Preservation of Eggs. 



51 



The two methods are often combined. The first method owes 

 its value to the fact that micro-organisms will not grow 

 below a certain temperature, the degree of cold varying with 

 the species. It appears from experiments that these germs 

 cannot be killed by any degree of cold, and a very low tem- 

 perature is thus unnecessary for preserving eggs, even if it 

 were not undesirable for other reasons, such as possible 

 injury by freezing, and increased cost. 



The temperature which appears to be preferred in America 

 for storing eggs is about 31 0 to 34 F., though in England 

 writers have recommended 40° to 45" as being equally satis- 

 factory. Much depends also upon various other conditions, 

 such as the amount of moisture in the air in the cold storage 

 chamber, and the time of year. Eggs which have been 

 stored at a temperature of 30 should be used soon after 

 removal from storage, while those stored at 35" to 40 0 will 

 keep for a considerable time after removal. Stored eggs 

 should be turned at least twice a week, to prevent the yolk 

 from adhering to the shell. 



Eggs are sometimes removed from the shells and stored in 

 bulk, usually on a commercial scale, in cans containing about 

 50 lbs. each. The temperature recommended is about 30° F., 

 or a little below freezing, and they are said to keep any 

 desired length of time. They must be used soon after they 

 have been removed from storage and thawed. 



The substances suggested and the methods tried for 

 excluding air conveying micro-organisms to the eggs, and 

 for killing those already present, are very numerous. An 

 old domestic method is to pack the eggs in oats or bran. 

 Another consists in covering the eggs with lime-water, which 

 may or may not contain salt. The results obtained by such 

 methods are not by any means uniform. Some twenty 

 systems were recently tested in Germany, the eggs being 

 kept for eight months. In the result, only three lots of eggs 

 were found to be all good — viz., those which were varnished 

 with vaseline, and those which were preserved in lime-water 

 or in a solution of water glass. Of these three, preservation 

 in a solution of water glass is especially recommended, 

 since varnishing the eggs with vaseline takes time, and 



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