The practice of storing eggs in lime water goes back centuries, and it’s still one of the best ways to preserve eggs without refrigeration.
Anyone who has kept chickens knows that egg production doesn’t always line up with demand.
In the spring months, you’ll be buried in fresh eggs, right when you’re excited to be outdoors planting the garden and couldn’t care less about baking. Production stays strong all summer when it’s too hot to run the oven, and you’re too worn out in the evenings to bother anyway.
Then in the fall, right as cozy weather starts, production starts to slip.
By winter, when the days are short, and you’re ready for some comfort food baking, they may have stopped laying altogether.
These days, industrial chicken operations turn on banks of lights to keep the ladies cranking out eggs year-round (and just replace the chickens at 2 years old as they wear out from laying nonstop). That’s a relatively new thing though, and the option of a steady year-round egg supply has only really existed for the past few decades.
Historically, how did people preserve eggs to ensure a steady winter supply?
The answer is, they had literally dozens of methods to preserve eggs.
They stored them in wood ash, wheat bran, and straw, or coated them with butter or lard, or kneaded them into homemade pasta that was hung to dry.
Most of the methods rely on a few simple principles:
- Start with clean, fresh eggs.
- Don’t wash the eggs at all. That removes their natural “bloom” that prevents bacteria from entering through pores in the shell. (Grocery store eggs are washed, and will not keep outside the refrigerator. Do not attempt this, or any other egg preservation technique with grocery store eggs.)
- Keep the eggs cool, but not too cold. An egg is a living thing, and it’ll stay fresh best unwashed and at around 50 degrees (root cellar cool).
- If possible, seal the pores off further to prevent contamination within the egg. Oil, ash, and lime are the most popular choices.
Simply storing fresh, unwashed eggs in a cool environment (around 50 degrees) will buy you a lot of time. We’ve taken our fresh eggs and stored them in the basement dependably for up to 4 months, and occasionally as long as 6 months, no treatment required (so long as they’re not washed).
If you’d like to dependably store eggs for longer than 4 months, like if you’re trying to store an overabundance of spring eggs for the next winter’s baking, you’ll need a bit of help to get them to keep that long.
While many different methods work, most have drawbacks.
Storing in ash, for example, makes the eggs taste a bit musty and smokey. Storing in salt draws water out of the egg, and makes them taste a bit salty.
Storing eggs in sodium silicate, known as “Waterglassing” was really popular for a time. Incredibly dependable, the eggs didn’t spoil for years…but they changed.
Sodium silicate is used for sealing tile these days, and it softened the shells and penetrated the eggs…changing their flavor, and even their structure. Waterglassed eggs whites won’t whip, and there’s never really been any testing on the impacts of eating a boatload of sodium silicate for breakfast.
So what does work? Storing eggs in a food-safe lime solution made with pickling lime (calcium hydroxide).
The calcium solution seals the eggshells and effectively preserves the eggs for a year or more.
Though it’s called “pickling lime” it doesn’t make pickled eggs. The process keeps the eggs in the same state, and once you pull them out of the solution, they can be used just like a fresh egg. They fry up beautifully, and the white still whip to stiff peaks.
It’s called “pickling lime” because it’s used to firm up veggies before pickling, namely dill pickles, and old-fashioned watermelon rind pickles. It works the same way to firm up the eggshells and seal them at the same time.
Don’t believe me? Here’s someone cooking with eggs after a full year in lime water:
How to Preserve Eggs in Lime Water
Preserving eggs in lime water starts with making a lime/water solution.
The ratio is one ounce of lime powder (by weight) to one quart of water.
(That’s about 28 grams per quart of water or about 2 heaping tablespoons.)
I’ll measure out the solution in a quart mason jar, and one quart of the solution is just about right for filling a half-gallon mason jar once the eggs have been added.
Give the jar a shake, and you’ll have a milky white liquid. Much of the lime will settle out to the bottom over time (that’s normal), but what you’re doing here is making a saturated lime solution.
Some sources say that as little as 1 part lime to 700 parts water creates a saturated solution, but other sources say that the lime may not be completely pure, and you need to use a bit more to be sure. Still, others recommend as much as 1 part lime to 2 parts water.
At a rate of one ounce to a quart, there’s a lot that settles out of the solution, and it’s a good middle ground that ensures that the solution is saturated (without wasting a boatload of lime in the process).
Carefully select eggs that are super fresh and clean, without cracks or issues, pulled from clean nesting boxes that day.
Fill a clean jar with the eggs, and then pour the lime-water solution over the eggs. Be sure that the eggs are completely submerged, and then cap up the jar.
Cap up the jar, and store it in a cool place, like a basement, pantry, or cool closet on the north side of the house.
A half-gallon mason jar will hold roughly 14 to 18 eggs, depending on size. You can also use something like these one-gallon glass jars, which will hold about three dozen eggs.
Historically, they would have been stored in wooden barrels or ceramic crocks (like this one that I use to make sauerkraut a gallon at a time).
Alternatively, a food-safe plastic bucket will work if you want to store them in bulk.
We keep our jars of eggs in the basement, right next to my home-canned goods and root-cellared apples.
Once you’re ready to use the eggs, simply remove them from the solution and give them a rinse before cracking. Rinsing ensures that the lime solution doesn’t get into the egg as it’s cracked, which will impact the flavor.
Then, cook with the eggs as you otherwise would.
Other Lime-Based Egg Preservation Methods
I found a reference to preserving eggs in lime water in the book from the 1950s called “Stocking Up.” It contains all manner of historical food preservation information and has a whole chapter on eggs.
It notes that most people “found some way to clog up the pores of the eggshells so that moisture would not escape and air could not enter. Eggs were rubbed with grease, zinc, or boric ointment, or submerged in a solution of lime, salt, cream of tartar, and water.”
While stocking up does not give proportions, I found a reference on a historical food and cookery site that suggest this method:
“To one pint of slacked lime, add one pint of salt, two ounces of cream of tartar, and four gallons of water. Boil all together for ten minutes. Skim, and when cold, pour it over the eggs. Lay a light saucer upon the top to keep them underwater, and keep in a cool place. Renew the lime water every three weeks.”
The downside of this mixed solution is that the salt permeates the shells and will flavor the eggs, so I’d suggest going with a simple lime solution.
Fresh Eggs Only (Not Grocery Store Eggs)
Food Preservation Tutorials
Looking for more historical food preservation tutorials?
- Salt-Cured Duck Breast
- Preserving Cheese in Wood Ash
- Salt Cured Egg Yolks
- 18th Century Farmhouse Cheddar
- How to Preserve a Whole Pig Without Refrigeration
Meredith Russell
Love this suggestion. Love your site. I read it every day, as an antidote to political drama. Thanks so much!
Ashley Adamant
Wonderful, glad you found it helpful and so glad to have you along!
Katie
Interested to try this, but I was a bit unclear–if I happened to get some unwashed eggs from someone a couple of weeks ago (I did) and they’ve been sitting unwashed in the fridge all that time, can I try putting them in the solution or do they need to be like….that day fresh?
Ashley Adamant
They should be same-day fresh and never refrigerated.
Tracy
I’m sorry, not sure why that says fridge….they’re in the basement. I went ahead and did the task. Some floated up which I figured are older, the rest sunk to the bottom and are submerged under a few inches 9f solution. I like to think the bucket sorted them for me. The floaters are now teriyaki pickled eggs!
Samantha South
What happens when they have been refrigerated? And then water glassed? How do you tell if your water glassed eggs have went bad?
Administrator
They really need to be eggs that you have gathered the same day and they need to be clean and unwashed. If they have been washed, if they are dirty or if they are not gathered the same day, they should not be water glassed. Just like any other egg, you will know when they are bad as soon as you crack them.
Liz
Can you reuse the lime water or should it be made fresh everytime?
Ashley Adamant
Make fresh each time.
Lanell
When I asked this question months ago on another site, I was told to use that day’s eggs. So I’ve been putting 3 dozen in a gallon bucket which could be 2-3 days of eggs, not washed (I wipe them off with dry cloth and only use clean eggs) and NOT refrigerated. I haven’t opened any yet, but am assuming they will be gone when I do on December. They will be 6-8 months old at that time.
Sara Trout
Amen !
Caroline Sale
Could you please define ‘lime’ for me. Are we talking about lime extracted from the fruit or lime that is added to soil and other things to cleanse and alter acidity? As the latter is a harsh substance I feel it warrants checking before use. Many thanks
Ashley Adamant
It’s a specific type of lime (calcium hydroxide), which is processed from limestone. It’s a white powder, as shown in the pictures, and has nothing to do with limes the fruit.
There are multiple preparations of limestone, many for agricultural use that are processed in different ways and are chemically different, but what you want is food safe pickling lime labeled as calcium hydroxide. This particular preparation involves cooking limestone in kilns and then processing it with water before it’s packaged as a dry powder.
It’s not anything chemically crazy, just limestone that’s been prepared a specific way.
Caroline Sale
Many thanks for the clarification. Often when we read information originating in a different country to our own, meanings often differ. For instance I have my own hens and I also possess a bag of horticultural lime! So glad I thought to ask lol!
Rebecca Gray
I read most of the questions and your answers and I think you are spot on correct. Did you know that this was the preferred method used at Mount Vernon by George and Martha Washington? Chickens back then often quit laying in the winter. Ours are better today, but many slow egg production in winter today also. You had extra in summer, and few if any in winter. Good post, thank you.
Linda Pegg
I found some at our local Ace Hardware It is the regular Pickling lime.
Kathy D.
Could you use store bought eggs?
Ashley Adamant
No, this won’t work with store-bought eggs, at least in the US where they’re always washed before getting to the store. (In other countries, they actually often intentionally don’t wash the eggs before market so they keep longer.)
In the US, they’re washed before they’re packed, which means their pores are open and bacteria is getting inside the egg from the moment it leaves the farm. That’s why they must be refrigerated, to prevent the bacteria that have already gotten in from proliferating.
(Farm fresh egg that are unwashed, on the other hand, can be stored at room temperature for extended periods without issue, and this is what they do in Europe and most of the rest of the world.)
If you’re lucky and find a good local farmer you trust, you can purchase fresh unwashed eggs from them in bulk to store, but you can’t use anything from a grocery store refrigerator case.
Jamie In Wyoming
You have the patience of a saint.
Cyndi Acuff
Lol! I agree! If people would read the article or blog that is with the recipe, it would save a lot of time and frustration on the part of the poster! 😉
KO
Would this work on store bought eggs?
Ashley Adamant
No, this won’t work with store-bought eggs, at least in the US where they’re always washed before getting to the store. (In other countries, they actually often intentionally don’t wash the eggs before market so they keep longer.)
In the US, they’re washed before they’re packed, which means their pores are open and bacteria is getting inside the egg from the moment it leaves the farm. That’s why they must be refrigerated, to prevent the bacteria that have already gotten in from proliferating.
(Farm fresh egg that are unwashed, on the other hand, can be stored at room temperature for extended periods without issue, and this is what they do in Europe and most of the rest of the world.)
If you’re lucky and find a good local farmer you trust, you can purchase fresh unwashed eggs from them in bulk to store, but you can’t use anything from a grocery store refrigerator case.
Hollea M
So sometimes my eggs are dirty with poop, mud etc. Do you just leave them that way when preparing to store them in the pickling lime?
Ashley Adamant
You can’t preserve those unfortunately. This technique only works with eggs that come out of the coop clean, and all others should be saved for immediate use. If you want to use this technique, you really have to meticulously maintain your nesting boxes, even still probably 20% of the eggs will still be dirty. That’s ok though, as you can still preserve most of them, and you’ll still have the dirty ones for fresh eating now.
Shanna
Can you take the eggs out as needed or do you need to use them all once the jar is opened ?
Ashley Adamant
Yes, you can just take the eggs out as needed.
Marcia
Love to try the lime solution for saving my eggs up to a year!
Illini Warrior
the modern version of the old fashion earthenware crocks is the modern pop cooler – a great protective & climate control storage tote for a variety of fragile type items when not in food preservation mode …..
with a larger size storage tote you can store the eggs in the traditional dozen lot egg cartons >> this also assists with a monthly 180-degree rotational flip that many egg preservists recommend (keeps yoke from attaching to shell – ?????) ….
Kimberly W
Once eggs are in solution can you add more eggs each day?
April
I have boughten farm eggs, they have been rinsed in water not washed with soap. Will they work?
Administrator
Once the eggs have been washed, even with plain water, the bloom is removed which protects and helps to preserve the eggs.
Pam
What if i put the eggs them in the pickling lime dirty. Can i remove and use if only 24 hours. The recipe i had found never said clean unwashed eggs.
Administrator
It’s very important to use fresh, clean eggs that have been gathered that day.
Tracy
I put mine in a large bucket. I had 9 dozen. Sometimes they float to the top and are not completely submerged. What do I do about that?
David Hurst
I enjoy your articles! I was raised on a chicken farm, having 7,000+ hens, and I never imagined there was a way to store eggs for so long-we had no need to store eggs as they were in constant supply. The video was awesome, great article!
CRYSTAL
Thank you Ashley for this and all you do! I was just thinking about this (best way to preserve eggs) because eggs are so useful and nutritious. I’ve been exploring other methods of preservation such as fermentation and dehydration (did you know you can dehydrate egg yolks?), and I’m in the process of perfecting a killer fermented hot sauce made with the abundance of peppers I got from my organic garden this year! My question is, I wonder how long these would last at “room temp”? I do tend to keep my house on the cooler side (64-67 F) but sadly I don’t have a root cellar and keeping them in the fridge kind of defeats the purpose, although I do understand that they would last longer than if they weren’t in lime water, but my refrigerator space is limited. So how long do you think they would last at an average temp of 65 F? Thanks!
Ashley Adamant
Good question, and honestly, I don’t have a good answer for you. I know I’ve kept eggs (just unwashed in cartons) at room temp for about 4 weeks without issue, but in my basement, they last about twice that…sometimes more. I’m sorry, I wish I knew the answer to this one.
Tmblack
28 days from the time it was layed is the general timeframe that eggs can sit out of the refrigerator after collecting from your hens.
Mike C.
My hens do not produce a large amount of eggs, but I would like to know if I can preserve them daily. In other words, can I start with an initial batch, and then add whatever is laid that next day (at least until I exceed the container).
Ashley Adamant
So I’ve done that, but I don’t pour all the lime water in at once. I make the lime water and keep it to the side, then I put the eggs I have in the jar. I pour the lime water over the top to cover them by about an inch and stop. The next day, I add more eggs and then add more lime water (shaking the separate lime water jar to make sure it’s really distributed in there before pouring it over) to top it off and keep them covered by at least an inch.
This honestly might not be strictly necessary, as in theory the lime water should be completely saturated in the jar and you should just be able to add them…none the less, that’s the way I do it for perhaps irrational reasons. Either way, that way works for me!
Kim
Two questions….I have 3- 1/2 gallon jars filled, I am keeping them in the refrigerator because I don’t have my root cellar in place yet, Is this okay? We live in Az and I don’t have 50 degrees anywhere in my home.
And…I also noticed yesterday that 2 eggs in one jar have a fracture. I took them out and cracked them (not to eat) and the membrane was still intake. The rest of the eggs look fine, with no change in the color, but does fall in the category of one cracked egg will spoil the whole jar?
Love your site!
Administrator
It definitely won’t hurt to keep them in the fridge. As far as the cracked eggs, I would just try to use up that batch as soon as possible. You may be ok it the membrane was still intact and you will certainly know if any of the other eggs are bad.
Gin
Hi Ashley, thank you for this post. I’ve often wondered just HOW to preserve eggs, and now you’ve helped with this question. Again, thank you! love your blog.
Coryl Mcgrath
Thank you so much for all of your knowledge. I only have a few hens, and it could take a few days to get enough eggs to fill a half gallon jar. Could I make it up and add eggs each day after until it’s full, or does it all need to be done at once?
Ashley Adamant
So I’ve done that, but I don’t pour all the lime water in at once. I make the lime water and keep it to the side, then I put the eggs I have in the jar. I pour the lime water over the top to cover them by about an inch and stop. The next day, I add more eggs and then add more lime water (shaking the separate lime water jar to make sure it’s really distributed in there before pouring it over) to top it off and keep them covered by at least an inch.
This honestly might not be strictly necessary, as in theory the lime water should be completely saturated in the jar and you should just be able to add them…none the less, that’s the way I do it for perhaps irrational reasons. Either way, that way works for me!
Grace
Thank you! Was about to ask the same question!
Administrator
You’re very welcome.
susan pearson
I have 14 hens and a rooster. They free range but lay their eggs in coop nests and get locked in at night. On rainy days, often the eggs will have mud on them. May I preserve dirty eggs in the pickled lime?
Ashley Adamant
Nope, they’ve gotta be clean. Ours get dirty too, but we save those for fresh eating (or store them in the cool pantry, unwashed for up to 4 weeks). Long term storage eggs like this need to be clean on their own.
Sue
Should I dissolve the lime ?in boiling water then let cool or just use cold water and mix well
Ashley Adamant
Cool water and mix well works just fine. This is a supersaturated solution, so it’s not going to all dissolve, just put it in a jar with cool water and give it a really good shake.
Nikki
Hello! I live in South Texas and I can’t store eggs at 50 degrees. Could I put them in the refrigerator?
Kind Regards, Nikki
Ashley Adamant
Sounds reasonable to me?
Chris
I’m in upstate NY and cold temps are an issue. When I gather my eggs in afternoon they’re sometimes very cold (like refrigerated). I know refrigerated, unwashed farm eggs need to remain refrigerated because they can sweat and allow penetration so my question is can my cold eggs go into this solution?
Cindy Johnson
Hello I’m interested in getting your answer
to Chris’ question from Jan 11, 2021, at 12:05am upstate New York. I live in western Montana and have the cold issues too. Thank you for your assistance and education! 🇺🇸🤗🇺🇸
Administrator
I am actually not sure of the answer to that question. Since most people are preserving those eggs during the warmer months when the egg production is at its peak, there probably isn’t a lot of information on that.
Lauree
question…i put fresh eggs from my chickens in lime water for the first time. the liquid toward the top appears to be getting dark. what could that be? is the whole batch ruined if i screwed something up?
Administrator
Were the eggs dirty when you put them in the limewater?
lauree
actually i tried to be very careful about them being clean. i did another jar and it appears to be fine. i wonder if an egg was cracked and i just didn’t see it. i am getting ready to use them just to check the method.
Administrator
Yes, that’s definitely a possibility. Something definitely wasn’t right with that first batch. Hopefully, your second batch turns out well.
Brian Torsell
Thanks for the article! Can you reuse the lime solution or do you suggest replacing it after a certain amount of time?
Administrator
That’s a good question. I don’t really know that answer but my suggestion would be to start with fresh solution each time just to be safe.
Brian Torsell
That makes sense. I did read that hydrated lime loses its effectiveness over time once it’s exposed to the air.
Kristina
I had this same question… I don’t see why it wouldn’t be useful again if under the 2 year point based on other resources I’ve read, but it seems he most popular thing to do it dump used solution and begin again fresh. It’s a shame though, it seems wasteful. I’m thinking of trying this on a small scale to see what the results are for reusing solution.
MARY JO MORRIS
I AM GETTING READY. ORDER EGGS TODAY BOUGHT GOOD WATER. AND PICK UP LIME TOMORROW. I HATE TO RUN OUT OF FRESH EGGS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
Administrator
You’re very welcome.
Toby
Just curious, how long does it take an egg to dry after it’s layed and does the straw in their nests help with this? I really enjoyed learning how to preserve them.
Administrator
It takes just a few minutes for the bloom to dry on the egg. I am not sure how much the straw would help with this other than maybe allowing for more airflow around the egg.
Lanell Luksa
Can you use fresh eggs that are a few days old? I started saving clean eggs but the pickling lime that was supposed to come on Thursday, didn’t come until the next Monday. So do the eggs need to be that day fresh or is a few days on the counter okay?
Administrator
The recommendation is to use eggs that are pulled from the nesting boxes that day. I would just use the eggs that you have been saving and start preserving those that are laid after you receive the pickling lime.
Paula
I had about a dozen eggs in lime water for about 2 weeks; then I broke an egg in the mixture, so I removed the eggs and rinsed them lightly, then made another lime solution and put them back. Is that ok, or should I not have rinsed them? Should I just use them up? I wasn’t sure if the bloom and the lime water had already done it’s job and sealed the egg.
Administrator
I am not really sure. I would probably use them up to be safe but you could leave 1 or 2 in there and just see how they do.
Chad
I have done this and it does work 🙂
Does anyone know if after you have used up all the eggs in your pickling lime H20 solution if you can reuse or refresh the pickling lime water for the next fresh batch of eggs??
Administrator
That’s a good question. I don’t really know that answer but my suggestion would be to start with fresh solution each time just to be safe.
Sarah Price
That was going to be my question too. I wonder if we did a test batch and see how long it takes till eggs start to float in the reused water solution?
Carol L
Silly question, but : I wonder where our ancestors got the pickling lime from?? Any thoughts?
Administrator
I found this article that talks a little more about the history. https://vintagerecipesandcookery.com/preserve-eggs-slaked-lime-water-glass/
Heather
I live in texas and my house stays around 70°. Unfortunately i don’t have a root cellar or basement. I want to store them in lime water but I’m not sure where to keep them? Any suggestions?
Administrator
You could try keeping them in the limewater at room temperature. They will most likely keep longer than if they were not in the limewater but not as long as in the limewater and cooler temperatures. You could do a little experiment and see how long they would last.
Jen
The only pickle crisp granules I could find were Calcium Chloride. Will that work the same or no?
Administrator
I don’t know the answer to that. Everything I have read shows to use the Calcium Hydroxide. If you can’t find it locally, you can probably order some online.
Pam
I asked a question about already putting dirty eggs in the water 24 hours ago not knowing they could not be and that they needed to be fresh that day. But then was looking around and found this site. Now what can I do with the eggs?
Forgot to request an email comment n quefstion.
Administrator
You could do some more research to find out but I would probably toss them. It’s likely that the bacteria from the dirty eggs could have penetrated the shell by this point.
Phyllis
Do you know if you can seal the jar with a metal lid?
Administrator
I believe that the lime can react to some metals so it would probably be safer to use plastic or glass.
lori Von Aswege
can you use the pickled lime on chicken eggs already refrigerated a couple days?
Administrator
It is recommended that you only use eggs that have been gathered the same day. If they are several days old, I would not suggest it even if they have been in the refrigerator.
Kristina
I did this all summer long and finally used an egg today! However… the egg was terribly foul smelling. What did I do wrong?? I haven’t cracked another yet.
Administrator
Did you use fresh, clean, unwashed eggs?
Kristina
Yes, straight from the coop and unwashed 🙁
Administrator
I would go ahead and crack some others and just check them. It could have been that one egg.
Jim
I saw this site a bit late and just learned I’m supposed to use clean eggs gathered that day. I did a batch in mid November that had sat out for up to a week or so.
I’ve been eating them but the yolk is really runny. My wife said they smell like fish or seaweed but I didn’t notice anything. Am I to assume the runny yolk is because they weren’t put in solution right away? These are also Amish eggs so I don’t know how old they are.
Administrator
If you are storing eggs in limewater you do not want to wash them before putting them in the solution. You need to be sure that they are very clean though and that they are put in the solution the same day that they are collected. I personally would not put eggs in limewater that I hadn’t collected myself to ensure that they were handled properly. If the yolks are runny and there is an off smell, I would say that they are probably bad.
Jen Holden
Hi Ashley,
I used the lime preservation method last year, from April through September 2021 whenever I had extra eggs. I started to use them in February 2022. I have found they taste good and are fine for scrambled eggs or baking. But they are not good for frying, which is fine. The Yolks are often broken and sticking to the shell when I cracked into the bowl and the whites are very runny. I wonder if you have experienced this? I wonder if this is normal or if something has gone slightly wrong.
Also, my half gallon glass jar has a ring of lime crust around the rim where the water level was. I can’t seem to soak it off or scrape it off. Any solutions to this problem?
Thanks for all your guidance in so many fields. Jen
Administrator
I have not heard of this issue with the yolks sticking to the shell. I do think it’s pretty common for the yolks to break more easily though. Have you tried vinegar for the crust around the rim?
Josh Fittler
There has been a few comments on here about how long the eggs keep under different conditions and under different levels of soiling. I have only started my first batch of eggs using this method today, but I have been keeping chooks for 20 something years and I have some useful observations. I often keep eggs for hatching and sometimes a carton gets misplaced . I might not find this carton for 2 – 3 years. These eggs seldom go bad because I’m conscious to save only clean eggs for setting. They do however completely dehydrate so that there is only a yellow amber like hard substance occupying about 5 – 10% of the shell. I think the lesson here is that the bloom will protect the egg from bacteria and going fowl, but it does not protect it from dehydration. Submersing an egg in water will protect from dehydration, but it needs additional protection from bacteria. The lime produces a very alkaline environment which cannot support bacterial growth, so as long as there are no bacteria inside the shell, in theory the eggs shouldn’t go bad, but the structure of the egg white and yolk will slowly deteriorate over time, and it is this factor which determines how degraded are you willing to eat an egg, even if it’s safe from bacteria…
Carrie
My sister-in-law has chickens and gives me eggs but they’ve always been refrigerated before giving to me. She forgets to not refrigerate them. Anyway., WHY can’t one bring refrigerated fresh eggs to room temp, then preserve them? What is the deal with them being refrigerated?
Thank you
Carrie
Ashley Adamant
Refrigeration has the potential to kill the embryo inside and start deterioration before they’re put into the lime water. That’s theoretical, and honestly, they do tend to get cold outside in the coop in the early spring anyway.
The main thing is they absolutely must be unwashed and very fresh. I think it’s possible it might work if they’re refrigerated for a day or two, but if they’ve been in here fridge all week or longer then no. (I don’t know, I’ve never tried it, so that’s just my best guess…at your own risk and all). Either way, just be 100% sure she’s not wetting them or washing them.
Sorry that I can’t be more helpful here, but I’ve never worked with refrigerated eggs here and every guide I’ve found says not to do it. Why? I can’t say for sure.
Jen
I think when the eggs are refrigerated it can cause condensation which can remove the bloom.
Thank you for your article. I will be staying a bucket this week.
Carrie
Up to how many days old can an un-refrigerated unwashed egg be to still preserve it in lime water? I’m hoping I can get some from my sister-in-law but she does not live in the same town as me so the eggs could be 2-3 days old before I get them, that’s why I ask. Thank you again.
Administrator
It is recommended to only use eggs that have been collected that day.
Carrie
Makes sense! Thank you.
Laura in Ontario
I wonder where pickling lime can be purchased? I’m in Canada. I’ve never seen this in a grocery or hardware store, and on Amazon the bag pictured is $30!
Administrator
It can also sometimes be called hydrated lime or slacked lime. It should be in the section with the other canning and preserving supplies.
carrie
Dear Laura in Ontario,
I found this place (link below) and emailed them March 31, 2022 asking when they will have pickling lime (calcium hydroxide) back in stock. They emailed me back April 1 and below is their reply along with the link to this product on their site. To date it’s not in stock but I recommend checking with them often to see when it will be back in stock. According to their message below, it shouldn’t be long. As to shipping cost and where they ship you would have to contact them. Hope this helps!
https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/search/pickling%20lime
Thank you for contacting Azure Standard. I have checked on the product information on the Cal Lime, Calcium Hydroxide, Food Grade and it appears that this is marked as a “short-term” outage. This typically means that we are actively working with our vendor to get this product back in stock.
Unfortunately, at this time we do not have an arrival date, but we will update our website as soon as that information becomes available.
Kimberly S
Ashley, our ducks lay lovely eggs for us daily, but, they lay them in the creek….which is kind of like washing the eggs. So I’m assuming this lime process would not work in my case, correct? If not, are we still safe to eat and use the eggs if they are refrigerated once we harvest them out of the water (which is quite cool all the time in our neck of the woods here in the foothills of NC).
Administrator
Yes, that would be the same as washing. They are definitely fine to eat once you harvest them out of the water but I would store them in the fridge since the bloom will have been washed off.
JoyceWills
You can freeze them…I baked with duck eggs for years…makers the best cakes
Joyce Wills
Back in the day when |I farmed I froze the fresh eggs. Broke them into margarine tubs, marked 1, 2, or 3 depending on number of eggs in each one. They work fine for cooking and baking and I always had lots so could bake all year long.
Vija
This was very interesting, I liked this story.
Administrator
Thank you. We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
Survivormann99
Can the lime solution be used several times with new batches of eggs? If so, how many times?
Administrator
I personally would recommend using new lime solution each time just to be safe.
Amanda
Does it matter if the eggs are fertilized? We keep roosters at all times so ours would only be fertilized eggs. Thanks!!
Administrator
Nope, doesn’t matter at all as long as they are fresh.
Mandy
Any idea how to dispose of previously used lime solution? I had great success doing this with my eggs last year, and I need to start again (so many eggs!) but I haven’t found any advice on how to dispose of the solution properly. Thanks!
Administrator
There is no special way to dispose of the solution. You can simply pour it down the drain when you are finished with it.
Richard Mueller
Can Chemstar Type S Organic Hydrated Lime be used as a pickling lime? Thank you
Administrator
Pickling lime and hydrated lime should be the same.
Inger
Do these truly need to be eggs picked the same day? Then this is only useful for people with chickens. I am trying to deal with extra (unwashed) eggs from my CSA–probably a week or so old when I get them.
Administrator
I’m sorry but the recommendation is for eggs that are gathered that day for limewater preservation. You can look into other methods such as freezing or freeze drying.
Phyllis
I have glassed eggs from between 1-3 days and they have been fine. I would even venture to try 4 or 5 , but thats me.
Jim Koehler
I’ve stored unwashed eggs from my Amish neighbors that have sat for a couple weeks before I had enough to fill the bucket. They were used through the winter up to 6 months until we could get fresh eggs again. The eggs were fine but over time the yolk softens but the flavor and smell were the same.
Lauri Richardson
Greetings from southern Vermont! I read your article and through all of the comments, put away dozens of eggs through the spring and summer. Today we ran out of fresh eggs and brought up our first 8 qt. Cambro container. Three eggs had cracked, releasing the eggs into the solution. (Initially, all eggs had been fresh, clean and no visible cracks) I seem to remember reading that if that happened, we’d need to throw out the batch—but I can’t find that info again. We cracked one and it smelled fine. Do you think they’re safe? Thank you for all you do!
Administrator
I would definitely be leary of using them if there were cracked eggs in there, but it’s also not hard to tell if an egg is bad or not. What did you decide to do?
Amy T.
Hi there
We recently opened our first batch of preserved eggs. They are 9 months old. There was no foul smell but when cracked open, the yolks just broke open. The egg was entirely runny. We made a scrambled egg out of it which tasted ok, although it lacked that strong protein flavor of a fresh egg, tasted more like store bought. Just wondering if we possibly did something wrong. We’ve cracked open several so far and each one the yolk is broken and runny. I understand the whites are typically runny so I’m curious about my yolks. There has not been one yolk that has held its shape. I don’t have a completely cool space to store them so they are stored in a space that averaged 60-65° temps. We collected and preserved same day, clean eggs only.
Administrator
It sounds like you did everything properly. It’s probably just the warmer temperatures.
Joyce Wills
When we farmed I froze extra eggs…any and every kind, in margarine tubs or plastic containers. One, two or three to a container, marked the lid so I could get the right size for baking, egg salad, etc. Worked every time, no different taste. Cooked well.
Johnny
I read your comment about the eggs being same day fresh and unwashed. I am looking to use 1/2 or 1 gallon jars and don’t get that many eggs in a single day. Can I formulate the limewater and add eggs each day until the jar is full, then store it? If not, would storing them a day or two in a cool place then putting them all in a jar, some a couple days old, ruin the whole batch?
Thanks for the great article.
Johnny
Administrator
Great question! I would just add the eggs into the jar as you get them and they will be just fine.
Johnny
For this process and long term storage, does the jar need to be air tight? I have some great 1/2 gallon wide mouth jars with metal lids but they do not have a liner and will leak water if turned over so I know there are not air tight. Am wondering if they would work or cause problems for long term storage.
Administrator
It is not necessary for them to be completely air tight.
Richard Mueller
Is it normal after like 6 months+ my eggs were great to the taste. I left them in a refrigerator due to warm temps in So. Calif. When I went to fry/ break the egg, the egg white was on the more than runny side. Is this normal?
Administrator
Can you tell me did you use fresh eggs that were collected that day when you initially put them in the limewater?
Rhonda
Are you able to rinse off the preserved eggs and then boil them for egg salad?
Administrator
Yes, they can be used the same way as any fresh egg.
Janee England
Im curious if the water source makes any difference. We are on a well with hard water. And i wonder a out people with city water.
Administrator
That’s a good question. I’m not sure if anyone has done the research on this. Let us know if you’re able to find out. I would say just put a few eggs in and give it a try.
Sara Trout
I was gifted fresh eggs, non washed but each egg is stamped with eye farm’s logo, can these be limed?
Administrator
Eggs should only be limed when they are collected fresh the same day. I’m not sure about the stamp. In the future I would see if you can request it not to be stamped.
Sara
Thank you for replying. I will ask the stamp not be applied…
Sara
Administrator
You’re welcome.