How to Preserve Eggs.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1774, 21 December 1885, Page 3

How to Preserve Eggs.

The reason why an egg becomes stale is that evaporation of some of its elements takes placs. This evaporation begins soon after the egg is laid. There is a decided difference between an egg newlv laid and one three days old, and a greater difference between a three and a seven days old egg, presuming that no special pains have been taken to arrest the evaporation spoken of. A new-laid egg is milky in the white, and no amount of boiling can remove this, whereas an older one is firmer and dryer. Evaporation goes on so rapidly that there is an appreciable difference in the size of the air space in an egg a weekold and one just laid. Egg merchants judge as to the freshness of au egg entirely in this way. But not only does evaporation go on, bat there is an absorption by the egg through the pores of the shell and this accentuates the deterioration of the egg. Therefore, it would at once appear that the first object should be the closing of the pores cf the shell so as to prevent either absorption or evaporation. In theory there can be no donbt that this is correct. But when the (introduction of other elements takes place it must be apparent that the influence o. 1 these elements will have to be considered. It these, in stopping the outer air or heat, set up some other conditions which are equally oi more un« favorable to the preservation of an egg, then the effect will be more or less injurious. This explains the failure of many methods of preservation, as, for instance, the coating of the shell with wax or melted paraffin, and even in some cases the use of salt. What ever is used should be innocuous, and also have no elements therein which will, when brought into contact with those inside the egg, set up decomposition , and not only so, but, if the enveloping or preserving element b» much dryer than the egg and absorbent in its nature, the white will be affected in the same way as when left exposed to the air. Thus common salt is an admirable preservative, and, so far as the edible qualities of the egg are concerned, answers very well indeed. But, when kept in it, the contents of the egg are found to be very much reduced, so much so that they shake when agitated—always objectionable in any egg. This, therefore, has to be kept in mind. Very many experiments have been made of late years as to the preservation of eggs, and at the London Dairy and Birmingham Fat Stock Shows during the last two years prizes have been offered for eggs so preserved. These, aa well as many private tests, have shown that lime water is, all things considered, the best. A pound of lime should be allowed for every gallon of water used, and the two well stirred together. This preparation perfectly excludes the air and any germs that might cause mildew or mould. At the same time, as the enveloping material is equally moist with that within, there can be no evaporation an 4 the contents of the egg are not at all reduced in bulk. It is important that there should be a sediment cf lime at the bottom of the water, for lime is very sparingly soluble in water, and if cleat lime liquid is exposed to the air the upper surface absorbs carbonic acid, and the June is converted into insoluble chalk, which falls to the bottom, and leaves the solution inert. But if some nndissolved lime be left therein, as fast as one portion of the lime is carbonised and precipitated, another is dissolved, and the preservative action is thus kept up. Eggs can be kept in barrels or eartbernware vessels, and it is desirable to keep them in a cool, dark place, bat one which is freely ventilated and sweet, for if these latter conditions are not regarded, some other antagonistic iofiuences may commence to work upon the lime water. A variation of this process has been most successful, and a gentleman who tried kept egg? from last May to December (six months), and they Wfre, at the latter period, scarcely distinguishable from new-laid ones. He used lime made into a thick paste, in which the eggs were placed. The lima was of course slacked. Bat he was careful that every egg should be absolutely newly laid, so that no time should have been given for the setting in of decomposition in any form. 'Whatever system is adopted the use of newly laid eggs should be rigidly adhered to, and if they can be pnt down when warm from the nest, it will be all the better. Eggs preserved by either of the processes described above will crack in the boiling for the reason already mentioned, but this can be avoided by simply pricking the broad end before they ore placed in the pan. When eggs axe to be kept for not longer than a month, a simpler plan will be to rub them over with butter, so as to close the pores of the shell, aud to place them with the broad end downwards on a perforated board in a cool room. Such a perforated board can be very easily made, as the holes need be no more than an inch in diameter ; or stands can be purchased lor that purpose. Lattice wirework, with inch space, will do equally well, and either this or a perforated, board, should be in the larder of every poultry-keeper. But for keeping eggs longer than a month this system is not sufficient.— Rural Australian.