Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1910-08-19
PRESERVING EGGS

The spelling of eggs is due to the
entrance of air carrying germs of de-
composition through the shells. Nor
mally the shell has a coating of mu-
cilaginous matter which prevents
the entrance of these harmful organ
isms into the egg for a considerable
time, but if this coating is removed or
softened by washing or otherwise,
the keeping quality of the egg is
much reduced.
These facts explain why the COM
mon methods of preservation have
not been entirely satisfactory and
suggest that the methods employed
should be based upon the idea of
protecting and rendering more eff
tective the natural coating of the
shell, so that the air bearing the
germs of decomposition may be com
pletely excluded. At the present tim
eggs are largely packed in lime, salt,
and other products or are put in
cold storage for winter use, but such
eggs are very far from being perfect
when they come upon the market.
| According to experiments made by
! the North Dakota station, water
glass more closely conforms to the
requirements of good preservatiye
| than any of the substances common
] ~
experiments that ten per cent So
luton OF water glass preserves eggs
so etfectualIy that at the end of three
and one half months eggs that were
| preserved the first part Of August
still appeared to be perfectly fresh.
In most packed eggs, after a lit
tie time, the yolk settles to one
side and the egg is then inferior in
| quality. In eggs preserved three and
a half months in water glass the yolk
retained its normal position in the
egg, and in taste they were not to
be distinguished from fresh, unpack-
ed store eggs. Again, most packed
eggs will not beat up well for cake
making or frosting, while eggs from
the solution Of water glass seemed
quite equal to the average fresh eggs
of the market.
OF twenty methods of preserving
eggs tested in Germany the three
which proved the most effective were
coating the eggs with yaseline, pre-
serving them in lime water and pre-
serving them III water glass. The con-
clusion was reached that the latter
is preferable, because vanishing the
eggs with Yase1ine takes considerable
time and treating them with lime
water is likely to give the eggs a dis
agreeable odor and taste.
There is, however, one drawback
with eggs preserved in a solution
of water glass, viz; that the shell
easily bursts in boiling water. This
may be avoided by cautiously prick
ing the shell with a strong needle.
The following directions for pre-
serving by this method are given:
Use pure water that has been
thoroughly boiled and then cooled.
To each ten quarts of water add
one quart Of water glass. Pack the
eggs in jar and pour the solution
over them, covering well.
Keep the eggs in a cool, dark
place. A dry, cool c>,lar is a good
place.
If the eggs are kept in too warm
a place the silicate is deposited and
the eggs are not properly protected.
Do not wash the eggs before pack
ing, for by so doing you injure their
keeping quality, probably by dissoly-
ing the mucilaginous coating on the
outside Of the she'll
For packing use only perfectly
fresh eggs. for stale eggs will not
be saved and may prove harmful to
the others.
Water glass is a very cheap pro-
duct that can usually be produced
at not to exceed SO cents a gallon,
and one gallon would make enough
solution for preserving fifty dozen
eggs, so that the cost of mateial for
this method is only about one cent
per dozen. Water glass is sodium
and potassium silicate, sodium sill
icate being usually the cheaper. II
wooden kegs are used in which to
pack the eggs, they should first be
thoroughly scalded with boiling wat
er to sweeten them.-U. S. Farmers
, Bulletin No. 1913.