We don't plan to keep chickens, so I decided to try keeping eggs fresh by a method I read on another forum. If this has already been posted, my apologies.

February 1st I asked my friend that has free range chickens, to save me half-dozen eggs that had not been washed, which preserves the film when they are laid and keeps air out. They have now been in our basement, in an egg carton, for 5 months and 11 days. Our basement is not as cool as some, usually around 60 to 65 degrees. All I did was try and remember to turn them once a week, but I did forget a few times.

Anyway I cracked them in a bowl to be on the safe side and they were just as fresh as newly laid. I gave one to the dogs for a treat, and made an omelet with the rest. Since we aren't raising chickens, I'm buying two dozen each month for use next year. They are supposed to keep at least six months and some said they kept well for a year.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), July 11, 1999

Answers

Was your "method" just putting them in your basement?

I'm thinking about raising chickens, so just picked up a book called (what else) "A guide to Raising Chickens" by Gail Damerow. It discusses several methods (besides the usual refrigeration or freezing) for egg storage:

1) Oiling - dipping eggs in mineral oil

2) Thermostabilization - submersing eggs in 130 deg. water for 15 min.

3)Thermostabilization & oiling - better results than either alone.

4) Submersing in "water glass" - a syrupy solution of sodium silicate.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), July 11, 1999.

"Water Glass" is simply KYjelly. Walmart has it's own brand for half of what KYjelly is with the same ingredients. Simply apply to unwashed eggs and allow to dry. Store in cartons at room temp. These are said to keep a year or more.

-- Foxrun (ardrinc@aol.com), July 11, 1999.

The KY jelly thing sounds right.

However, I see problems.

Not with the eggs.

How do you go about telling fellow prepers when asked what you've done lately that last weekend you went out and bought 12 tubes of KY jelly?

This is gonna take some thought.

-Greybear

--Got Peanut Butter?

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), July 11, 1999.

Greybear - just tell them you are planning on a big New Year's Eve party. You may be grey, but you're not dead.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), July 12, 1999.

To start with I want to say I have never tryed aney of they's egg storing tips.But got them from the net.I have stored my egg the OLD way.in a chicken.But not all of us can do this .SO, here are some other good peoples ideas. To Preserve Eggs: To a pail of water, add 2 pints of fresh slacked lime and a pint of common salt. Mix well. Use a crock half full of this fluid, place eggs in crock (unwashed with no cracks) and they will keep for 2 years if desired. Also, another way is to put eggs in coarse salt or sawdust and they will keep up to a year.

Dipping Eggs in Oil: Many oil companies market oil for dipping eggs that is inexpensive and very satisfactory. The oil should be free from odor, but does not need to be colorless. It should be a light grade about the same grade as sewing machine oil. Mineral oil is a very good oil to use. Oiling preserves eggs just as well as water-glass and has the advantage of allowing the eggs to be kept in cartons or cases. The oil does not need to be heated. The eggs may be dipped by putting the oil in an open container and completely submerging the eggs. They should be allowed to drain for a few minutes on a rack. Eggs should be placed in a case with the small end down to protect the air cell in the large end. Store at ordinary temperatures. -- When I first saw this on a club I go to I said this is a joke. I was prompley put into my place. By people who have used this,keeps egg's up to a year.and all you do is rub it on the egg. check it out. --- http://www.wwmagic.com/haphov/Ke-Peg.html --- You might want to try powder egg.check this out. --- http://www.weinbergfoodsinc.com ---

-- HD (home_dad@yahoo.com), July 12, 1999.

I just "cracked" up at the thought of folks rubbing down their eggs with KY Jelly.By the way,I'm not at all sure whether KY Jelly is the same as water glass...which can set hard like a resin on exposure to air & sunlight.

Still this is a UK reply...maybe you do things differently over in the States!!!

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), July 12, 1999.

You can use Vaseline to coat the eggs, too.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), July 12, 1999.

Linda, you can probably tell from all the different posts that there are many ways to store eggs. The reason I did mine this way is because I didn't want to go through any performances with slaked lime, vaseline, KY jelly, oiling, etc., This way worked fine for me. After all, the natural lubricant on the eggs from the chickens, is the perfect sealant.

I did nothing but leave them in the carton and try and remember to turn them over once a week, which I sometimes forgot. Very simple.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), July 12, 1999.

Remmber no mater how you store your eggs.All ways break your eggs in a bowl first,If it's bad you can throw it out .with out haveing to throw out your cake mix with it.

-- HD (home_dad@yahoo.com), July 12, 1999.

I have a question and a comment. Does anyone know if you HAVE to get your eggs "fresh from the farm" or will store bought ones hold for several months? I've always been told to wash eggs before use, so I'm wondering if anything is done to them before they get to the store? Also, I had a great-grandmother who told me to put and egg in a glass of water to see if its good or not. Good eggs sink, bad eggs float.

-- lvz (lvzinser@hotmail.com), July 13, 1999.

Lvzinser.Your grand ma was right.I have never washed my eggs from the store .Im not eating the shell.And I have allways left my eggs out. fresh & from the store.

-- HD (home_dad@yahoo.com), July 14, 1999.

I've been experimenting with freezing eggs (without the shell). I put 4 eggs in a baggie, let them freeze solid and then vacuum sealed them (to minimize freezer burn). For breakfast today I had some that I froze in December and they were fine. The yolks were a little 'solid', like they had been hard-boiled, but when I fried them up they tasted just like any other eggs.

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), July 14, 1999.