xtry51
NES Member
Glassing. You place them unwashed in water and add pickling lime. Room temp storage for up to a year.
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Chickens 2023/2024
- Thread starter Knob Creek
- Start date
Glassing. You place them unwashed in water and add pickling lime. Room temp storage for up to a year.
lancecolonel
NES Member
can you give the lime-water ratio? does it change the taste or texture at all? thanks.
xtry51
NES Member
The taste seems to not permeate in the first 3 months and then slowly does. I've eaten 12 month old eggs. They eggs lose their "gooeyness" as they age and get more watery. But the eggs are fine.
In a good year I store about 400 eggs in (7) of the 2 gallon glass jars. Each jar can hold 65-75 eggs depending on size. Starting in July I stash the extra eggs, not wating any intil all the jars are full. I can usually get the 400 away by October and then we start eating the first jar from July (3 month old) and putting any new eggs aside in same method. In this manner you can leapfrog storing the fresh eggs and eating the old ones through winter but keep any of them from getting watery.
Target is by far the best place to get the glass jars. They are the big cookie style jars with glass lids. I add thin layer of Vaseline to the lid when the jar is full to reduce oxygen transfer. You could probably also use melted wax and recycle it.
In a good year I store about 400 eggs in (7) of the 2 gallon glass jars. Each jar can hold 65-75 eggs depending on size. Starting in July I stash the extra eggs, not wating any intil all the jars are full. I can usually get the 400 away by October and then we start eating the first jar from July (3 month old) and putting any new eggs aside in same method. In this manner you can leapfrog storing the fresh eggs and eating the old ones through winter but keep any of them from getting watery.
Target is by far the best place to get the glass jars. They are the big cookie style jars with glass lids. I add thin layer of Vaseline to the lid when the jar is full to reduce oxygen transfer. You could probably also use melted wax and recycle it.
xtry51
NES Member
Notes:
1) You don't have to store all the eggs at once. They just have to be submerged fully and have the lime in. I add them in layers as I collect them daily. Usually I can fill a jar in 7-10 days depending how many eggs we get and eat.
2) DO NOT wash the eggs or use this method with store bought eggs. The eggs from the store are washed and what allows this process to work is the natural enzyme layer from the hen that dries on the outside of the eggs.
1) You don't have to store all the eggs at once. They just have to be submerged fully and have the lime in. I add them in layers as I collect them daily. Usually I can fill a jar in 7-10 days depending how many eggs we get and eat.
2) DO NOT wash the eggs or use this method with store bought eggs. The eggs from the store are washed and what allows this process to work is the natural enzyme layer from the hen that dries on the outside of the eggs.
xtry51
NES Member
Note #3 - You can use a DRY towel to scuff off debris, poo, etc. Small amounts of debris will not harm the process. The lime will kill anything alive on the egg shell. You will sometimes also get an egg that cracks in the jar due to handling, or it was cracked before you put it in and just missed it. This also will NOT spoil the other eggs, though it might make the water cloudy.
lancecolonel
NES Member
@xtry51, thanks for that info. I currently keep unwashed eggs in cartons in the cupboard and I always seem to have 3 or 4 dozen “stored” that way, plus 2 dozen washed eggs in my fridge. Once I get above that threshold I start sharing with neighbors and friends. I will definitely start using your method later this year to get us through next winter.
ETA: this seems like it would be an ideal way to make sure one has eggs when it’s time for flock turnover. I’m down to 5 girls and that seems like the ideal size for both the setup I have and needs of my family. Will be cool to have a jar of eggs put aside while I’m waiting for my next group of pullets to mature.
ETA: this seems like it would be an ideal way to make sure one has eggs when it’s time for flock turnover. I’m down to 5 girls and that seems like the ideal size for both the setup I have and needs of my family. Will be cool to have a jar of eggs put aside while I’m waiting for my next group of pullets to mature.
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38ExtraSpecial
NES Member
Eat him.
ChevyGuy91
NES Member
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I love my rooster. He is not aggressive but he keeps the hens safe and let's me know when he doesn't like something in the yard. I have killed lots of predators because he crowed.
kiver
NES Member
I ended up culling a couple I had once they started to crow. We have a no rooster and 6 hen, town ordinance. Normally, I could give a crap about what the town says I can have, but I do not want to draw any attention and you know, chicken math.
lancecolonel
NES Member
For the 1oz lime, do you weigh it on a scale or use a measuring cup? If I fill a mini measure cup to 1oz it only weighs .5 oz.
I grabbed a gallon jar from target yesterday and want to try this storage method right away. Thanks.
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Can confirm they will sacrifice to keep the hens safe.
I keep rooster(s) to allow us to hatch some eggs in the spring. The silkies are naturally broody so no problem with the process. Last batch 5/6 were hens so I was happy.
Just ordered my early summer meat birds (5/8 delivery). Most places are sold out until July or August so I will be trying Hoovers Hatchery. If anyone wants meat birds this year I guess you have to get the order in quick.
xtry51
NES Member
I have a kitchen scale I use to weigh it. You want to mix it with the water and add it to the eggs. Most of it will settle out later, that's OK. You just need it cloudy at the start to ensure the eggs get fully exposed, so don't add water and eggs, then dump in the lime.
Yeah - these will be processed the first week of July. I have done that before and it definitely isn’t ideal. Hot, smells, and flies all over. I ended up stripping down to my skivvies, got blood all over me, and looked like some kind of psycho pervert. But I’m limited to how many I can raise and process at once so I break it into two batches. The fall is much better. And better for the birds because they aren’t at their obese stage in the heat.
lancecolonel
NES Member
You might end up with more roosters?
lancecolonel
NES Member
24 hours later….
