Here I go into tools you needs, ingredients, and instructions to fill up either a Half Gallon Jar or a Quart Jar of water glassed eggs.

1. What is Water Glassing?
2. Water Glassing Farm Fresh Eggs | Half Gallon or Quart
3. How to use Water Glassed Eggs
4. FAQs
5. That’s It!
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What is Water Glassing?

In short, water glassing is an old form of preservation, where you use fresh farm eggs and submerge them in lime and water.

The lime water acts like a plug in the pores of the shell, sealing them off, making them last for up to two years.

This is a way to preserve raw eggs for long term storage, however it can only be done with farm fresh eggs that still have the bloom intact, making this a special practice to those who have their own chickens.

The chicken eggs that qualify for water glassing have to be unwashed, unrefrigerated, extremely clean, and less than a couple weeks old.

Water glassing is now considered to be a “rebel canning” practice, but many homesteaders still use this technique with their own eggs.

Some store these eggs in 5-gallon buckets, or gallon jars. I find Half Gallon Jars and Quart Jars easy to handle and quick to fill.

Water Glassing Farm Fresh Eggs | Half Gallon or Quart

Tools you need

• Clean Half Gallon or Quart sized Jar, wide mouth
• Lid and Band (great opportunity to use old lids!)
• Kitchen Scale

Ingredients

• Pickling Lime (this brand is the most common here)
• Filtered Water
• Unwashed, unrefrigerated, very clean chicken eggs (these need to be spot-less eggs)
  • Half Gallon about 14-16 eggs
  • Quart Jar about 10-12 eggs

Please note, that these eggs cannot lose their bloom, since that is very important in water glassing.

Do not wash the eggs under any soap or water. They should come from the nest perfect looking. Leave them at room temperature, too.

Instructions

1. Collect your eggs and set aside until you can fill up a jar, giving yourself no longer than two weeks. These eggs need to be spotless and left at room temperature.
2. Carefully place your very clean, unwashed eggs in the jar. If any crack, do not use. Be careful not to let debris enter the jar, also.
3. Place your jar on a kitchen scale and measure out the lime as follows:
   • Half Gallon: 2 ounces of pickling lime
   • Quart Jar: 1 ounces of pickling lime.
4. Fill your jar with lukewarm filtered water until you reach the very top of the jar. Place your mason jar lid on.
5. Gently turn the jar so the lime swishes around the jar and can touch every egg. Don’t shake the jar, simply turn it gently.
6. Gently transfer your jar to a sturdy shelf.
7. Enjoy these eggs, for up to two years.

Do not eat these eggs raw, make sure to cook egg throughout for safe consumption.

How to use Water Glassed Eggs

The beautiful thing about water glassed eggs is that they are raw and unbroken, which means they can be used like normal, with only a couple exceptions.

There are no strict rules on how you can eat these eggs, but I highly suggest making sure they get cooked completely before eating to err on the side of caution.

So, no sunny side up or easy over eggs with these ones. But scrambled, omelets, popovers are good, and these eggs work really well in baked goods.

You will also notice that these eggs do age a bit; the whites will become thinner the longer they sit.

Us, personally, prefer to use these eggs in baked goods or things like French toast rather than scrambled. However, they are edible either way.

You will want to test each egg in a separate bowl prior to placing it into your recipe. This way if one does go bad, you don’t spoil your entire recipe.

Toss any egg that has a foul smell or is cloudy.

FAQs

Can you water glass refrigerated eggs? No. Leave your fresh, clean chicken eggs on the countertop until your jar is full. Bringing out eggs that are cold will lead to egg sweating, which will wash the bloom off. The outer coating, called the bloom, is a very important part in making sure the egg is completely sealed in the lime water.

Do water glass eggs taste different? No, but they do cook differently. As they age, they become thinner, making it more difficult to scramble. However, they integrate perfectly in other mixtures or baked goods.

Can you water glass duck eggs? Probably not. Duck eggs are usually dirty, but they do come out clean from time to time. However, ducks like to bury their eggs, which means their blooms have probably been scratched on from their beaks pushing the eggs under the bedding, leaving them vulnerable to spoilage during water glassing. Freezing or dehydrating duck eggs is a better choice, for long term storage.

That’s It!

My chickens are young and still in their prime, but it’s nice to have these on hand so my fridge has more room for other foods.

And if there is one ‘rebel canning’ practice I do, it’s this one. I know how my chickens live, I see how healthy they are, and I can guarantee that they are fresh.

My disclosure is that you can look up the research and decide for yourself. Your kitchen, your chickens, your rules!

But be strict about your water glassing eggs. These need to be top of the line eggs you’re saving.

Enjoy!

The Cottage Vegetable

Gardening & Preserving for a Practical Kitchen

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