the tropics, with no refrigeration — we preserved eggs for about 6 weeks by coating them in petroleum jelly. I don’t know if I would want to use petroleum jelly for other reasons, but it did make the eggs last much longer. We could tell whether or not the eggs had spoiled by seeing if they floated in water. A fresh egg will sink.

Kim – at 19:42

ok, here’s an article i found about waterglass eggs

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/9684/egg.html

24 March 2006

surfer – at 12:21

I live in Costa Rica….. Here eggs are in the stores unrefrigerated on the shelves until they are sold. I have never had a “bad” egg here. How long is an egg supposed to last in this state. The stores are often over 80 degrees. When I first got here, I was scared to eat one, but that is how it is done.

23 April 2006

oktoni in Ada OK – at 04:01

My grandmother, born 1895, said her mother stored “eggs under glass” in large crocks in the cellar. I am searching for a couple of the crocks to put in my new storm cellar when it if finished.

Surfer: Eggs will keep a long time if they are clean. Just use the float test…rotten eggs will float…and you’ll be okay.

Nikolai---Sydney – at 04:27

This topic has come up before, inside a different title, sometime in the last three months, though I don’t recall where.

My own experience, during the Great Depression, was coating fresh eggs with grease—I believe it must have been lard— though I was only a child helping. Those were in the days when chickens laid heavily in the long hours of daylight and slept when we did!

I have since realized for maximal storage time, the eggs must be 1) strictly fresh, 2) unwashed, dry brushed only.

[Washing is required of eggs going to retail stores, and removes not only faeces but also the natural protective coat acquired in passing through the oviduct.]

Vaseline works quite well, is sterile and has no offensive smell or taste effect. Store in a not-hot, dark place in the paper dozen-cartons and invert the entire carton at intervals so the yolk does not adhere to the shell. How often? Monthly, at least. Try it first with one dozen….

Should keep with no refrigeration for up to six months—but test some from time to time. Best done when we hear the bell for round one…pleasant to have REAL eggs for a while!

Sometimes have wished someone had stored me in a cool, dark place in 1927! I’d at least be fresher today!

Cheers from Downunder!

27 May 2006

Adoor – at 01:15

Old thread, closed for speed

Check dates

Retrieved from http://www.fluwikie2.com/index.php?n=Forum.PreservingEggs
Page last modified on May 21, 2007, at 11:41 AM