So you ask what is water glassing??
Well, water glassing is a way to preserve and store your fresh eggs for a year or longer! Some people say that you can keep them up to 2 years under the correct conditions.
These eggs need to be fresh from the chicken within the day. You cannot preserve store bought eggs as the bloom (the membrane coating that protects the eggs) is rinsed off.
Just prior to laying an egg, a hen’s body will deposit a protein-like mucous coating on the outside of an egg. This protective coating is called the bloom or cuticle. This protective coating seals the pores of the eggshell, thereby prohibiting the transfer of bacteria from the exterior to the interior of the egg.
Why should I water glass?
Water glassing would be done if you desire to keep eggs fresh for as long as possible. Usually around 18 months.
It will keep them as if they were laid that same day.
The only reason for water glassing eggs is if you intend to sell them or keep them for a food storage or a root cellar.
Hens will lay eggs all year long if allowed to molt roughly every 2 weeks and fed properly. They are born with the capacity for thousands of eggs so they really only stop laying eggs from old age.
Ingredients used are quite simple
Water and two other types of material can be used to water glass eggs: sodium silicate or lime (calcium hydroxide). The type of lime to use is known as pickling lime, hydrated lime, and slaked lime.
Calcium hydroxide is a white chemical powder used in older pickling recipes to add a crispness to the finished product. It works by adding calcium into the pectin of the food that is to be pickled.
Here is a link to get a 5 lb. bag of pickling lime.
Lime is also harvested from limestone by a specific heating process shown here.
The glassing process
Use a container with a lid. If you don’t have a lid, use olive oil to coat the top of the exposed water in the container. Be sure and cover with a cloth to keep pests out and prevent evaporation.
You will need approximately 1oz hydrated lime per 1 quart of water. In a 5 gallon bucket you should only need 8 quarts of water as the eggs will take up most of the rest of the space you will be using. The size of your container will depend on the amount of eggs you want to preserve.
Mix the specified amounts of lime to water with a whisk or spoon. It should be almost a milky white. Now you can add your eggs.
When you add your eggs be sure that the point is down. The reason we point eggs down is that there’s an air pocket in each egg, so if you have it going toward the largest size, it’s not touching as much of the egg white and you’ll end up with a better quality egg.
Enjoying your eggs months later
Because you worked hard to preserve your eggs for the winter when hens begin to slow down their egg production, you will be able to enjoy fresh eggs as if you collected them that morning! Be sure to let your hens lay as they please and don’t force them in the winter months. It’s just how their biological clock works and you will get better quality eggs as a result.
I hope this article was helpful and informative.
If you have any questions, comments or input please feel free to do so in the box below.
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