Water Glassing Eggs is an unbelievably simple and effective way to preserve and keep your eggs fresh long term!
Did you know that you can preserve your farm fresh eggs?
Food preservation can seem daunting if you have never done it before, but this method of food preservation has to be one of the simplest methods that I know of.
We are talking about Water Glassing Eggs.
What is Water Glassing Eggs?
Water glassing eggs simply refers to preserving eggs by storing them submerged in a lime and water solution. By doing this, eggs will stay fresh for months on end!
Preservation methods such as freezing or dehydrating are great but this is the only method that will preserve the whole egg. Waterglassing eggs preserves eggs just as they are!
Can You Water Glass Eggs From The Store?
The short and long answer is no. Eggs purchased from the store are washed prior to being packages, Washing eggs removed the bloom; the protective coating around the shell. You need that bloom intact in order to waterglass the eggs.
If you don’t have your own chickens, try reaching out to local farmers and search local farming groups on Facebook and you can probably find someone with an overabundance of eggs who would be willing to share!
Is Water Glassing Eggs Safe?
It is very safe to water glass eggs!
When you are ready to use the water glassed eggs, you must wash them thoroughly to fully remove the lime water. Pickling lime is not safe for consumption. As long as the eggs are washed, they will be fine to consume.
What You Need to Water Glass Eggs
- A food safe container with a lid- like a quart mason jar or a plastic bucket
- Eggs
- Pickling Lime
- Filtered Water
- Kitchen Scale
- Whisk
How to Water Glass Eggs
Start by measuring your lime. The ratio of lime to water is 1 ounce lime to 1 quart of water. For every quart of water, you will need 1 ounce of lime.
Add the lime and water into your container and whisk until the lime is dissolved and the water is cloudy.
Using gloves, carefully add the eggs into the lime solution. If possible, position them pointy side down. This helps to keep the yolk centered and will keep the egg fresher for longer.
Make sure that your eggs are all completely submerged into the lime solution and none are above the water level. Ideally, you would like the eggs to be covered at least 1 – 2″ inches under the water level.
When all of your eggs have been submerged in the lime solution, seal the jar or bucket and set them in a safe place until you are ready to use!
How Long Do Water Glassed Eggs Last?
Eggs that have been water glassed will last for up to a year and maybe even longer! By placing eggs into a lime solution, you are completely sealing the shell, which is what keeps them fresh.
The best way to tell if the batch of eggs has gone bad is by smell. Bad eggs will always smell like bad eggs.
How to Use Eggs That Have Been Water Glassed
You can user water glassed eggs just as you would any egg! To use your eggs, remove them from the lime solution, wash them under running water and continue with any recipe.
Eggs that have been water glassed do not boil well because the shell has been completely sealed. To make hard boiled eggs you will need to a small hole in the shell before boiling to allow air to enter the egg.
How to Water Glass Eggs
Materials
- Eggs
- A Clean Food Safe Container, quart jar
- Pickling Lime
- Filtered Water
Tools
- Kitchen Scale
- Whisk
Instructions
Start by measuring the pickling lime. The ratio of lime to water is 1 ounce lime to 1 quart of water. For every quart of water, you will need 1 ounce of lime.
Add the lime and water into your container and whisk until the lime is dissolved and the water is cloudy.
Using gloves, carefully place the eggs, pointy side down, into the lime solution
When all of the eggs have been submerged in the lime solution, seal the jar and set them into a safe place until you are ready to use.
Notes
- The eggs will need to be fully submerged at least 1" under the water line.
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