Springtime on the homestead means more daylight, and happier chickens. Happier chickens make more eggs, and thus, we have an overabundance to deal with. In order to have plenty in the fall and winter months, water glassing eggs is the perfect solution.
What is Water glassing Eggs?
Water glassing eggs involves submerging clean, unwashed, eggs in a pickling lime and water solution to seal off the shell and preserve them for 12-18 months. The result is perfectly fresh, unspoiled eggs, just like they were the day the hen laid them. Sometimes properly water glassed eggs are still fresh even after two years. Homestead folks have been using this preservation method since the 1800s to capitalize on the springtime egg abundance year round.
There are a few different solutions that work for water glassing, such as sodium silicate and water, but today I am going to share a method for using hydrated lime, which is also known as pickling lime.
Tips:
You can fit approximately 16-18 eggs per half gallon jar.
Use your cleanest eggs for water glassing. I usually set aside the spotless ones and wait to water glass until I have enough of them. We wash the really dirty ones and store them in the refrigerator. If we keep up with cleaning the coop, and adding fresh straw or bedding, we have a lot more water glass candidates.
If you don’t have a water filter, and you only have access to chlorinated water, you can leave an open jar of water out on the counter for 24 hours. This will cause the chlorine to evaporate.
Use an airtight vessel. Oxygen is the enemy of nearly all food preservation methods, and water glassing is no exception!
Use 1 ounce of pickling lime per quart of water. You can do this in any quantity. So if you have 50 dozen eggs, get yourself some big old food grade buckets and whole lot of lime!
FAQ
Why should you preserve eggs?
We don’t usually think of eggs as a seasonal food, but they actually are. A hen’s ovulation coincides with the length of the day. In the winter, when the daylight hours are short, hens lay little to no eggs. Chickens reach their peak egg laying production when the daylight hours are longest. Heat can also affect ovulation, so springtime, between April and June, yields the highest egg volume here on our homestead. In order to avoid buying several dozen eggs a week in the middle of winter, it makes sense to preserve them when production is up.
Can you water glass store bought eggs?
Unfortunately, no, you cannot water glass store bought eggs. When hens lay eggs, they are covered with a protective “bloom” to keep the eggs fresher longer. This is the reason you can find a pile of eggs hidden somewhere on your homestead after a few weeks, and they are still perfectly fresh and edible. Eggs from the grocery store have been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, so the bloom is no longer in tact. The lime solution in water glassing works with the bloom to preserve the eggs, so sanitized eggs are a definitee no-go for this method. Try freezing the eggs instead.
Can you use tap water to water glass eggs?
Avoid chlorinated and fluorinated water when water glassing eggs. Ideally you would have access to filtered water that still has all of the minerals intact. If you are on a well, tap water will work just fine. If you are on city water with chlorine and fluoride, opt for a filter, such as the Berkey Water Filter for water glassing eggs.
Can you boil water glass eggs?
You can hard boil eggs that have been water glassed, but it is important to note that you should first poke a small hole in the shell. The hydrated lime solution works by sealing off the egg, and filling all of the pores of the eggshell, so it could actually explode if you don’t first create a release for the pressure.
What is hydrated lime?
Hydrated lime aka calcium hydroxide is a dry and colorless white powder that is most commonly used in steel manufacturing. It is also known as pickling lime or slaked lime.
Can I use garden lime for water glassing eggs?
Garden lime is calcium carbonate, whereas pickling lime is calcium hydroxide. Since the hydroxide is more alkaline, pickling lime is recommended for water glassing.
Is it normal for the lime to settle on the bottom?
Yes, settling lime is a normal part of the process. You may be tempted to stir the solution back up, but don’t do it! You risk cracking the eggs and ruining the whole batch. There is still plenty of lime in the water to preserve the eggs, so no need to worry.
Are water glassed eggs safe to eat?
As long as the process was done properly, water glassed eggs are perfectly safe. Make sure to use clean jars and utensils and clean unwashed eggs. If an egg has gone bad, you will know. The smell will be way off. You can also use the float test to ensure the egg is still fresh.
Do they taste different than fresh eggs?
No! That is the best part about water glassed eggs. Freezing and dehydrating eggs changes the texture of the eggs, whereas water glassing keeps them exactly as they were the day the hen laid them.
When can I preserve farm fresh eggs?
Do you have an overabundance of eggs in the winter for some reason? No worries! You can use water glassing anytime. The eggs also don’t need to be harvested fresh that day. You can wait until you have enough clean ones saved up and do a big preserving day anytime!
Ingredients you will need:
1 ounce pickling lime
1 quart filtered water
Clean unwashed eggs (Eggs that have no poop or mud, and the “bloom” still fully intact)
Equipment:
Airtight Food grade bucket or half gallon glass jar
Kitchen scale (to weigh the pickling lime)
What types of eggs can you use:
Chicken Eggs
Quail Eggs
Duck Eggs
Any eggs can we water glassed!
How To Water Glass Eggs:
Measure out 1 ounce of pickling lime on your kitchen scale.
Add the pickling lime to a clean half gallon jar and fill it up halfway (one quart) with filtered water.
Whisk the lime into the water until it is fully incorporated.
Carefully add the eggs pointy side down.
Add an airtight lid to prevent oxygen from getting in, and prevent the water from evaporating.
Store the water glassed eggs in a cool dark place.
How Long Do They Last?
You can store water glassed eggs in a cool dark place for up to a year. Some people have had success for much longer.
Water Glassing Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 ounce pickling lime
- 1 quart filtered water
- Clean unwashed eggs Eggs that have no poop or mud, and the “bloom” still fully intact
Instructions
- Measure out 1 ounce of pickling lime on your kitchen scale.
- Add the pickling lime to a clean half gallon jar and fill it up halfway (one quart) with filtered water.
- Whisk the lime into the water until it was fully incorporated.
- Carefully add the eggs pointy side down.
- Add an airtight lid to prevent oxygen from getting in, and prevent the water from evaporating.
- Store the water glassed eggs in a cool dark place.
Notes
- You can store water glassed eggs in a cool dark place for up to a year. Some people have had success for much longer.
Shay S. says
Can you use clean unwashed refrigerated eggs?
Does the cold of the refrigerator change them?
Thanks!
Kristie Popoca Tuthill says
Iโve heard no on this. When you refrigerate eggs the condensation can affect the bloom. So I would go with fresh eggs from the โcounterโ.
Alyssa Cain says
I’m currently glassing a batch of eggs. This is my seconding time trying this. The first time the results were so-so. I’m wondering, my lime settles to the bottom so quickly – do you think my water is not hot enough? Do I need to whisk longer?
Michele says
U can wisk more, but the settling of the lime is very common. If U see the pics in the post, it all has settlement, It’s normal. Hopefully, U can find others, (either locally or in a church group, or on U tube, or some other form of social group to pair up with) to venture into some of the old ways practices, IT WILL GIVE U MORE CONFIDENCE & U make some great new friends along the way. BEST wishes๐
Annie says
Wow, Iโve never used hot water when mixing it with my lime! Only cold. And Iโve never had a problem with having beautiful eggs 10 months later (Iโve not tried leaving them longer, no need to so far)
Settling of the lime on the bottom is normal btw.
Susie says
I put a long drinking straw carefully into my jar full of eggs and lime water and blow gently to mix when I add mor eggs.
Nicky Harrison says
Iโve been looking into water glassing and liming as an alternative to freezing eggs but Read that it isnโt recommended due to the risk of botulism? Eggs are a botulism risk because they are low acid and botulism has also been linked to the use of pickling lime. Iโm sad about it because I could really do with finding a better way of preserving them. Iโm not sure whether sodium silicate carries the same risk but then Iโm not sure how comfortable Iโd be using chemicals like that with my food.
Prtlndblnd says
If you look at the CDC website an average of 110 people a year are diagnosed with botulism in the US each year, 75% of which are infants (presumable fed raw honey). Much of the adult population is in Alaska (canned fish). The likelihood of getting sick from store bought foods is much much higher than your home preserved food.
Theresa D-V says
Here is a good article from Food Safety News. Water glassing is not recommended:
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/12/how-to-store-eggs-safely-its-all-a-matter-of-how-you-look-at-the-data/
Sydney Kearnes says
I read the entire article. Nowhere does it state that water glassing is not an acceptable way to preserve eggs. This is what it says, โOur ancestors looked at a range of techniques to preserve eggs, from burying them in lime to coating them with sodium silicate (water glass). The methods were relatively effective, with more than a one-year shelf life being reported, although prolonged storage had negative effects on egg quality such as coagulating the white and imparting interesting flavors to the yolk.โ The rest of the article mostly discusses the advantages or disadvantages of washing eggs.
Jerry says
I read it to looking for the recommendation NOT to wayerglass. Did not find it.
Judy says
If you open the jar to use one of the eggs, do you then risk contamination of the remainder if you donโt use them up soon after? Or can you just close it up and still have them ok throughout the year?
(Do farmersโ market eggs have the bloom?)
Barbie says
I would love to know this also.
Shelly says
When I sold my chicken eggs to someone for the local farmers market, I was told to wash them before packaging them for her. So I did.
Janette Holland says
My mother told me she remembered collecting the eggs as a small child and putting them in the kerosene tin my gran had the lime solution in, and also getting eggs from it when they were cooking, so adding to and taking from the batch obviously didnโt hurtโฆmy Gran lived to 95 and my mum is almost 82!
Lisa says
Thank you for sharing.
Lily says
AWESOME you answered my question, on opening and taking out what I needed and sealing it up again. I’ll be using glass jars though
Holly says
Most farmers market eggs are washed. What I do is preorder 4 dozen at a time and request they not be washed or refrigerated. The seller is happy to do this if you let them know in advance.
Michele says
NO. U MUST REQUEST THEM SPECIFICALLY; FRESH, WITH BLOOM ON, UNWASHED & UNREFRIGERATED. ONCE REFRIGERATED, THEY CAN NOT BE WATER GLASSED. ALL EGGS ONCE REFRIGERATED MUST GO IN THE REFRIGERATOR.
Now, I go directly to the farm to obtain my eggs, & I notify them as to how many I will need in another 4 weeks.
But, those @ farmers market will try to accomadate U R request for: REQUEST THEM SPECIFICALLY be FRESH, WITH BLOOM ON, UNWASHED & UNREFRIGERATED.
Hope this helps.
Marilyn Burrows says
Good afternoon. Really enjoy your podcasts and articles.
A couple Questions about the Water Glassing eggs article.
1. As long as the bloom has not been washed off the egg can you add eggs after starting a container but without the lime and water? Say I have 1 dozen fresh eggs. Can I start putting the eggs in the container I am going to water glass them in and add say another dozen in a couple days?
2. When I open the air tight container can I just remove say 6 eggs and reseal it up? Will the remainder of the eggs be okay?
Thank you for all your information.
Your family is so adorable.
Marilyn
Lisa says
Hi Marilyn, I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t add as you go, but I have not personally tried it. I also remove as needed.
Michele says
Hello, I have seen some use 5 gallon buckets and mix up for 1 gallon, place in eggs, then have another gallon, mix more lime water, then add more eggs and keep repeating till 5 gallon bucket full with a 4 inch head space of water.
As for collecting eggs, yes….. u can leave U R unwashed, bloom intact eggs either on counter in basket or bowl, or in U R container till U have desired amount; no need to put lid on though. Don’t want to generate heat, but keep air flow & out of sun light. Hope this helped….and remember, when getting ready to cook with U R lined eggs, Wash thoroughly & ALWAYS float test EVERY egg. Happy preserving๐
Penny Thompson says
Morning. Iโve been waterglassing my eggs for several years. Can you reuse the lime solution or do you need to start again with new lime solution?
Thanks.
Alyssa Cain says
I’d like to have an answer to this too!
Lisa says
I recommend starting with fresh lime solution.
Michele says
I would NOT. I am NOT 4 sure; but I think that would NOT be the best safe practice. BEST to be safe๐๐
Marjean says
I would not reuse the solution. So far none of the articles I’ve read have even discussed that so I will make new solution each time.
BR says
I think you meant,”No!” Instead of “Yes!” after the question about if water-glassed eggs taste different than regular eggs. Thanks for the recipes! I’ve been trying out water-glassed eggs this year.
Lisa says
You are correct! That was a typo.
Sherry says
Can the be refrigeratored for a couple days before waterglassing?
Tonya says
Sherry, I don’t think you are supposed to ever refrigerate them if you are waterglassing. I noticed in the video or here that she didn’t address this but in other water glassing videos I’ve watched they haven’t refrigerated them.
Also, of note, if you never refrigerate unwashed eggs I’ve heard they can last on the counter for a couple of months.
Mrs. Robinson says
Can you re-use the lime water after removing the eggs? If not, is there a way to recycle the water, i.e. for watering plants?
Mary says
I am wondering the same thing and am hoping someone on here can tell us!
Michele says
‘Lime Application in the Spring & in the Fall…….Of course, you will need to do this many weeks before the planting season. This is to allow the lime enough time for the nutrients to get into the soil’…..
NOW, this is in reference to garden lime, which is NOT edible, unless U R talking of slaked lime……but lime has been used in garden for many years to bring soil PH to desired levels.
Perhaps try put in compose pile after diluting out; I pour on my grass, (never the same spot, keep rotating around), but I am generally pouring on cold frozen ground, (which also help dilute it more), because i use my water glassed egg in winter months, & grass seems fine in spring….but I would NOT use fully concentrated, as immediately after removing eggs, too concentrated i believe. I guess U could try experiment to feed flower soil๐ค…..esp. those that require specific ph. I would just be cautious as to the amount, since it will change the ph levels. Do some Google searches or ask U garden center, do some education digging BEFORE APPLICATION. BEST of luck….let us know how U make out if U try something๐๐
Michele says
CORRECTION: I DID NOT MEAN “EDIBLE” LIME. …..NO LIME IS TO BE TAKEN INTERNALLY….THIS CAN MAKE U VERY SICK.
WHAT I MEANT TO SAY IS: FOOD GRADE SAFE LIME; SUCH AS SLAKED LIME OR PICKELING LIME.
Curtis says
Refrigerated eggs will sweat (condensation) when they return to room temperature, which can wash away the bloom, so, no don’t refrigerate eggs that are designated to be glassed.
Lisa says
I wouldn’t recommend using refrigerated eggs, because the bloom ends up washing off (unintentionally) when the eggs are brought ton room temperature and the cold eggs sweat from being exposed to room temp air.
Cathie says
Hey there, I was just reading this article and I noticed that it mentions the bloom being intact. What is the bloom on an egg? I donโt have fresh eggs, but my nephew has hens in his backyard. We live in th city and I was thinking of trying this water glassing method with some fresh eggs from him. Hopefully lots of eggs this spring, I donโt want to do this wrong. Can you tell me what I am looking for?
Lisa says
When hens lay eggs, they are covered with a protective โbloomโ to keep the eggs fresher longer. If you wash your eggs thoroughly, you’ll remove this protective layer. You can’t see this protective layer, so there is nothing to look for. The key is to have clean unwashed eggs (Eggs that have no poop or mud, and the โbloomโ still fully intact). Hope that helps!
Michele says
NO. NEVER. Just as Tonya stated below; condensation & destruction of intact bloom.
Corbie Haas says
On FAQ #9 you said “Yes” that water glassed eggs taste the same as fresh eggs. I think you meant to say “No” – that they’re not different & taste the same as fresh. Love your blog! I just took a batch of sourdough crackers out of the oven. Fun tip – I add nutritional yeast to make them taste like “cheez-its”
Rebecca says
Would you be willing to share your recipe and the amount of nooch you add?
Thank you!!
Amy says
This is so great. You make the process sound very simple, and so–at last, after raising chickens for nearly twenty years and wasting a lot of extra eggs–I’m going to finally do this process myself. Thanks, Lisa!
Neenee says
I did the water glassing but I think I put too much lime into the gallon jar it has been sitting for about 2 weeks now do you think I should dump the water and redo
Sean says
Just decided to start myself, but I sure too much will not be a problem, better then not enough. I put 4oz in a washed gallon milk jug filled it shook it use so it did look like milk then poured over 17 eggs in the jar to the top put the lid and ring on carefully shook to get all the air bubbles out then poured more leaving no air left tightened the lid put away marking when canned.
Anonymous says
I did it for the first time last year and the eggs lasted 16 months. Did not know why the egg became watery but the taste and way it cooked scrambled was fine.
Terri says
I just tried one I can June 24, 2022 and my egg were runny also. Is that normal?
Suzee says
So I didn’t know you couldn’t use tap water and mine isn’t filtered. I did a dozen eggs and they been sitting for about a month. I ruined them didn’t I ??
Mary says
It depends on how chlorinated your water is. Crack one open after a few weeks – if it has gone bad you will have no doubt! If it’s still good, then it worked. Good luck!
Betty says
Unfortunately, the water treatment in my town switched from chlorine, which you could have it evaporate on the counter over night, to a different chemical that I can’t think of the name right now. The new chemical cannot be removed unless another chemical is added. I can smell it, but my husband can’t. So, I buy gallon jugs of purified drinking water and distilled water. I would use the drinking water if I could talk my sister into letting me have some of her extras.