When you have backyard chickens, one thing you learn is that hens do not always lay the same amount of eggs as the seasons change. Water glassing eggs comes in handy due to this fluctuation because it gives chicken owners more control of having eggs year round.

Eggs in a jar with lime is called water glassing and it preserves the eggs for up to a year or two.

Most people do not realize that eggs are a seasonal item because they are always in the store. Yet, eggs are seasonal and most abundant in the spring and early summer when the daylight hours are the longest. Hens respond to that daylight and lay most eggs during that time. Sometimes they do not lay much of anything in the winter when the light is much more limited. That’s where water glassing eggs for long term storage comes in.

When we first had hens, I had a line of customers to buy my eggs in the spring and summer. Then I didn’t sell much as the egg amounts tapered off. We always had just enough. Until the hens got older and started to not lay as much in the winter months.

Then I found myself having to buy eggs from the store in the winter. I didn’t like that I was selling eggs and then having to buy more later in the year.

But that only happened until I found out about new ways to preserve eggs. I was then able to have a large enough supply preserved when I didn’t have enough coming in from my hens.

Pickling lime is used to water glass eggs for long term food storage.

Why Would you Choose to Water Glass Eggs?

Why should you chose this form of preservation, say over freezing or dehydrating?

There are several reasons really.

It’s cheap. It’s easy. And it’s really quick.

Yet, one of the best reasons to water glass eggs is that they are just like fresh eggs even a year later.

Freezing eggs is another good way to preserve your bounty, but you will be more limited in the ways you are able to use them later on. Water glassing the eggs gives more flexibility.

This way of preserving eggs for long term storage is also great because it does not need any electricity/refrigeration. Water glassed eggs store in a cool dry area such as a cellar.

What is Water Glassing Eggs?

Water glassing eggs is when you take clean, fresh eggs that haven’t been washed and place them into a water/lime solution to preserve them for up to a year or more. This is a preservation method that has been used for hundreds of years for those with backyard chickens.

When you preserve eggs by water glassing, you use hydrated lime. It is also known as pickling lime, slack lime, or calcium hydroxide. I tried for several months to buy some pickling lime through Azure Standard, but it kept selling out. So, I bought the Mrs. Wages brand of pickling lime at the store. I wanted to make sure I liked water glassing eggs before I bought a larger amount of lime. But the good news is, if you like this way of preservation, you can go and get yourself a huge bag (50 pounds) of hydrated lime from a home improvement store as it is used in construction. It should only cost about $15 and will last you probably the rest of your life.

Use a scale to measure out your lime when water glassing eggs for long term food storage.

What do you need to water glass eggs?

Clean, farm-fresh unwashed eggs
Filtered water
Pickling Lime
Glass jar, food grade plastic bucket, or crock

Pour the lime into the jar of water before you put the eggs in.

Put the eggs into the lime water to water glass eggs.

How to Preserve Eggs with Lime

Fill your storage container half way full measuring with quarts
Measure out with your kitchen scale 1 oz of lime for each quart of water in the container
Whisk the lime into the water until incorporated
Gently place the eggs into the lime water solution
If you don’t have enough to fill the container the first day, you can add until it is full and then place the lid on tight.
Store in a cool, dark place for the winter (or up to a year or so)

I have Questions

Q: Can I do this with my store bought eggs?

A: No. Eggs from the store (and some from your local farmer) have been washed. The natural bloom that seals the pores on the egg is no longer in tact and the lime solution will enter the eggs. Make sure your eggs are not washed.

Q: Does the type of lime matter?

A: Pickling lime goes by several names and you can buy any of these – hydrated lime, slack lime, or calcium hydroxide. One type of lime you don’t want to use is garden lime (that is actually calcium carbonate and has a different acidity).

Q: Does the container have to be glass?

A: You can use a glass container or a food grade plastic container. It can be as small as a 1/2 gallon up to a five gallon bucket. You can use an old crock if you have a lid. It does not have to be see through, but it is pretty if so, especially if you have different colors of eggs.

Q: Exactly how long will these eggs last?

A: At 8 months, the eggs have a 100% success rate. It will go a little down hill from there, but some people have found them to be good up to 2 years. If you are preserving in the spring or summer, you will most likely want to use them up again before your hens start laying massive amounts of fresh eggs again. So you should not need them to last much longer than the 8 months mentioned above.

Crack the eggs into a bowl before adding them to what you are making to make sure they are good.

Water glassing eggs is a pretty way to store your eggs.

Q: Why did the lime settle on the bottom of the jar?

A: That is normal and ok that the lime settles. You will risk the eggs cracking if you try to stir the water.

Q: Does it matter what type of water I use?

A: Yes! If you are on a well, you most likely are fine to use your tap. But if you are on city water, you will want to filter it. Or use distilled water. The chlorine and fluoride in the tap water is not good for water glassing eggs.

Recipe