How to Water Glass Eggs: Preserving Simply and Safely
What in the world is water glass eggs?
Simply, it’s a way to preserve eggs in water and pickling lime…all without refrigeration.
Water glass refers to the preserving agent…in our case the pickling lime. (Another method calls for sodium silicate- or water glass.) This method was widely accepted and used prior to the 1950’s and the spread of electricity.
This may seem strange to you because we have been groomed to think that everything must be stored in the fridge! But think…what did they do before we had refrigerators?
Water glassing is a way to preserve whole, fresh eggs. I have scoured the internet for methods and stories about folks using this method. And to my surprise…it seemed too simple to be true.
It made me say, “Why haven’t I don’t this sooner?” and “Why is this not a thing?”
Well, it actually seems to be a trend now, I have seen it in so many accounts on social media. In fact, I was gifted some pickling lime from a friend I made on Instagram! (Thanks Emily! @morsemountainfarm)
Since I have seen other ladies doing this successfully…I figured I’d give it a try.
What You Need to Water Glass Eggs
You need only a few ingredients:
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- Fresh, clean eggs.
The eggs need to be fresh from the FARM not from the store. The eggs from the store have been washed, maybe bleached, and maybe sealed with a wax. (Read this on the internet. Yikes.)
Therefore, if you have your own chickens, this will be simple. You just make sure your hens’ nests are clean, and gather your eggs. You do not want to wash them, because the fresh eggs have a natural “bloom” on them. This protects the egg from harmful substances–naturally.
2. Glass container, crock, or a food grade clean bucket. (I used a gallon glass container with a screw top lid.)
Any size will work. It only depends on how many eggs you’d like to preserve. A lid is preferred, so the water doesn’t evaporate.
3. Water
Use filtered, clean water.
4. Pickling lime (Calcium hydroxide) Our pickling lime is from Azure Standard. (Start your order from this link and I will receive commission from your order if you are a new customer. Also…if you’re interested in Azure…don’t hesitate to contact me with your questions or read my post about our Azure order!)
How to Water Glass
The process could not be simpler.
You will need 1 oz (weighed on the kitchen scale) of pickling lime to 1 quart (4 cups) of water.
For my one gallon glass container, I used 2 oz of lime and 2 quarts of water.
Add the lime, water, and then add the eggs! I used 20 eggs.
Cover, and store in a cool, dark area.
Is the pickling lime supposed to dissolve?
The lime will at first make the water around the eggs very cloudy. But within a few hours, the lime will settle to the bottom of the container. This is normal.
How long will they last?
This is the million dollar question. I have seen others have great success with water glassing their eggs. I’ve read where they will last 6 months to even a year. I think I will want try them around 6 months and 8 months.
I am still in the experimenting stage…so I will have to update this post when we successfully eat our water glassed eggs.
What do you do when you want to use them?
From my research…you’ll just need to open the jar, pull one out, and wash it gently off.
Then proceed as usual!
How easy is that??
I’m very eager to see how this works for us. I have high hopes since I have seen so many families do this without any problems! So stay tuned for the results…
How to Water Glass Eggs
Equipment
- Glass container, crock, or any other food grade container
- Kitchen scale
Materials
- 1 oz pickling lime for every quart of water
- Eggs clean, farm fresh
- Filtered water
Instructions
- Depending on the number of eggs you'd like to preserve, weigh out the pickling lime. 1 oz of lime to one quart of water.I used 2 oz of lime for 2 quarts of water in a gallon glass container. I used 20 eggs.Mix the lime and water, and pour over the eggs in the container.Cover container with a lid to prevent evaporation.Store in a cool, dark area of your house.To use eggs, gently take out of the lime solution and wash with water. Use like you would a fresh egg.
