Has anyone heard of dipping eggs in a solution of sodium silicate and water ? Some one told me that they would keep for a year, sounds good. I would like to store reg eggs. Don't like to think about powdered eggs .Also does any one know how long country hams last ? Have a few hanging for y2k, but don't know any thing about them . Any information would be helpful.

-- star connell (js4861@a0l.com), April 22, 1999

Answers

It's called water glassing. It closes the pores in the shell so no air gets in. I don't have specifics but you might try Karla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living or the Foxfire books. It's a "pioneer thing" so other country living books may have it. Don't know about the ham.

-- Lurker (fake@address.here), April 22, 1999.

Star - The following info on preserving eggs showed up on a thread about a month back. Haven't tried any of them yet.

FREEZING EGGS. If you can keep your freezer going it is possible to freeze eggs which can be stored there for up to 12 months. Do not freeze in shell. Blend lightly with fork. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to every 5 eggs. Pack in rigid or wax containers. Use as soon as thawed.3 tablespoons of egg mixture=1 fresh egg. [Another poster commented that eggs frozen in the shell are still good as long as the shell has not cracked. Let them thaw out before breaking the shell and they are fine. However, if the shell is broken, the yolk turns to a rubber ball.]

PARAFFIN Dip store-bought eggs in paraffin and they will keep for months at room temp.

WATER GLASS METHOD (sodium silicate). The eggs must be fresh, preferably not more than two or three days old. Infertile eggs are best if they can be obtained. The shells must be clean. Washing an egg with a soiled shell lessens it keeping quality. The protective gelatinous covering over the shell is removed by water and when this is gone the egg spoils more rapidly. The shells also must be free from even the tiniest crack. One cracked egg will spoil a large number of sound eggs when packed in water glass. Earthenware crocks are good containers. The crocks must be clean and sound. Scald them and let them cool completely before use. A crock holding six gallons will accommodate 18 dozens of eggs and about 22 pints of solution. Too large crocks are not desirable, since they increase the liability of breaking some of the eggs, and spoiling the entire batch. It must be remembered that the eggs on the bottom crack first and that those in the bottom of the crocks are the last to be removed for use. Eggs can be put up in smaller crocks and eggs put in the crock first should be used first in the household. Water glass can be purchased by the quart from druggist or poultry supply men. It is a pale yellow, odorless, syrupy liquid. It is diluted in the proportion of one part of silicate to nine parts of distilled water, rain water, or other water. In any case, the water should be boiled and then allowed to cool. Half fill the vessel with this solution and place the eggs in it, being careful not to crack them. The eggs can be added a few at a time till the container is filled. Be sure to keep about two inches of water glass above the eggs. Cover the crock and place it in the coolest place available from which the crock will not have to be moved. Inspect the crock from time to time and replace any water that has evaporated with cool boiled water. When the eggs are to be used, remove them as desired, rinse in clean, cold water and use immediately. Eggs preserved in water glass can be used for soft boiling or poaching, up to November. Before boiling such eggs prick a tiny hole in the large end of the shell with a needle to keep them from cracking. They are satisfactory for frying until about December. From that time until the end of the usual storage period-that is until March-they can be used for omelets, scrambled eggs, custards, cakes and general cookery. As the eggs age, the white becomes thinner and is harder to beat. The yolk membrane becomes more delicate and it is correspondingly difficult to separate the whites from the yolks. Sometimes the white of the egg is tinged pink after very long keeping in water glass. This is due, probably, to a little iron which is in the sodium silicate, but which apparently does not injure the egg for food purposes.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), April 22, 1999.

I asked the guy in the local Winn-Dixie about the country hams. He said they have about 180 days and they are usually about 30 days old in the grocery. Sounds like 5 months to me.

-- margie mason (mar3mike@aol.com), April 22, 1999.

Margie - Country Hams keep ALOT LONGER than 180 days. There are people here in Kentucky who won't touch a ham less than a year old. They say the older the better. You just have to scrub the green off. Harpers Country Hams www.hamtastic.com are great people and will send you all kinds of info on everything about hams. Hams and smoked meat are a large part of my preparedness so Ive tried to educate myself on them. If you need to know anything else let me know I'll see if I can find out.

-- Johnny (jljtm@bellsouth.net), April 22, 1999.

Also- try pickling eggs. Can't use them to cook with, make omelettes with, etc. but they taste yummy. Makes good egg salad and stuff too that way.

Easy to do. Boil some eggs til hard boiled- make sure they're a few weeks old so they peel easily. Put peeled eggs into sterilized canning jars. Add a boiling vinager solution- 3 cups vinager to half a cup water. Add a teaspoon salt- pickling/kosher salt. Add spices if desired- pickling spice, mustard and celery seed, etc- Add onions if wanted. Cover and water bath can for 20 minutes. Let age a few weeks. then enjoy. (Can add beet juice for color too if wanted).

-- anita (hillsidefarm@drbs.com), April 23, 1999.

Smear with KY jelly or vaseline. Will keep two years

-- pauline jansen (paulinej@angliss.vic.edu.au), June 01, 1999.