The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-06
COLD EGGS.

New York Tribune.

New 1ofk lTlDuue-
Cold storage of eggs is one Of the great
est coDveniences of modern times. giving
housewives eggs in abundance at a season
when there would otherwise be an egg
famine. and enabling the produce mer-
chant 10 control the market the year round.
Before this was done there was no GER
tainty OF obtaining fresh eggs except In
spring and early summer. and spectators
were continually arising to bull the mar
ket. a process which often met with abject
failure. NO sooner was the market cor
nered than hens all over the country began
laying said an unfortunate Speculation.
And there was no possible way of con-
trolling the hens" he added. sadly. To-day
the prices Of eggs are definitely controlled
by the cold storage houses.
The demand seems TO be always equal 10.
if not greater than the supply. II Is esti-
mated that every five years the consump-
ton of eggs doubles. and only the success
OF cold storage keeps down the prices. In
cold storage houses eggs may be kept for
an indefinite time as fresh as III they were
just laid. The secret OF success in this
matter lies in careful sorting and packing
of the eggs in a uniform temperature.
An old picture in the Dresden gallery rep
resents a Dutch housewife testing eggs
and shows that the method In use to-day
was i'm vogue more than 100 years ago, ex-
cept for the substitution OF a strong elec-
tric light for the ancient oil lamp. IT IN
terror of the egg is examined by the glow
of light. which shines directly through IL.
If a perfect ball OF rosy red is found float
ing in clear liquid i'm a clean shell. the egg
Is TfeSn. III Lnefe Il "A SiSnl VACUUM a.
one end. II is fresh enough for ordinary use,
but not quite so fresh as the first one.
Evaporation has set i'm, but for cake-mak-
ing and for many purposes this egg Is bet
ter than a perfectly fresh one
Finally when the egg has decomposed.
the yolk sticks 20 the shell: IL is stale and
unfit for use. though il may not be odor-
Gus. Eggs which this test shows TO be
practically fresh laid may not have been
in the barnyard for months. while those
that have not been properly stored VIII not
bear Gambling" though they have been
laid only a few weeks.
The cold storage houses begin 10 store
eggs in the month OF February and stop
storing after the month Of June until cold
weather comes again. In the hot, sultry
weather OF August eggs. like all other per-
ishabIe products. spoil easily. and are usu-
ally unfit for storage purposes by the time
they are brought TO market The nrst eggs
TO reach The great packing houses come
from the far South. In March the middle
States and those near by send IN their eggs
for storage. In April and May eggs from
the North and Eastern states reach mar
ket in greater quantities. Before the end
of June there are often a thousand car
loads in market 10 be stored for the duh
season when hens will not lay.
- At these packing houses the temperature
is kepf at - degrees Fahrenheit by means
Of pipes through which brine circulates, ex-
actly as steam does I'm modern houses The
secret of sorting eggs successfully consists
in keeping them at only : degrees below
freezing point. In surroundings OF spotess
cleanliness. and in sorting those that have
begun TO be stale from those that are
strictly fresh.