Water Glassing eggs ~ How to preserve your bounty

Are you lucky enough to be swimming in fresh eggs this Spring?

It’s early March 2025 and we’re currently knee deep in some crazy egg shortage in the grocery stores. Thankfully we’re coming into Spring, so the backyard flocks and smaller farms should really be kicking up production with the increasing daylight and warming temperatures. If you don’t have chickens of your own, I suggest looking for a local dealer ~ I just saw in our local store that an 18 pack of budget eggs was $17.99. In. Sane.

Around here, normal egg prices from a neighbor or local farmer will run anywhere from $7 – $12 depending on their feed of choice. Yes, probably higher than what you’ll find in the lower 48, but remember, here in Alaska, all of our feed has to be brought in by truck or barge, which increases our input costs tremendously. And there’s no forage or free ranging for at least 7 months out of the year up here.

Say you have an abundance of your own eggs. Or you are able to purchase some from a friend, neighbor or local farm. Excellent! Now let’s preserve some ~

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products (including Amazon). I’ll earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my link, at no additional cost to you! Regardless, I only link to products that I personally use on our homestead.

What is water glassing eggs?

Water glassing is eggs is a super easy, traditional, safe way of preserving eggs for long-term storage without the need for refrigeration! The process has been used since the early 1800’s and involves mixing pickling lime in water and submerging eggs in the mixture. 

Pickling lime (calcium hydroxide) is the same lime that is used in preserving pickles with a crunch. Eggs are naturally very porous. The pickling lime works by sealing those pores, resulting in a well-preserved egg that doesn’t allow any dangerous bacteria to get in.

Why would I want to water glass eggs?

1. You’ll have a steady supply saved for when the production decreases.
2. Who knows how long this commercial egg shortage will last?
3. This is such an easy way to start a food preservation journey!

Believe it or not, eggs are actually a seasonal food. When the seasons change, days are shorter and temps are lower, eggs are less abundant and much harder to find. Especially if you aren’t relying on the grocery store. Preserving your abundance now sets you up for when things are not so abundant in the future.

Supplies needed to water glass eggs

• Pickling lime

• Kitchen scale

• Water

• Glass Jar

We use a ratio of one ounce of pickling lime to one quart of water, so a kitchen scale is a must. I have had a few flashy scales over the years, and they have all disappointed me. If you don’t already have a kitchen scale, the one I have linked is a simple model, very comparatively priced and hasn’t needed new batteries in 3 years (so far) of daily use.

Water source needs to be clean. I have used filtered and well water with successful results. Research says that you want to avoid treated tap water, so if that’s what you have access to, either filter it, or boil it and let it cool before using.

Food safe container ~ I’m using glass jars. A half-gallon mason jar will hold approximately 18 eggs. That’s what I’m currently using but am going to order some more one-gallon jars which will hold 3 dozen eggs each. You can go even bigger, but keep in mind that it’s going to get pretty heavy, pretty quick if you start using bigger jars than that.

Now let’s talk about those precious eggs. You have to use fresh, clean, but not washed eggs for this to work. Not a single speck of waste on them, but you can’t wash them. Eggs are laid with a protective coating called a “bloom”. Usually, it’s clear and you can’t even tell it’s there. When a hen lays and egg, it’s damp for just a few seconds. Then that bloom dries up, sealing those pores. If you wash the egg, that protective coating is gone. Ask your egg dealer if they can hook you up with some super clean, unwashed eggs.

When our hens are laying really well and I’m wanting to water glass eggs, I replenish the nesting box straw frequently. They aren’t all clean all of the time, but it increases the chances of getting a few spotless eggs to save each day. The not so clean ones get washed and used – and some get dehydrated as an additional form of preservation that we’ll dive into soon.

Step one :

Weigh out your pickling lime – one ounce per quart (4 cups) of water. Put your lime into your storage container of choice. Add your quart of water, and mix.

Step two :

GENTLY add your eggs. Not to be a party pooper, but if one breaks in the jar, your whole batch is ruined. And you will be sad. BE GENTLE. Also, the lime is very alkaline and can be drying to your skin so feel free to use a large spoon or small ladle to GENTLY place them down in the mixture if needed.

Step three :

Put on your lid and store at room temperature. No refrigeration! See? Told you this was an excellent preservation technique!

I just started my batch for this Spring – so using a glass half gallon jar, I measured out one ounce of pickling lime and used one quart of water and added my first four eggs. Then the next day I added two more, then four the next day. You don’t have to fill the jar from the beginning, it’s safe to simply add as you go.

Sediment is totally fine and expected. When you’re ready to use them, GENTLY get them out of the jar one by one with a spoon, ladle or by hand. Just remember that the alkalinity of the pickling lime can dry your hands out pretty quickly. Rinse your egg well to remove the lime wash and use as you would normally use a fresh egg! Later in the season I’ll show you how they look after a few months of storage.

Are you excited at the idea of having shelf stable eggs this fall and winter??

Or excited to start a food preservation journey?

Well, I’m certainly excited for you! I can’t wait to hear about your preservation experiences. Comments, questions, concerns, be sure to let me know how it goes!