02/27/08, 01:41 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Missouri
Posts: 116
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How to preserve eggs.
I mentioned this in another post and you wouldn't believe the response I got from people wanting to know how to make eggs last for up to two years without refrigeration, drying or cooking. So for all of you who would like to know...
It's actually very easy and has been done for at least the last 150 years or so. (My husband found this in an old formulary book from the early 1800's but I imagine it was done way before that.)
All you need are some fresh eggs from the hen house, a crock or big jar, and some sodium silicate solution (enough to cover the eggs). Sodium silicate is what the old timers used to call "waterglass". The idea is to NOT clean the eggs first (well, you can brush off any excess fecal material, dirt and straw, etc. but don't wash them!) Hens secrete a natural antibacterial substance that coats the eggs for protection against decay (so they will last long enough for her to lay a clutch for brooding). Washing eggs immediately removes this protection and allows the decay process to begin. So don't do it.
Anyway, you put the eggs carefully into the crock or jar. (Be careful not to crack them or one egg can spoil the whole batch!) When it is full, pour sodium silicate over the eggs until they are completely covered. This will exclude all oxygen from the eggs and prevent their decay. Most sources say these will be good for a year - and probably it would be best to assume that and eat them during that time period, but I have known them to last much longer. (As much as 2 years, in fact - if kept in a cool dark place like a cellar.)
One word of caution though - they will swell slightly, and the shells may become a little bit soft or even rubbery after several months. That is okay. But if you open one and it has an off odor, don't use it. They should smell fresh.
As for sodium silicate and where to get it. You can do a search for it online or you can check with places that sell pottery supplies, or for concrete sealers/paint (usually its just called sodium silicate sealer) because it is used to make glazes and to waterproof concrete roofs and walls. It is technically glass in liquid form (tiny particles of glass in solution). When it dries, it forms a protective coat that seals out air and moisture. Thats why it works so well as a concrete sealer - it actually chemically bonds with concrete in the process of drying, and since egg shells are made up of essentially the same minerals that concrete is, it works on them as well.
Just make sure you get pure sodium silicate with no additives. There are food grade versions, but if it is pure sodium silicate - with no pigments or other chemical or mineral additives, you don't need to pay extra for the "food grade" label - its the same thing.
Here is a link to one online site that describes the preservation process.
http://www.chemistrystore.com/sodium_silicate_uses.htm
You might find other links from there, but I'm guessing your cheapest source will be a pottery supply place. We pay $10 per gallon from our local pottery place, but I've seen it cost as much as $70 per gallon when it comes from places that use it as a fancy sealer or a paint. You just have to shop around, I guess.
Have fun!
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