Post by Dink on Jan 30, 2021 10:24:04 GMT -7
I make these when eggs are produced faster than we can eat ir sell and that gives us plenty during times that the ladies stop laying due to molting or extreme weather changes, especially in the winter. When made & stored properly they have a shelf life of 6 months to a year...I have had them last 2+ years, as have several other folks that store them like we do. WEAR A MASK & GLOVES TO PROTECT YOUR LUNGS & SKIN FROM THE LIME DUST!!! This is extremely important!! SAFETY FIRST!!!
1) Eggs must be clean, fresh and NOT washed!! They must be fresh from the hen and NOT store bought...store bought eggs have been washed then dipped in chemicals and should NEVER EVER be used for water glassing eggs. When an egg is laid, as it comes out it gets a film coating on it called the "bloom". This seals the shell and prevents bacteria and such from entering the eggs. This bloom MUST be on the egg for successful water glassing. I use a soft brush that is made for cleaning fresh veggies to remove any dust or debri as the oils from the hands can damage the bloom.
2) I prefer to use half gallon glass jars with plastic lids. You can use any size or shaped container you want...but it MUST BE GLASS. It must also be able to be closed or securely covered in some fashion to keep out dust, insects, pets, etc. I cannot stress this enough, but DO NOT USE METAL!!!!
3) You will need a specific kind of lime. Walmart, grocery stores, etc. sell it labeled as pickling lime and a small pouch is around $10. I go to a local feed mill and get it in a 50# bag for $20. At the feed store and other places it is also called Hydrated Lime & Slaked Lime. It has other names, simply google search it and find how it is labeled in your area. ALWAYS wear surgical style gloves or dishwashing gloves when handling or working with this lime as it will dry your skin out to the extreme!!
4) PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER......place your eggs gently in your container, make it a snug fit from bottom to top. I fill my jars to the bottom of the neck. In a glass quart jar, add 2 heaping tablespoons of the Hydrated Lime and fill to the mid neck. Put a lid on and shake vigerously. Pour the lime water over the eggs. For me, when I fill a 1/2 gallon jar with eggs, then a 1 quart jar of the lime water fills the egg jar perfectly covering the eggs with no left over lime water. Place the lid or cover over the container. Label with the contents & date. I always label with the number of eggs, type of eggs & date started. Then put the container away. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT...Keep them in a cool dark location. I keep mine in a shelf in the back of my basement, as it stays around 66-68* year around and has very limited unnatural light in that area.
5) The lime will settle to the bottom of the container. This is normal and you do not need to worry about it. The lime will NOT dissolve and there is no need to shake ar twist the container to mix it back up. Just leave it alone and it will be fine.
6) If you do not have enough eggs at once to do this, you can add eggs for up to a week to top off your container. You can mix chicken & duck eggs or even goode eggs. I am working on trying this with quail eggs at the moment as well.
7) when you go to use these eggs, WEAR PROTECTIVE GLOVES. Give the eggs a good rinse. Yes they will have an odor to the shells. That is normal. Crack a fresh egg in a bowl. Crack a water glass egg in a bowl. Now compair the 2. The water glass egg will still have the normal whites and a standup yolk. It will lose some if its dark yellow coloring but not much and will still look and taste better than store bought. The odd smell is not in the egg, only the shell. Depending on the age of the egg, it will not smell as fresh, but definitely has a normal egg smell to it. They can be used the exact same way as any fresh egg. Fried, boiled, deviled, in baking, etc. once you do this and see how well it works, you will do like me and water glass your eggs instead of buying dehydrated eggs for the most part. You may want some dehydrated eggs for emergency situations. But fried or hard boiled eggs hold a ton more nutrients and are very satisfying with some fried bacon, sausage or other meats!! Some would call them a comfort food when served with cast iron biscuts and some gravy!
Left over lime water can be reused...but I prefer to discard it. I mix in some old coffee grounds and epsome salts and sprinkle the mess over garden soil. BE CAREFUL DOING THIS!!!! The lime is so concentrated it can easily damage the ground for growing plants. We have heavy red clay soil here in Missouri. We can never add enough lime. So using this mixture and spreading it over the garden area at the end of the growing season adds a little boost for the next year. You may want to look at your other options. I know a few folks that pour the lime water straight onto the weeds that geow in the strip in the middle of their driveways and it makes a difference....they do not have the same kind if soul we have. Do what is best for your conditions!!
Ask any questions if you have them and I will try to check in more to answer you!! I hope this is something y'all can use & benefit from!! Be blessed my peoples!!
1) Eggs must be clean, fresh and NOT washed!! They must be fresh from the hen and NOT store bought...store bought eggs have been washed then dipped in chemicals and should NEVER EVER be used for water glassing eggs. When an egg is laid, as it comes out it gets a film coating on it called the "bloom". This seals the shell and prevents bacteria and such from entering the eggs. This bloom MUST be on the egg for successful water glassing. I use a soft brush that is made for cleaning fresh veggies to remove any dust or debri as the oils from the hands can damage the bloom.
2) I prefer to use half gallon glass jars with plastic lids. You can use any size or shaped container you want...but it MUST BE GLASS. It must also be able to be closed or securely covered in some fashion to keep out dust, insects, pets, etc. I cannot stress this enough, but DO NOT USE METAL!!!!
3) You will need a specific kind of lime. Walmart, grocery stores, etc. sell it labeled as pickling lime and a small pouch is around $10. I go to a local feed mill and get it in a 50# bag for $20. At the feed store and other places it is also called Hydrated Lime & Slaked Lime. It has other names, simply google search it and find how it is labeled in your area. ALWAYS wear surgical style gloves or dishwashing gloves when handling or working with this lime as it will dry your skin out to the extreme!!
4) PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER......place your eggs gently in your container, make it a snug fit from bottom to top. I fill my jars to the bottom of the neck. In a glass quart jar, add 2 heaping tablespoons of the Hydrated Lime and fill to the mid neck. Put a lid on and shake vigerously. Pour the lime water over the eggs. For me, when I fill a 1/2 gallon jar with eggs, then a 1 quart jar of the lime water fills the egg jar perfectly covering the eggs with no left over lime water. Place the lid or cover over the container. Label with the contents & date. I always label with the number of eggs, type of eggs & date started. Then put the container away. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT...Keep them in a cool dark location. I keep mine in a shelf in the back of my basement, as it stays around 66-68* year around and has very limited unnatural light in that area.
5) The lime will settle to the bottom of the container. This is normal and you do not need to worry about it. The lime will NOT dissolve and there is no need to shake ar twist the container to mix it back up. Just leave it alone and it will be fine.
6) If you do not have enough eggs at once to do this, you can add eggs for up to a week to top off your container. You can mix chicken & duck eggs or even goode eggs. I am working on trying this with quail eggs at the moment as well.
7) when you go to use these eggs, WEAR PROTECTIVE GLOVES. Give the eggs a good rinse. Yes they will have an odor to the shells. That is normal. Crack a fresh egg in a bowl. Crack a water glass egg in a bowl. Now compair the 2. The water glass egg will still have the normal whites and a standup yolk. It will lose some if its dark yellow coloring but not much and will still look and taste better than store bought. The odd smell is not in the egg, only the shell. Depending on the age of the egg, it will not smell as fresh, but definitely has a normal egg smell to it. They can be used the exact same way as any fresh egg. Fried, boiled, deviled, in baking, etc. once you do this and see how well it works, you will do like me and water glass your eggs instead of buying dehydrated eggs for the most part. You may want some dehydrated eggs for emergency situations. But fried or hard boiled eggs hold a ton more nutrients and are very satisfying with some fried bacon, sausage or other meats!! Some would call them a comfort food when served with cast iron biscuts and some gravy!
Left over lime water can be reused...but I prefer to discard it. I mix in some old coffee grounds and epsome salts and sprinkle the mess over garden soil. BE CAREFUL DOING THIS!!!! The lime is so concentrated it can easily damage the ground for growing plants. We have heavy red clay soil here in Missouri. We can never add enough lime. So using this mixture and spreading it over the garden area at the end of the growing season adds a little boost for the next year. You may want to look at your other options. I know a few folks that pour the lime water straight onto the weeds that geow in the strip in the middle of their driveways and it makes a difference....they do not have the same kind if soul we have. Do what is best for your conditions!!
Ask any questions if you have them and I will try to check in more to answer you!! I hope this is something y'all can use & benefit from!! Be blessed my peoples!!
