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| Eggs stored in lime water get a light coating of lime. It is easily rinsed off, but perhaps this contributes to the "limey" flavor people complain about. |
So the eggs have been in a crock in my pantry, submerged in lime water. I've used them twice, now, for omelets. I didn't mention to Dan that I was using them, but each time you'd never know I was using anything different than fresh or refrigerated eggs.
Like the waterglassed eggs, I find the whites get a bit thin, but the quality hasn't suffered so far.
Because I'm so far south, I don't really need to preserve a lot of eggs. We may only have several weeks to a month at the most when the chickens are molting and we get no eggs. This is probably just as well, because it also means my unheated pantry doesn't stay cold enough for true long-term storage. Even so I always seem to preserve way more eggs than I need (I've still got about four dozen in the freezer as well.) I figure the year I don't preserve many eggs will probably be the year I need them!
ANOTHER UPDATE: I found that after about four months the eggs developed a slightly metallic flavor. My pantry remains fairly warm, however, even in winter, so with a proper root cellar or unheated basement, shelf-life would likely be longer.
A Quick Update on the Limed Eggs © March 2017
Thanks for the update! I'm not sure I need the information with my current lifestyle but someday if the SHTF, it might come in handy!
ReplyDeleteThe moral of that story is to be sure to stock up on plenty of pickling lime!
DeleteThat's really cool Leigh. I'm always looking for information on preserving. Right now I'm freezing my eggs, but I kind of like your method. So the omelets you made, they were from December's eggs?
ReplyDeleteYes, they were from December eggs. I should add (here and in the post I linked to) that they were freshly laid, unwashed, never refrigerated eggs. Those things are important when working with some of these preservation techniques like liming and water glassing.
DeleteOne source I read said that limed eggs will keep for 8 months or more, however, I think cooler storage conditions would facilitate that. Since my pantry is warmer, I'm not expecting them to keep that long. :)
If I ever get a good source for eggs. ;)
ReplyDeleteThat's key!
DeleteI won't be liming eggs but that is good information for people that need it. At least if one loses power they don't spoil in the freezer. Nancy
ReplyDeleteGood point. The other thing about freezing is that you have to let it defrost! Sometimes I don't think ahead enough for that. :)
DeleteI am spoiled by our three freezers, so I still freeze a large amount of extra eggs by scrambling them first. But, one of our goals is to get down to one large chest freezer which means more canning and perhaps an experiment with "liming"
ReplyDeleteWow, three freezers! I often lament that my one is too small, but on the other hand, I'd then lament that a larger one was too small, LOL. In the event of a long-term power outage, it would be a lot to deal with as it is.
DeleteI may have to try this. My four little hens are very productive--even through the winters months--and I need another way to store them (I don't care for freezing them). Thanks for the information!!!
ReplyDeleteAudra, if you have a cool place to store the limed eggs, so much the better! Hydrated lime is easy to find so lime water makes a good storage method for eggs.
DeleteInteresting. The thinning whites might be a good thing with the duck eggs, which I find to be gelatinous.
ReplyDeleteI've not tried either of those methods with duck eggs, but you're right about how thick the whites are and that they might be good candidates. Let me know if you try it! I'd be interested in the results.
DeleteI would, but I'm selling them as soon as they come out of the girls! At $1 an egg, why eat 'em when you can sell 'em?
DeleteIf I could get $1 an egg I'd sell them too!
Deleteand here's me wondering why i spend so much time checking in to the people listed on my blogroll...it's a total waste of time. because my time would be so much better spent on scrat-book...it's the facebook for cats who are scratty like mine. bahahahahahah!
ReplyDeletethanks for all of these posts Leigh...it's so nice to have a trusted source for information! sending much love! your friend,
kymber
Hahahahaaha! Kymber you're a hoot! My cats would be perfect candidates, LOL
DeleteIt's interesting what you mentioned about the egg whites getting thin after you'd limed them. I spoke about this with a local "egg man" -- about why grocery store eggs have such thin whites and farm fresh eggs have more substantial white -- or more precisely, why the firmer part of the white (the part next to the yolk) is greater in a farm egg, and is next to non-existent in a grocery egg. He said it's because, over time, that part of the white breaks down and it becomes runnier like the outer part of the white. Since the grocery eggs sit around so long before they finally reach the plate, their whites are runnier. I wonder if the same is true for eggs that sit in lime for a few months? Makes you wonder!
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing it is true for any kind of stored eggs! Thanks for that tidbit.
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