The Storage of Eggs

Abstract

Eggs are preserved, on the commercial scale, almost universally by means of cold air storage. For the small producer or consumer, such a procedure is generally impracticable and resort has been made to simpler methods. Packing the eggs in sand, bran, ashes, lime, or salt was once used, but these methods bava now been abandoned in favour of storage in solution in which the eggs are immersed and held until required for use. The choice of a suitable solution is determined by certain considerations. The shell of the eggs and its adhering membranes are permeable to water and certain dissolved substances; so care has to be taken lest the preserving solution contains an ingredient likely to pass into the eggs, thereby affecting its flavour or contaminating it in some way. Various substances have been tried and rejected for different reasons, so that, at present, the two solutions most commonly used are a solution of sodium silicate, better known as water gloss, and lime water. An excellent alternative method is known as buttered eggs. Fundamentally, egg preservation still requires a certain degree of cold, and, although for satisfactory results constancy of temperature is unnecessary, it is essential that the eggs should be stored in a cool place where, if possible, the temperature should always be in the range of 33° to 50° F.