40 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



January, 1907 



Preserving the Eggs 



By A. S. Atkinson 



jE TOOK to poultry -raising like a duck to 

 water when we secured possession of our 

 suburban home. There was only an acre of 

 land around the house, which had to serve 

 as a flower-garden, orchard, kitchen-garden, 

 and poultry-yard. But our ideas of poultry 

 were somewhat exalted. We had no love for the common 

 barn-yard birds. We chose the aristocrats of the flock — 

 fancy poultry, if you please. 



They came high at first, and a little later they proved dear 

 investments, for half of them died the first year and most of 

 the fancy eggs which we purchased failed to hatch. We 

 secured more eggs, with guarantees attached to them, and 

 restocked with more choice old birds. Experience had taught 

 us how to avoid some of the common mistakes of beginners, 

 and we had less sickness and anxiety of mind. 



But after two years of such work we gradually drifted 

 back to the common idea. Fancy poultry are fine for show, 

 but after all good, fresh eggs count more. So we slowly 

 replaced our expensive birds with good layers. We soon had 

 a colony that furnished us with all the eggs we could use, 

 and in time a surplus accumulated in summer. 



We had the experience so common among most subur- 

 banites who like to raise their own fresh eggs. There was 

 always a surplus in summer and a dearth of eggs in winter. 

 We had to sell or give away part of the summer eggs and 

 go into the market in winter to purchase fresh (or more often 

 cold-storage eggs) at double the prices we sold fresh eggs 

 for in summer. This didn't seem right. There should be 

 some way to remedy such a deplorable state of affairs. 



Why not preserve the eggs? Nearly everything is pre- 

 served for winter consumption, and why not eggs? Well, we 

 inquired into the question, and found that cold-storage eggs 

 were kept from three to six months, but to do this one re- 

 quired an extensive and costly plant. Limeci eggs were not 

 enjoyeti by any of us, and refrigerator eggs generally spoilt 

 on account of the excess of moisture. 



Our convictions were sufficiently strong to lead us to experi- 

 menting. Possibly there was a way to preserve eggs which 

 all the philosophers and men of science in the past had failed 

 to discover. We tried some of the time-honored methods 

 which have been handed down from generations past, and 

 ventured into new fields of our own. Painting the eggs with 

 various oils and paraffin mixtures yielded some good results. 

 Some of these methods consisted of coating the eggs with 

 salicylic acid and cotton-seed oil with and without alcohol, 

 paraffin, collodium, and gum arable. Fairly good results 

 were obtained with eggs treated in this way, but they did 

 not prove satisfactory for any great length of time. 



The lime solution we next tried consisted of lime and salt, 

 with a little borax and sodium bicarbonate. The eggs were 

 kept in good condition upward of several months in this 

 solution, but the shells were discolored and they did not 

 present a fine outside. They could not have been sold in the 

 market except as limed eggs. Their method of preservation 

 was too apparent. They had, after six weeks, a slight musty 

 taint, which increased every month until they were not good 

 for much except cooking, where the musty odor would be 

 disguised by the other Ingredients. 



Various salicylic-acid solutions were tried, but in nearly 

 every case the acid weakened the shells, and when kept too 

 long some of the shells broke and the acid got inside, com- 



pletely spoiling the eggs. We used about one ounce of this 

 acid to each gallon of water, and a stronger solution increased 

 the injury to the shells. 



After all these experiments we were induced to try water- 

 glass, liquid glass, or silicate of soda. Under these various 

 names water-glass is sold at druggists' for egg-preservation. 

 The material is perfectly harmless, and it preserves the eggs 

 longer and more satisfactorily than any other substance. In 

 the last year or two it has been used extensively throughout 

 the country for preserving eggs, but at the time of our experi- 

 ment it was not a popular or generally known preservative. 



We first used a ten-per-cent. solution of water-glass; that Is, 

 one part by measure of water-glass to ten parts of water. The 

 water should be boiled and cooled before the water-glass is 

 mixed with it. The water-glass if good should be about as 

 thick as mucilege, and when mixed with the water the barrel 

 containing the mixture should be kept in a cool, dark place. 

 Sometimes in hot weather the water-glass shows a tendency 

 to separate from the water, but if the barrel is kept in the 

 cellar or other cool place little trouble will be experienced. 



With the water-glass solution June eggs were kept until 

 December, and with but few exceptions they were in good 

 condition when used. Here and there one was found which 

 had the whites coagulated. A few would sink to the bottom 

 when placed in water. But none of them were actually spoilt 

 or so musty as to be useless. In fact, some of the eggs used 

 six months after storing were so fresh in taste, odor, and 

 appearance that I believe they would have passed as fresh 

 eggs in the market. It was apparent that some of the eggs 

 did not keep so well because of improper coating of the 

 water-glass solution. We made another trial with a twenty- 

 per-cent. solution of water-glass, reasoning that if a weak 

 solution would do so well a strong one would accomplish 

 much more. But in this we were mistaken. The stronger 

 solution gave no better results, and in some respects we 

 thought it not quite so good. An eight-per-cent. and later a 

 fifteen-per-cent. mixture were tried, but with such poor results 

 that we decided that the ten-per-cent. strength was about 

 right. 



We found upon inquiring for water-glass that a number 

 of druggists had never heard of it, but when we asked for 

 silicate of soda there was no trouble to secure all we needed. 

 When a barrel of the solution is made and placed in the cellar 

 or other cool place, the fresh eggs are simply dropped into 

 the liquid from day to day as they are gathered. The eggs 

 should be kept covered with the solution, usually an inch or 

 two giving the best results. If the eggs increase in numbers, 

 the liquid must be increased, if there is any danger of the 

 former being exposed to the air. Air is fatal to the preser- 

 vation of fresh eggs, and they should never be taken from 

 the barrel an instant except when ready for using. 



If it is desirable to sell the eggs in the market they can be 

 removed from the barrel and rinsed off with fresh water. 

 The solution immediately leaves the shell, and the eggs will 

 pass for fresh eggs. The water-glass seals the egg-shells air- 

 tight, and this is the simple reason for the success of the plan. 

 Where the eggs are to be kept a great while, they can be 

 taken out of the old solution and placed carefully in a new 

 barrel. This repacking enables one to get at the lower 

 layers, which naturally are the oldest eggs. Eggs six months 

 old may not sell as well as strictly fresh ones, but for home 

 use they are just as good. 



