The water glass method of preserving eggs has been used by homesteaders since the 1800s! The process is simple. It uses clean eggs and submerges them into a solution of water and pickling lime to preserve them for up to 18 months without refrigeration! 

Water glassing eggs is a great thing to do in the spring or summer when you have an abundance of eggs. Another great time may be fall if you got a bunch of new laying hens in the spring and they all start laying at the same time. 

Did you know that chickens will only lay a certain amount of eggs in their life? We can force them to lay throughout the winter by giving them more light. But if they are given more light, the length of time they will lay in their life is shortened. 

Water-glassing eggs is a great way to preserve eggs during the high production months so that you can save them for the slower months in the winter. It’s also a great way to have a backup supply in case your chickens stop laying. Chickens can stop laying due to lack of light, stress, injury/illness, lice or mites, etc. 

I choose to water glass extra eggs when I have them and allow the chickens to have their normal biological break in the winter. Win for me, break for them! 

What you’ll need

• Clean eggs
• Large jars – ½ gallon or larger, 1 gallon preferred
• Pickling lime 
• Water 
• Food scale

How to water glass eggs

1. Collect clean eggs over the course of a few days.
2. Weigh out 1 ounce of pickling lime
3. Put the pickling lime into 1 quart of water (use a 4 cup measuring cup) and mix well.
4. Pour into your large jar.
5. Start to put the eggs into the jar, pointy side down.
6. Add the water and lime solution. 
7. Add additional eggs and lime/water solutions until the jar is full of eggs and the eggs are fully submerged. The amount of eggs and lime solution will depend on how large your jar is. 
8. Seal with an airtight lid.
9. Store in a cool dark place for up to 18 months! 

Tips

• You can fit 16-18 eggs into a ½ gallon jar.
• Only use clean eggs. If you plan on water glassing eggs, it can help to clean your coop, add extra bedding, and refresh your laying boxes so more of the eggs are clean. 
• Use filtered water! Best practice is to use a water filter for water that contains chlorine or fluoride. You can also purify it by leaving it out and uncovered for 24 hours or boiling it. 

FAQ

How long can I store these eggs?

The internet seems to agree on a 12-18 month shelf life for water glassed eggs. But some claim they will last up to 2 years. 

How can I use water glassed eggs?

Any way that you use regular eggs! The only difference that is noticeable is cooking a fried egg. The egg white is a tad more runny compared to that of a fresh egg. 

How do I know if an egg has gone bad?

Toss out any eggs that are visibly cracked. If an egg has completely broken and has ruined your lime solution, move the eggs to a new jar and replace the water/lime solution. 

Another way to identify if an egg is bad is if it floats. It’s not easy to tell when they are packed into a jar tightly. Just before using eggs that have been stored you could either do a float test in a glass or simply crack the egg into a bowl and smell it before using it for a recipe. 

Can you water glass store bought eggs?

No! Eggs must be washed before being sold in the grocery store so the protective bloom is no longer intact. The bloom coating around the eggs is required for the preservation to work. The lime solution seals the bloom coating in place making the shell no longer porous. This process of sealing keeps bacteria from entering the egg.