waterglass and eggs

City Bound · #21 10/01/12, 08:26 PM

the mother earth article is almost 40 years old. It would be nice if they redid the experiement to see if there is new data.

barefootboy · #22 10/01/12, 08:46 PM

Thanks starlady. I'll try to get to the first step this week. The rest will be easy as I have places around here I can get farm fresh eggs. I'll try to get them with as much "bloom" as I can. I'll have to look up some of the articles I've written to see about other easy chemical "tricks" that everyone could use.

springvalley · #23 10/01/12, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barefootboy

I thought mineral oil was not a good idea. Pity pariffin also has a negative effect, or you could get a "two-fer" storage, eggs for future eating and pariffin for candles.
When I do my test I'll use both store bought and farm fresh eggs and set it up for 3 and 6 months and see how it comes out.

I would bet you dollars to dounuts that I could store farm raised eggs, for six months without using the fridge. You just have to keep them cool, not cold, and it`s better if you turn them also. Most store bought eggs from the day they are laid to the experation date on the carton, they are already six months old. Most people don`t know that, but they are, eggs will keep a long time if done right. > Thanks Marc

barefootboy · #24 10/01/12, 10:49 PM

There may be a point that the waterglass may NOT be necessary to preserve eggs. But I recall from a fiction story called Not This August, where the US was under a Soviet occupation, that they hid eggs in waterglass in a covered crock in an old well. Maybe it would be helpful to be able to stash them in a hidden location. In any event, I'll still try making the waterglass and using it, so we can have a clear result by a controlled test.

beaglebiz · #25 10/02/12, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barefootboy

beaglebiz, If you were the lovely lady buying the cases of canned goods, yes it was I. Small world isn't it?

WOW and DOUBLE WOW!!!
I KNEW It!!!
I am sending you a friend request

barefootboy · #26 10/02/12, 04:49 PM

An update here....Lowes has the lye I need for $14.99. I should pick it up as early as tomorrow. I have the sand already. As far as equipment, I am NOT using ANY "lab type" glassware, etc. ( Having any of that might get you a visit from the police looking for a meth lab..lol) I will be using two methods, both using everyday items. I want this to be something anyone of average ability can do with the simplest and most economical means available. When I went through my notes , I remembered there is also another way to produce lye other than wood ash, but I'll save lye making for another time.

naturelover · #27 10/02/12, 06:25 PM

I posted this several weeks ago but you might not have seen it so I thought you might be interested in this link - it lists ways to preserve fresh eggs using waterglass or lard.
How to Store Fresh Eggs

And here is a recipe for using lime water as preservative. The Old Foodie: Preserving eggs, otherwayes.

Quote:

Preserving with Lime.

Dissolve in each gallon of water 12 ounces of quicklime, 6 ounces of common salt, 1 drachm of soda, 0.5 drachm saltpeter, 0.5 drachm tartar, and 1.5 drachms of borax. The fluid is brought into a barrel and sufficient quicklime to cover the bottom is then poured in. Upon this is placed a layer of eggs, quicklime is again thrown in and so on until the barrel is filled so that the liquor stands about 10 inches deep over the last layer of eggs. The barrel is then covered with a cloth, upon which is scattered some lime.

.

barefootboy · #28 10/02/12, 07:01 PM

Thanks naturelover, the more imput the more ideas the more options the more we all can benefit. None of us alone are as good as all of us together.

lmrose · #29 10/02/12, 07:48 PM

If you have a dug well you can build a shelf along the inside wall of the well only as far down as you can reach easily. Eggs, butter or even milk will keep cool there if the well has a cover. You can also put a metal cooler in a dirt cellar or rock wall cellar and keep eggs an indefinite time if they are not washed before storage.

Growing up my husband said they had a small cement block building on the farm where they kept blocks of ice covered in sawdust to slow it melting. In this ice house they kept eggs, butter, cheese and milk. Milk and cream cans were metal and set in galvanized tubs in cold water.They were picked up every other day by the dairy milk truck and taken to the dairy.

I have an old oak ice box [ a non-eletric fridg ]. It's insides are lined with tin. A lid on top opens to place a big block of ice. A door below opens to place eggs, milk, or whatever. This one was my husband's Grandmothers. I also had one about 40 years ago in my house in the city. Back then I could still buy blocks of ice. I used it to keep milk and eggs cold when we had no electricity for lack of money. The old ice boxes worked fine. Don't know if you can still buy blocks of ice now or not?

barefootboy · #30 10/03/12, 01:41 PM

Update on experiment. I tried getting the lye at Lowes, as it was 100%, but had a hassle with a stupid cashier. So I went to Home Depot and got a different type. It only says contains sodium hydroxide, so we will see how it works tomorrow. If the results are unfavorable, I'll get someone to get me the one at Lowe's . Failing that, I am also doing an experiment of making my own lye from powdered lime and a pool chemical.Stay tuned for the latest.

beaglebiz · #31 10/03/12, 05:31 PM

have you tried Walter's hardware?? I have purchased 100% lye there I used in soapmaking. it was labeled for use as a drain opener, but it was labeled 100% lye.

barefootboy · #32 10/03/12, 07:27 PM

Actually I went ahead and made my own lye and tried it with the sand. So far the results look interesting , but more testing need to be done before I can put the process here. See my thread in the soapmaking category for alternate lye making. I'll be putting the procedure for the lye there as soon as I am confident with all the steps and results. The canned lye /drain cleaner is good, but you get at most 2lbs for $15.00. With my alternate process you may get somewhere near a gallon of pure lye for about the same price.

AR Transplant · #33 10/05/12, 10:53 PM

I'm very interested in how to make lye. I think this might come in useful if you are going to have to make soap.

You are a very interesting person, and brave as well.

barefootboy · #34 10/06/12, 05:59 AM

AR transplant,
See my thread in the soapmaking area on alternative lye creation.
I don't see where I am brave. I am simply taking the knowledge of my former occupation and attempting to put it out in a manner helpful to others out there.
I am testing the ideas so that I know they are simple and above all SAFE.
I have created a qt of "homemade " lye solution, but I am waiting for more pH testing papers so I can determine results. Once I am sure of all the steps , I'll list it here.
The science, or in this case , the chemistry , is solid. Silicon Dioxide and Sodium Hydroxide ( Lye) will create waterglass It is the practical considerations that need to be covered. Sand is not pure Silicon Doxide, but it does have a good amount in it. And lye, from dry or homemade with also have flaws. Plus, this has to be something someone with NO training or fancy lab equipment can do. It should be no more difficult than making a cake.

barefootboy · #35 10/06/12, 01:31 PM

UPDATE I have been tied up a bit making lye ( see soapmaking topic ) but I was able to run a mini test yesterday. The results look promising, but I need to wait until I get some more test papers. Once I am assured of the strength of the homemade lye, I'll make a more controled batch and test it. I can see I'll need to adjust the mix as sand is NOT 100% silicon.
The main goal here, as with the lye making, is a simple and SAFE method of making waterglass that anyone can do with ordinary items that I can then use to test with the storebought and farm fresh eggs.
I'll keep you posted along the way.

AR Transplant · #36 10/06/12, 07:08 PM

Barefoot boy,
if you don't mind me asking, what did you used to do?

barefootboy · #37 10/06/12, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AR Transplant

Barefoot boy,
if you don't mind me asking, what did you used to do?

LOL many things Former US Army Primary specialty Infantry secondaries Military Itel, small arms specialist, demolitions. Later in life, lab tech USDA, EPA and finally Nuclear Medicine. Now disabled, living at the foot of the mountain, growing my veggies and being a part time writer

barefootboy · #38 10/09/12, 03:39 PM

QUICK UPDATE My testing papers arrived today and my batch of "homebrewed" lye comes in at 13 on the pH scale, making it at least a 50% lye solution, suitable for the next step.
Tomorrow I will take 5 oz of the lye solution and mix with 3 oz of sand and warm over a water/steam bath until the sand dissolves. As sand is estimated to be only 40% silicon,I should be filtering out 2/3 of the rest and have a solution of waterglass.
One I have produced enough waterglass for four test jars, I'll start the 3 and 6 month tests on the eggs.With luck I should be ready to start testing by 1 Nov.

barefootboy · #39 10/11/12, 08:46 AM

SInce this test will take 3 months and 6 months for the different eggs in the waterglass, I'll make this the last entry until the test begins , hopefully by 1 NOV.
Some may say, why bother when there are powdered eggs.
I believe in having as many aces up my sleeve as I can, and since it is now appearing that I can produce the waterglass for mere pennies, and regular eggs are still much less cost than powdered, it is worth the test. If it suceeds, I will add another food source that I can keep in reserve.
Besides, you can't get sunny side up eggs out of powdered....lol

Forerunner · #40 10/11/12, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barefootboy

Thanks, I'll check it out. But as far as eggs in the fridge, I was thinking of preservation when there is no refrigeration, such as long term loss of power.

What a silly thought, and on a survival forum, even.

Go buy a fridge, already.

That said, we worked with waterglass and eggs for a time.
Results were satisfactory for baking eggs and such, but they weren't quite as up to snuff for just making a plate of fried eggs come morning.

Our solution has been to make noodles with the excess. Noodles store well.
The other solution is to set up the chicken operation to effect a surplus of eggs more often than not. The excess can be dealt with. No eggs is a drag.

ETA..... Love your thinking outside the box, Barefoot.

We've made a lot of liquid lye for brain tanning deerskins, but have yet to perfect that for soapmaking. We could sure float an egg in our wood ash lye solution......