Preserve eggs by water glassing

It seems like every year I find some “new” thing to try on the farm. Last year, while dealing with a huge surplus of eggs in the early spring, I decided it was finally time to try water glassing eggs.

Why would I want to water glass my eggs?

Water glassing is a way to preserve your farm fresh eggs long term without the use of refrigeration.

If you have chickens, you know it can sometimes feel like the egg supply from your gals is feast or famine. You either have so many eggs you don’t know how to use them all, or you’re waiting on your hens to lay an egg so you can complete a recipe. By water glassing the extra eggs your hens lay during their most productive months of the year, you can still have those farm fresh eggs available to use in their less productive months of the year — or if they stop laying all together in the winter.

By water glassing eggs, you won’t have to worry about egg shortages at the grocery store. You also won’t have to worry about how much the grocery store is charging for the eggs they do have. I don’t have to remind you of egg prices in late 2022/early 2023, do I?

How do I water glass eggs?

To water glass eggs, you need to have:

• Container to hold eggs (glass or food grade plastic, with lid that closes tightly)
• Clean, unwashed eggs (from your coop or a local farmer; do not use store bought eggs)
• Pickling lime
• Water (city water needs to be filtered, good well water does not)

Eggs need to be clean but not washed—which means you definitely should not be using store bought eggs. Farm fresh eggs from your coop laid by a hen who doesn’t make a mess of her eggs are the best eggs for water glassing.

Did I mention don’t wash the eggs? Because you definitely should not wash the eggs for this project.

Once you have the clean eggs, place them in the jar or container pointy side down (as much as you can). Be very careful when placing the eggs in the container, and when moving the container around. If the eggs crack, it can ruin the entire jar. Be very gentle with these eggs!

How do I make the water glassing solution?

To make the water glassing solution, mix one quart of water with one ounce of pickling lime. While you want to make sure the lime is “completely dissolved” in the water, also be aware that after it sits it will definitely separate. Don’t freak out if you see a layer of lime on the bottom of the jar or resting on the eggs. This is totally normal and should be expected.

Note: I remember stirring my pickling lime and water for a really long time and still not having it completely dissolve. Someone told me it that was as good as it was going to get, and it must have been fine because I’ve not had an issue with the water glassed eggs going bad.

After you make the water glassing solution, pour it over the eggs in the jar.

Be aware that you do not have to collect all the eggs at once to start this project. You can continue adding eggs to your water glassing solution filled jar for as long as it takes until the jar is full. Just make sure that the solution stays above the eggs and that the eggs are completely submerged. You can absolutely make and add more solution if necessary.

Cover the jar and put it in a safe spot where it won’t get jostled. Some sources say a cool dark place is best, but ours sat on our kitchen counter for a whole year.

How long do water glassed eggs last?

If done correctly, water glassed eggs have been known to last at least a year—often times much longer!

How do I use water glassed eggs?

To use water glassed eggs, take them from the container you saved them in and rinse them thoroughly. Inspect them for cracks. It is said that a cracked egg will contaminate the entire jar of eggs.

However, it is also said that the shells of water glassed eggs are sealed so well that you have to poke them with a pin before you can hard boil them, or you risk an egg explosion. So take all that “cracked egg ruins the whole jar” advice however you want.

Can you seriously eat water glassed eggs that are a year old?

You not only can, but they’re still as delicious as the day they were laid! I recently tried our first batch of water glassed eggs from March 2022 (in March of 2023) and treated myself to scrambled eggs for lunch.

They were delicious, and except for a slight difference in texture when they went into the frying pan, you never would have known they were a year old once they were on my plate.

Water glassed eggs are great for scrambled eggs and for baking. It is difficult, however, to make an over easy egg type meal as the yolks on older water glassed eggs sometimes break more easily. The egg whites also tend to be thinner.

Can I hard boil water glassed eggs?

You can, but as stated earlier, you have to poke a hole in the egg shell before doing so. Since the water glassing solution basically seals off the egg shell, hard boiling water glassed eggs can actually cause them to explode. Just poke a small hole in the shell before you hard boil them and you’re good to go!

Water glassing is a great way to preserve eggs!

Water glassing is a simple way to preserve your extra eggs to keep them long term without the need for refrigeration. Have you tried to water glass eggs? Let me know how it worked out for you in the comments!

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