Safely Preserving Eggs

Preserving eggs in the refrigerator for 9 months is unfathomable to most people, let alone safely preserving eggs that long without refrigeration. But today I’ll make crystal clear how you can preserve eggs worry-free without compromising your health and taste standards and perhaps I’ll even shed some light on how you came to believe that eggs can only be preserved in a refrigerator. I assure you that Kellene has not lost her mind; I’m not some maniacal bad guy accompanied by the theme music from Jaws as I write this. Just read further and you’ll understand that this Preparedness Pro is no fraud but some other trusted entities may have been feeding you a fish story for the past several decades. Bottom line, if you look at how nature preserves eggs you can learn an awful lot about preserving your own regardless of whether your purchased them at your local superstore or you collected them yourself from your personal brood of hens.

When a chicken lays an egg, it has a natural coating on it known as the bloom. This bloom is a layer of protection for the egg which keeps out oxygen as well as harmful bacteria and germs. It’s very, very common for those who raise chickens for their eggs to collect them and then keep them on the counter until they are ready to use—not put them in the refrigerator. And in fact, the majority of the grocery stores in the world don’t put their eggs in a refrigerated environment. When they’re ready to use the eggs, they either wash them, which eliminates the bloom and any bacteria or germs, or they crack them open—just as is—but take care not to do so over food that they are going to eat. Instead, they crack them into a separate dish or into a clean hand, but never over the food that they are mixing them. Also, in order to not spread the outside germs into the eggs, they never separate them with the egg shells; instead, they use their hands to separate the yolks from the whites. While it’s absolutely normal for you and I to get our eggs from the refrigerated department of the grocery stores, it’s actually very unusual in the rest of the world; eggs, butter, and most cheese products are  usually just sitting on the shelf, not in a refrigerated display. Mind you, that doesn’t mean that the U.S. is wrong in such practice, but it’s important to remember that the majority of steps taken by the food industry are to avoid a lawsuit or to comply with whatever figments of grandeur the USDA wields as it creates various requirements. Such policies are not necessary to practice in your own home. Keeping that in mind, there are several steps you can take so that you can take advantage of great sales on eggs and not have to worry about whether or not they will all fit in the refrigerator.

Preserving Eggs is Easy!

Yes, you can preserve your eggs long-term without worrying about your family getting sick. There are several methods you can use and I’ve written of a couple of ways previously, but my favorite one (because it’s the easiest) is using mineral oil. All you have to do is warm a quarter cup of mineral oil (just about 10 seconds in the microwave will do). Set your eggs outside of the carton (because it will be hard to get them out one you start using the mineral oil). Put on some food handling gloves (I buy this at one of the warehouses). They are easy to use for safe food handling but they are also a lot less expensive than medical gloves and yet in some circumstances they can be used instead of medical gloves. They are NOT puncture resistant though, so exercise caution if using them for that purpose). Dab a little bit of the warmed mineral oil on your hands and then pick up an egg. Run your oiled hands all over the eggs, making sure to cover it completely with the mineral oil. Don’t worry if you’re putting it on too thick or thin, just so long as every part of it is covered. When you’re finished with an egg, put it in the egg carton, small pointed side down. A quarter cup of mineral oil should easily do 4 to 6 dozen eggs. Now, store your egg cartons in a cool, dry place. You want the temperature to be about 68 degrees for long-term storage—otherwise storing them like this in your regular room temperature is just fine for a few weeks. Remember, the eggs come out of a warm hen. I’m always asked if this will help the eggs keep longer in the refrigerator too. The answer is yes. You’ll want to set a reminder on your calendar or cell phone to flip your eggs once a month at which time you’ll simply flip the carton upside down gently so as not to break any of the eggs. Do this every month to maintain the integrity of the egg yolk.

Don’t worry about an egg going bad and you not knowing it. Believe me; in this case theNOSE KNOWS. Rotten eggs smell awful. They won’t be able to sneak up on you. The gas hydrogen sulfide develops as bacteria breaks down the proteins in the egg white, creating that nasty gas smell. There’s another way to tell if your egg has gone bad.  As oxygen gets into the egg, it creates an air bubble inside in place of moisture and carbon dioxide. This will cause the egg to float when placed in cold water (at least double the depth as the length of the egg). Anything other than a floating egg is fine to ingest. Don’t be put off by the other things that you might see in your egg. Some things may look odd to you, but don't worry,  there is nothing wrong with your egg when you see the little red spots in the yolk. Those spots (usually referred to as meat spots) just mean that a blood vessel ruptured during the formation of the egg. They are diluted as the egg gets older, which means that if you actually see them, your eggs are still quite fresh. Another misinterpreted egg issue is when you see a white strand (chalazae) in the egg white, usually right next to the yolk. It reminds me of a white umbilical cord. They are only there to keep the egg yolk centered and are sometimes more obvious in some eggs than others.  Even if you see an egg white that is cloudy or has a yellow or green hue to it, it doesn’t mean that it’s bad. In fact, quite the opposite because it indicates that the carbon dioxide just hasn’t had enough time to escape the egg. Even if you end up with a fertilized egg, it’s still safe to eat.

Of course all of these instructions for egg preservation only apply to eggs which you intend to cook prior to consuming. The nice thing about preserving eggs this way is that your deviled eggs will turn out better. The shells peel off of old hard-boiled eggs easier than fresh ones. In fact, the only downside I have found to preserving eggs this way is that they are pretty much useless when you want to whip up some egg whites. Old egg whites are very difficult to whip into a stiff stage once they’re older than a couple of weeks. Yes, you can do this method on grocery store eggs. The grocery store egg distributors make sure to wash off the bloom and then refrigerate them. Your mineral oil essentially reapplies the bloom. Of course I always look at the dates on the egg cartons and get them as “new” as possible. This preserving eggs method will allow your eggs to stay good for 9 months and sometimes as much as 12. Obviously, rotating through your eggs is standard, so I like to number or alphabetize my eggs so that I can keep the egg cartons together in the batches that I purchased them. That way if there ever is a problem with a group of eggs, I know where they came from and can look at all of the eggs that I bought in that particular batch. You could also simply use a color marker coding system and get the same result so long as you stick with a particular color cycle.

Mineral oil is the key to preserving eggs

One last thing to mention here; the mineral oil. Mineral oil is found in the pharmaceutical sections along with Pepto Bismal, laxatives, etc. as it’s commonly used to help with bowels issues. However, I only use it for this purpose and with gloves on because it is a petroleum product. Petroleum products do cause estrogen dominance in a woman’s body which then causes a host of other problems in the body. So please don’t use it topically. This also goes for baby oil which is nearly 100% mineral oil except for the addition of a fragrance; though this means that you could also use baby oil in lieu of mineral oil. Now that you know that preserving eggs is easy, you can use your egg substitutes to bake with and you’ll still have plenty of great eggs for those times when you just gotta have an egg over easy, deviled eggs, poached eggs on toast, homemade mayonnaise or a delectable hollandaise sauce! A good hollandaise sauce makes the little bit of time I have to spend preserving eggs all worth it! HOT TIP: By the way, Walgreens has eggs on sale for only 99 cents a dozen, limit 3 per person. So I'm purchasing 3 dozen every day this week at two different Walgreens then slathering them all up in mineral oil. Now that you know all about preserving eggs, you can use this strategy too! AND you can take the Walgreens advertisement over to Walmart and Target and buy 3 dozen eggs from them TOO at the same price!  Work it! *grin* Be sure the check out the other articles provided on this topic. Enjoy!

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Comments

You can also get food grade mineral oil -- it's also useful for conditioning cutting boards to keep the wood from drying out and splintering. Food grade mineral oil doesn't have any fragrances, stabilizers, or other additives that could cause reactions if ingested.

Where can I get Foodgrade mineral Oil from

In the pharmacies, in their stomach flu section.

WHICH DO YOU PREFER--BABY OIL OR MINERAL. I JUST SO HAPPEN TO HAVE LOTS OF BABY OIL ON HAND. BUT IF IT WORKS JUST AS WELL I'LL GO AHEAD AND USE IT--I HAVE HAD IT QUITE AWHILE (OIL).

Kellene, I can see preserving eggs directly from the chicken, but after they have sat in a grocery store cooler for several days do you think it is harmful to the eggs to store them at room temperature?

Out of all of the eggs I've done, only 1 dozen were considered fresh eggs. All of the others have been from the store. I've only had 2 bad eggs over the years.

From Wikipedia:

"The World Health Organization classifies untreated or mildly treated mineral oils as Group 1 carcinogens to humans; highly refined oils are also on the list, in Group 3." That is in the same group as Benzene and Arsenic.

Why would you put it on your food. The oil may permeate into the egg, and some would get into your kitchen and food from handling.

There is a food grade Mineral Oil, but I doubt that's something you and I can buy easily. It's not leagal in EU, and the FDA have a standard on how much of it gets into your food. This is just got bad idea written all over it.

The mineral oil which is found in the pharmacies IS food grade as it's intended to be used for diarrhea. However, it is still a petroleum product so I'd actually not use it for that purpose. However, Jojoba oil and water glass are other options and are not petroleum products.

so can you use jojoba i use it on my skin all the time so i have lots of it

I can not figure out why people in this entire country can't afford Mineral Oil from (Wallyworld) at only $1.48 for a 16 oz container that is enough for most people for 7 years use!

I love your site and appreciate all the wonderful work you do to share such quality information with us! I am wondering that if I am going out of town for a while and just want to preserve the 10 dozen farm fresh eggs I already have in the refrigerator for a few extra weeks rather than on the shelf for months could I use olive oil to coat the eggs? This way I don't have to make a trip to the store for pharmaceutical mineral oil and don't have to worry about it getting on my hands or in my food. I understand that on the shelf the oil would go rancid, but I have room in the refrigerator and will use the eggs within a month. Will the oxygen barrier of the olive oil help at all at keeping the eggs fresh?

Personally, if it's for less than a month and they are farm fresh to begin with, and you're going to be refrigerating them anyway, I wouldn't worry about putting any oil on them. When the eggs make it to the grocery stores, they are already at 2 weeks and the "best by" date is anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks after that. So I'd say you're in good shape without having to go through the extra effort for this trip.

Thanks so much! Packing for a 10 hour drive and 9 day trip for 7 people is enough work! I'm glad I don't have to worry about my eggs too.

Just like when you flip a pancake on the griddle.

You flip the eggs and keep them in that position for the whole month.

When you flip the eggs do you leave them upside down (big side down) or do you just flip them over and then store again, small side down?

What about dipping eggs in wax to preserve them?

A) That's expensive B) inconvenient when you want to use the eggs and C) paraffin wax will crack and may actually ADD bacteria to the egg surface since you can't get it hot enough to kill bacteria before it goes into flames.

Thanks so much for the quick reply. I'll also look into the waterglass method.

In response to the concern of mineral oil being a carcinogen. If things get bad, you will die much faster from starvation than from mineral oil! I think what folks are missing here are keys to survival in the event of a catastrophe. Can some one pass me the oil?

my parents and grand parents used mineral oil and caster oil all the time. they got a dose of it in the spring every yr to CLEAN them out. i cant see how it would hurt you now. they lived to be in there 90's. maybe we need to start that back? lol

My neighbor uses this method and uses Olive Oil to coat rather than Mineral Oil. Does it have the same effect? He does his on Duck eggs, and I have 4 Chickens but with 4 eggs a day almost we get an abundance. Would love to have the eggs through the times when the chickens stop laying for a few weeks.

Thanks!

Olive oil is a bad idea. It will go rancid and thus do nothing good for the eggs.

Thanks for an informative article. You mentioned making mayonnaise with preserved eggs, but said not to use them raw. Doesn't mayo have raw eggs in it? At least the recipe I use does. Just want to clarify.

The mayonnaise that you and I typically purchase at the store uses pasteurized eggs which is why it actually does not require refrigeration. However, when I make fresh mayonnaise, yes, I use raw eggs or I'll use the powdered pasteurized. It just depends on what I'm serving the mayo with.

Can I have your fresh Mayo Recipe

I use waterglass now more than anything. It's not a petroleum product, it costs very little, and it's formula is set, very specific, whereas I'm noticing the mineral egg formuals have begun to change over the past year. There's nothing wrong with using Jojoba oil though. Waterglass is just as convenient as the other 2 methods, it's just that it's hard for folks to find because of it's labeling. But it's simple to find on Amazon.

Hi Kellene! This might seem like a silly question, but I've got to ask: I preserved about 6 dozen eggs 3 weeks ago, and while they were thoroughly slathered in mineral oil & quite shiny when I tucked them away in their cool dark cubby hole, they're matte now. Forgive my ignorance here, but this is just due to the mineral oil having dried, correct? The eggs themselves are still protected, I'm assuming? Just had to ask the expert on this one!

Getting my Zaycon whole chicken breasts soon - SO excited to get to (pressure) canning with those babies! Thank you for all the knowledge you share with us! :)

I think that question has been asked on this thread before actually. That's normal. Don't fret. You'll find that that doesn't happen though when you use Waterglass/sodium silicate.

Thank you Kellene for the informative article.
I have a few dozen hens that are laying in full force at the moment. I would like to be able to preserve the extra eggs in my extra refrigerator for the winter months when they don't lay or slow way down.
I do not want to use mineral oil and would like to know if you think substituting a more shelf stable coconut oil would work just as well. I will be keeping them refrigerated over winter so I don't think I need to worry about the coconut oil becoming rancid at room temp. Coconut oil is higher in saturated fats and is a more shelf stable oil. Please let me know your thoughts. And again, thank you!

Nope, the only other choices you have if you want to coat the eggs is jojoba oil or waterglass (sodium silicate)--neither of which are petroleum products.

Why not coconut oil? It's shelf stable for ages! I've been using it from a big bucket for a year and it's still fine, no change. The only thing would be, I'd think, is that you would have to melt it.

It's shelf stable when it's IN A CONTAINER but it certainly will go rancid if exposed to oxygen for long periods of time...say...6 to 9 months.

you'll need to use either jojoba oil or waterglass (sodium silicate), not coconut oil.

Thanks so much. I'll look into the Jojoba oil! Much appreciated!

Refrigeration actually hurts the preservation time. Once they've been refrigerated for more than a day or two, then they need to remain refrigerated. I don't know the science behind that though actually. I only know that the egg manufacturer/farmer shared this with me and dummy me failed to ask another "why" question. However, since then I have stumbled upon that same advice from others.

If I followed all the steps correctly, would refrigerating the eggs, or at least keeping them below 68 degress help or hurt the preservation time?

Since egg shells are porous, wouldn't the mineral oil soak through the shell? Since eggs have a natural bloom on them, why coat them with something else? UNLESS you're buying store bought. And why would you buy so many eggs at a time? I have 9 hens that provide enough eggs for the two of us. I just think this is a lot of work! Sorry. LOL

The bloom breaks down in 10 days so it won't protect your eggs beyond that.
Why would I buy so many eggs at a time?? For the same reason why I buy so much wheat, salt, and honey at a time.

Did you mean refridgeration "hurts preservation time" if you refrigerate eggs AFTER the mineral oil treatment? Or is it also a problem if the eggs were refrigerated prior to the mineral oil treatment? Almost all eggs that come from a store would have been refrigerated and probably for a few weeks since that is how long it takes to get them from farm to store. Just want to clarify prior to trying this way of preserving eggs. Thanks.

I'm talking about LONG TERM refrigeration. Sorry that I didn't clarify that.

Yes, if you just put in "mayo recipe" on the search bar, you'll see the link for it. You'll Love it!

Forgot to say Please! God bless you Sister Kellene!

yes, it can. You don't want to risk putting bacteria on the egg and your hands create oils, especially when they are making friction.
If you want to use way too much oil you could put them in a bowl of it. I suppose that anyone can make a job more difficult. :-)

So, can the oil, mineral or jojoba, be applied to hard-boiled eggs as well as uncooked eggs? I would think the same principle would allow for the refrigerated storage of hard-boiled eggs for longer periods of time. Why not?

I am also wondering if gloves are really necessary. I mean, gloves are a slight nuisance, aren't they. Why not just put the eggs in a bowl or dish and use a clean bristle brush to paint the oil on, rotating the eggs until they are well covered, or perhaps even use a piece of oil-soaked paper towel.

I think I read everything on this page above, so forgive me if I missed the answers to my questions? Thanks!

Is the following the one you recommend from Amazon.com?: Water Glass Adhesive and Concrete Sealer by North.

Yep, sure is, but I purchase the actual "Sodium silicate" which comes in a smaller bottle. But you can also find that big one gallon container as you've described at Loews.

What is the purpose of turning the eggs every month?
My dad taught me as a little girl that as long as an egg was stored in a cool place, the shell unbroken, small side down it could last indefinately...so now I'm the crazy lady at the grocery store examing my eggs before buying them, while turning them small side down to preserve the integrity of the inner membrane. Sooo...I'm struggling with the "turn" them once a month. BUT I have a great desire to learn better if I can.

The farmer who taught me this said that it's to prevent the egg from "going to water" as quickly as when they aren't turned.

Even chickens sitting on eggs turn them. It helps keep all the inner surfaces moist (there is always a little airspace in an egg and that little space dries out over time if not turned) and sealed. The catch is remembering to do it.

THANKS A MILLION!!! YA'LL ROCK!!!!!!!!!!

Just wondering. With all the various questions about mineral oil potentially being not as safe, in your opinion, and other than the obvious cost difference, is there any particular reason why you would use mineral oil instead of Jojoba Oil? I understand from reading your other articles that the Water Glass stuff isn't as convenient. I am new at this so before I start doing something other than what I've been doing with my eggs, I want to make sure I won't somehow mess up and make my family sick simply because I didn't start with all the facts. (Mineral Oil vs. Jojoba Oil) I am completely addicted to reading all these articles on your website and am very grateful that you do pay such close attention to the details! Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Becky

Do you apply the sodium silicate to the eggs in the same manner as the mineral oil? If not, please elaborate on the correct application method.

What? No, you don't boil your eggs--unless you're only interested in storing hard-boiled eggs. I put mine back in the carton and store them that way, not in a jar.

So after I boil my eggs, I rub my eggs with mineral oil. Do I then put them in a quart jar without anything else, or do I put water or anything else in the jar? And then, do I screw the lid on, or does that matter? Thank you for your answers.

Just found your info..thanks for sharing..will be using for sure.

Don't know if you'll get this or not. But finally found a prepping site I can ask a question on. Everything I read says store in a cool dry area. I live in a multi-family building on the second floor. If I store in my closets, or under the beds as some reccomend wouldn't everything I store then be subjected to temperature variations from heat rising? I don't have problems adding a fan in my closets to keep the temperature down. But I just want to be able to know what I'm nvesting in my food storage would still be okay. Being on the second floor. My other question is on canning meat. Can I safely add spices to my canned meats. I'm a single mom and am starting to can my own goods. But on nights when I'm not home in time to start dinner I would love to be able to tell my boys go ahead and grab a jar of taco out drain and heat it, or grab a jar of chicken soup, or whatever and know that they are okay with the preseasoned canned good. Since I'm new to prepping any helpful hints offered will be much appreciated.

You CAN add spices to your canned meats, I just don't add anything other than salt so that I don't "Pigeon hole" myself into a singular use for the meat. Regardless of where you live in your scenario, the under the beds and closets will be cooler. However, you way have a north facing closet which would be even better. Food still lasts a while in the 70's, it just last longer if you can keep it below that level. Just rotate through it and you shouldn't have a problem.

Kellene, honey thank you so much for all your info . It has been extremely useful to myself and my family. I'm married with 3 kids all under the age of 10. I've saved more money just of eggs alone than any other product.. SO AGAIN THANK YOU.

When preserving eggs like this are they safe to use in things like cake,brownie,and cookie mixes?

My hubby is a HUGE prepper, and anything that I can learn in the food preservation department makes him SO happy. Thank you for sharing these tips. We are getting chickens in the near future and were trying to figure out how many to get so we weren't wasting eggs. This solves that problem, thanks!

Typically yes. The bloom that protects them doesn't degrade until a week to ten days afterwards.

Do you have to wash off the mineral oil before you crack open the eggs? Since you are saying it can be hazardous to womens' health should we wash it with soap and water before we crack them open?

Yes, using the waterglass method--to be filmed this Saturday and we'll have it up on YouTube shortly thereafter.

My question is; are eggs safe if left in chicken pen for three days?

Can you can eggs without pickling them.

Once you coat the eggs with mineral oi.
Do you need to coat them again? Once a week/monthly?

Hi, my Nana lived in England with little refrigeration available. She used to rub egg shells with butter and store them in a shelf. Do you have any issue with this method?

Nope, the pioneers did that too.

Keywords:

egg quality;
Haugh unit;
oil coating;
shelf life;
yolk index

Abstract:  Selected internal quality and shelf life of eggs coated with oils from differences sources (mineral oil, canola oil, corn oil, grape seed oil, olive oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil) were evaluated during 5 wk of storage at 25 °C. As the storage time increased, weight loss increased whereas Haugh unit and yolk index values decreased. Throughout the 5 wk of storage, eggs coated with oils, regardless of oil sources, possessed better albumen and yolk quality than the control noncoated eggs. Oil coating minimized weight loss of eggs (<0.8%) compared with that (7.26%) of the noncoated eggs after 5 wk of storage at 25 °C. No significant differences in internal quality (weight loss, Haugh unit, yolk index, and albumen pH) were generally observed among oil-coated eggs during 5 wk of storage. Based on the Haugh unit, the grade of noncoated eggs changed from AA at 0 wk to A at 1 wk and to B after 3 wk whereas that of oil-coated eggs from AA at 0 wk to A at 4 wk and maintained A grade until 5 wk. This study demonstrated that oil coating, irrespective of oil sources, preserved the internal quality, minimized weight loss (<0.8%), and extended the shelf life of eggs by at least 3 wk longer than observed for the noncoated eggs at 25 °C storage. Soybean oil was a more practical option as a coating material for eggs due to its low cost.

Practical Application:  Eggs are highly perishable and susceptible to internal quality deterioration when stored above 7 °C. Refrigeration of eggs may be seldom practiced in some developing regions of the world. Therefore, an alternative method, that is inexpensive yet effective, to preserve the internal quality of eggs and to prevent microbial contamination is needed. Oil coating has been proven to preserve the internal quality, prolong shelf life, and minimize weight loss of eggs. This study demonstrated that, compared with other vegetable oils, soybean oil was a more practical option as a coating material for eggs during 5 wk of storage at 25 °C due to its low cost.

So will tallow work on the eggs as does butter? Thx Lindsay

Sometimes my fresh eggs out of the nest have mud or poop on them. Do I wash them with soap & water or just water to remove it? Then put the oil on?

It's perfectly fine to wash them first, but you needn't go to the effort of soap and water per se. Most of my friends who raise their own just wipe them off and then put the jojoba oil on it.

I've used coconut oil just fine. Coconut oil is somewhat antibacterial, doesn't go rancid and seems to me to be preferable to mineral oil.

i was thinking the same thing Kitty - I was able to get a great deal of organic coconut oil at Costco and was wondering if coconut oil would be good to use rather than mineral oil.

I am a bit confused. You can hard boil the eggs and then put on the mineral oil and it will preserve them? Do you rotate these also? I am going to try doing this when there is a sale on eggs.

Thank you

Keleen Hough

You don't hard boil them. You simply start with the freshest eggs possible and coat them. :-)

You can treat them with the mineral oil without the bloom and the bloom disintegrates about 10 days after anyways, so that's not a problem. I wouldn't trust the spray oil to work. Get your hands dirty and slather it all around. You can use coconut oil if you've got that. Or if you have baby oil you can use that (it's all petroleum product, just FYI). You CAN use olive oil, but it's just so dang hard to know if you've got the good stuff cause anything less than that will result in the oil going rancid.

I value the beauty and nutrition of fresh eggs, but you do realize that there are many who A) just can't stretch their money to that advantage or B) don't even HAVE ACCESS to a "local chicken farmer", right? In fact, there are literally millions of households that don't have access to a "local farmer" of any kind within an hour of their home. It's the result of the urban congestion. They also don't have a lawn, rain gutters that they have responsibility over, etc.
I agree that your scenario is ideal though. Ideal indeed and one in which there are an increasing number of folks who are finally valuing and pursuing.

sorry the source did not carry thru on my last post, i was researching looking for university studies on olied eggs and found this one from

Journal of Food Science

Volume 76, Issue 5, pages S325–S329, June/July 2011

Thanks, Dennis. That's one of the sources that I was familiar with, I just don't bother with all of that when I write blog articles. Now if it was a book, well then yes, I'd have that kind of info therein. Thank you.

Loved reading your site's info. I'm newer into all of this, but love buying fresh eggs from a local Amish friend. She recently mentioned something to me about bloom, but until I read more I wasn't sure about it all. Today I bought some eggs from her, that she'd just collected from the hens. She keeps her nesting area pretty clean, so Most of the eggs were clean, but a few had "stuff" on them. I wavered about washing them or not... but did so.... BEFORE I read your site! And THEN (afterwards) I started reading your web site's info! Now I have very clean eggs, but without bloom. I probably will still refrigerate them... but wanted to know would spray oil work OK? Don't have any of the oil you mentioned. I'd guess that it may have something in it that might be a problem. Not sure if it is better to leave the eggs the way they are (without bloom) or to try to restore it by using spray olive oil. (Please excuse this if it seems like a silly question). There was a post that mentioned s.th. about all oils being ok. Thanks so much!

Beating the dead horse here...........
I failed to warm the mineral oil before coating the cold from the frig eggs.
Is warming it important when the eggs are already cold or should I add a warmed layer of mineral oil before storing?

On the eggs? Yes, you don't put the mineral oil on them until after you've retrieved them from the nesting areas.

Why spend any money at all at the grocery store for inferior quality eggs?? Support your local backyard chicken farmer! I often trade my beautiful 'fresh from the hen" eggs (my hens are fed an organic diet, complete with freshly sprouted seeds daily - which supposedly makes them be 'low cholesterol') and I often trade my eggs for other lovingly homegrown or home made items, and also for needed services that, as an aging widow, I can no longer provide for myself. Why not mow a lawn, clean the rain gutters, move a piece or two of heavy furniture, or climb the ladder to the roof to caulk a small crack, and get fresh eggs without spending any $$ at all?? Helping others has psychological and spiritual benefits and teaches your children, by example, how things can be done another way, and someday, perhaps soon, it may be the only way. :)

We had numerous chickens AND white chinese ducks (72) when i was a kid. Grandmother lived next door and I remember that she always kept eggs on the back porch and in a big mixing bowel on the counter where she made bread and pans full of light rolls on Saturday mornings. Duck eggs are about twice as big and just as good. And there is nothing tastier than roast duck for Sunday dinner!!! If some of you watch Martha Stewart , she always has a big green bowel of eggs sitting around behind her when she's doing a guest cooking show. It might be just for estetics but like you said she always cracks eggs into a seperate little custard dish. I personally think that this was a very thorough indepth informational article. Sure will help on refer space for other perishables!! Thank You Very Much! Gunney

This was a great post. So many interesting comments and responses here about preserving eggs with mineral oil - so I want to just say, thanks for sharing your tips! Will be leafing though your site! =)

I love reading your articles, they are SO informative for a newbie like me. My question is, can you store eggs from the grocery store, Sams, Costco etc this way, or only "fresh" eggs?

I have stored eggs from the grocery stores, yes. However, the really low price folks are consistently giving me eggs that go bad too soon. As such I've chosen to purchase organic or known fresh eggs and occasionally eggs from Costco--because I can confirm with them how long they've been on the shelf before I buy them.

Hello i have a ?... I have Roosters with my hens so can i still use the mineral oil on them?

Roger, there's a nice little trick that Michael Bunker describes in his great book, The Last Pilgrims. Create a rectangular box out of screen mesh and furring strips but leave one side completely open. Then attach a rope at both ends of it so that it can be dragged through a field and collect crickets. Perfect and FREE fowl food. :-)

The bloom on the egg disintegrates in about 10 days, actually. So after that time it's not doing you any good. The oil is a more long-term preservative, yes.

I am just starting to raise my first little hens,,,I am so excited to have learned so much on preserving them! Thank you sooo very much!

Love your site....Great info always!
I have chickens and Never wash my eggs until I use them..one question tho, If I don't wash my eggs I was told they would be good for approx 3 weeks on the counter....now having said that I do not wash them the oil is considered a preservative for long term only correct?
I sell my extra eggs also so my girls buy their own feed.. and everyone knows I do not wash them so I will also pass this on to them too1 Thanks again! :)

great info...thank you!

Read somewhere several years ago that they use olive oil to preserve eggs in Greece and Italy, tried it, kept a dozen eggs for almost 3 years in my pantry in a plastic bucket of olive oil, when I made an omlet with them they tasted fresh from the chicken.

What about using paraffin wax? Paraffin wax has a very low melt temp and if you ever notice, it doesn't burn you should you get it on yourself. It will however, fill all nooks and crannies; check out your fingerprint on pealed paraffin from your finger.

No way, no how. Since you're asking about paraffin wax, I suspect that this isn't the article in which I discuss that (but I did another article). Paraffin is flammable, toxic, and it will permeate.

Kellene,

I've read through all the articles and comments I could find on preserving eggs without refrigeration and can't find the waterglass method you write about. It sounded like you were just wiping your eggs with the waterglass solution - like using mineral oil - as opposed to keeping them covered in the waterglass solution. Can you clear this up for me please?

Ah, sorry about that. When you use waterglass, you immerse the eggs in the waterglass, not coat them with the mineral oil.

Kellene -

Kellene -
I'm a water glass person myself :-)
How long have you been able to keep store bought eggs with mineral oil?
Do you notice a difference in storage length during certain parts of the year? The reason I ask is because often grocery store eggs are 6 weeks old or older by the time they make it to the shelves
.How does the egg white viscosity change and what about yolk color? Do the yolks turn orange/red?
Thanks

My understanding on this old

My understanding on this old wive's tale is, you cannot, should not do this, with store bought eggs. You should only do it with farm fresh, as in 24 hours from the chicken's butt area. I can't agree with you this can be done with processed "fresh eggs" bought at any average supermarket.

Your understanding would be

Preparedness Pro's picture
Your understanding would be incorrect. Store bought eggs are perfectly acceptable for this method. However, nowadays, I CHOOSE to use the freshest eggs I can get so that they last longer and I get them fresh from a local neighbor, so they are even healthier for me too.

What about eggs that have a

What about eggs that have a lot of poop on them from the chicken? Some of my eggs get a significant amount. I don't want to wash them off and ruin the bloom. I try to brush it off, or lightly scrape it off, but most is stuck on very firmly. Would this affect the long term viability of a preserved egg? (hope this wasn't already covered, I tried ctr+f)Thanks.

First of all, Way to GO on

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First of all, Way to GO on using the ctrl+F!! I mean it! :-) That's self-sufficiency at its best. hee hee
This method works on store bought eggs as well. Since your eggs are absolutely fresh, you'd get a longer shelf-life than the store bought ones. The bloom only lasts for about 10 days before it "evaporates"--for lack of a better word. You could do the treatment on TOP of the bloom and such if you'd like.

Just adding to the point that

Just adding to the point that you might NOT want to use mineral oil in amy form: This is a FACT.
Mineral oil —a common ingredient in many kinds of lotions— has been linked to at least 23 diseases, including autoimmune disorders and a number of different cancers.
Furthermore, this mineral oil toxic ingredient— is used in many kinds of sunscreen—is likely to increase your risk of skin cancer, according to areport from Green Med Info. In one animal study, lotions containing mineral oil toxic ingredient were found to multiply the total number of tumors up to 69%.

(edited)

Since Mineral Oil raises concerns, I would go with the Jojoba Oil !

When I do hard boiled eggs

When I do hard boiled eggs the yolks never sort of stay "centered". Do you have any advice please?

I just want to make sure that

I just want to make sure that I read it all correctly. By storing the eggs this way, can I use them in baking? Since they would be raw when mixed with the other ingredients.

You'll use them like you

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You'll use them like you would any other eggs that you buy in the store.

It is a myth that

It is a myth that refrigeration is even necessary, only Americans largely do this. When I traveled in Europe and the UK I noticed that in most places even large grocery chains did not refrigerate eggs. And frankly, in terms of egg safety, we have a far worse record than Europe so perhaps they are doing something right...

If you have your own eggs

If you have your own eggs from your chickens, as long as you haven't washed them you don't have to "oil" them.

Actually, Jan, that's not

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Actually, Jan, that's not quite correct.  For clarification, the bloom on the eggs breaks down as early as 7 to 10 days after being laid.  However, you are correct in that the bloom provides protection to keep the eggs fresh and as such, they don't even require refrigeration during the time that the bloom is still intact. Washing them will indeed get rid of Nature's protection, the bloom.

I have an even better idea,

I have an even better idea, don't wash the egg at all, my customers know that i don't wash the egg, they don`t mind they have to wash off a little chicken poo, but then again my eggs go as fast as they get laid lol, keep the nest clean and change the straw or pine chips and make sure the floor stays pretty clean and the eggs won`t get dirty

It's only a "better idea" for

Preparedness Pro's picture

It's only a "better idea" for 10 days. After that period of time the bloom begins to disintegrate. At which time you'll need the protection.

Oh boy I wish we could get

Oh boy I wish we could get eggs for 99 cents a dozen in Australia. Ours are minimum $3.00 and NEVER go on sale. Sigh. We don't get coupons like you guys either - double sigh.

Meddow foam seed oil is a

Meddow foam seed oil is a little pricey but has a shelf life even at high temps (only the oil not egg) for 1-2 years longer than jojoba even so you could reap the best of both worlds by combining jojoba and meddowfoam seed then you would have the wXy esters of jojoba with the shelf life of meddowfoam also to make ANY other vegetable oil last longer and not go rancid you can add a tablespoon per every 16oz of veg oil this will extend the self life of any veg oil to approx 6 months. 4months for olive oil

I believe you're referring to

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I believe you're referring to Meadowfoam Seed Oil which actually has a shelf life by itself of 2 to 3 years. And purchasing the proper meadowfoam seed oil is as challenging as it is purchasing the proper essential oil, unfortunately. It's also running a little more expensive than a quality jojoba (which is definitely more expensive than a food grade mineral oil). Jojoba enjoys a 5 to 8 year shelf life.

I have been using Olive oil

I have been using Olive oil for years on my eggs and they keep for up to a year. Because I always have olive oil around the house I do not need to make a special trip to the store for mineral oil. I pour about a 1/4 inch into a tiny monkey dish bowl and rotate the egg in the olive oil with my rubber tongs. This method is very simple and the environment benefits from no discarded rubber gloves. Hope this helps someone.

NOTE: The QUALITY of olive

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Why would anyone make a trip to the store just for one item? That's the antithesis of self-sufficiency in my opinion. Since this article was written, I no longer use mineral oil as it's become more dense in it's petroleum product base.  Our bodies definitely don't need that. Instead I use jojoba, Ke-Peg, premium quality olive oil or coconut oil. NOTE: The QUALITY of olive oil will determine whether or not your efforts will be successful. You want FIRST cold-expeller pressed olive oil, always.  

how about vegetable oil or

how about vegetable oil or groundnut oil? can you use that in place of mineral oil?

Definitely NOT... both

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Definitely NOT... both already contain rancid components before you even use them on your eggs.

How long can you preserve the

How long can you preserve the eggs
in cool place not in frig?
How long in frig?

I would think sodium

I would think sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3) "waterglass" would be the best bet. I would surely select eggs from a local farmer so you know exactly how the eggs were treated.

I have ducks instead of

I have ducks instead of chickens. Would this process work on duck eggs too?

Yep, sure will.

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Yep, sure will.

Very interesting. Just

Very interesting. Just wondering how you manage to have a place in your home where it's a constant 68 degrees, or thereabouts?

Our basement is always that

Preparedness Pro's picture
Our basement is always that cool or cooler. Under the garage in the dirt/short room it's always that cool too.

Hi,

Hi,
We are on a yacht and are going to be crossing the indian ocean next year and will be taking eggs to last 4 - 5 months. Can you tell me, when you refer to mineral oi,l is vaseline the same thing? or paraffin oil? or is it completely different?

thanks

Karen

Hey!

Hey!

If I coat the eggs in mineral oil, and put them in the refrigerator, would this help them last closer to the 9 month mark over shelf life? I have seen some videos where some folk have had their eggs for 3 months, stored at around 70f and they have started to turn bad.

Given I'd be buying the eggs, I'd rather not have the same issue of having to throw out lots of eggs if they did start to turn after a few months.

The eggs I will be using, will be around 36-48 hours old maximum.

I have plenty of room in my refrigerator for them but again, some people say this is bad practice and they should be on the shelf...

I'm single and don't eat that

I'm single and don't eat that many eggs but when I want one they usually have set in the fridge to long and are questionable. So armed with this new info I will start buying eggs again and coat them with coconut oil. I hate wasting eggs when I don't eat them soon enough, so this fits perfectly!

Actually, it would be better

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Actually, it would be better for you to purchase fresh eggs from a local farmer. We do, and the eggs last a LONG time without me having to oil them with anything.

Beeswax?

Beeswax?

I've not had great success

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I've not had great success with beeswax as of yet. I'm not sure why yet either. still working on that one.

Thank you, Live on a yacht in

Thank you, Live on a yacht in Australia and find prepping is a great way for us yachties to get ideas to store our supplies. Going to try the eggs rubbed in baby oil but keep them in the fridge as going to the tropics for 6 months, need to protect them when the yacht heels lol.Thought i would try sprouting alfalfa etc so we can have fresh crunch to salads for longer.
Thanks again

If you're keeping them in the

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If you're keeping them in the fridge, there's no need for the baby oil. And keep in mind, that unless you want your other items in the fridge to smell like baby oil, I"d advise against using it instead of just mineral oil as it's fragranced.

I know i'm late to the party,

I know i'm late to the party, but I did just see your doomsday prepper episode and was seriously blown away! Genius idea with the eggs, and I hope someday my house looks like yours! Its already on its way there. I live in Provo and its so nice to see someone else care about preparedness like I do. Most people in my ward couldn't care less and that is kind of scary because even though I don't mind sharing what I have its not enough for everyone kwim? Anyway thank you so much for putting together this site, I am really looking forward to learning a lot from you!!!

I have 2 questions... first,

I have 2 questions... first, if the mineral oil is that dangerous that you don't want it on your hands, isn't it going to seep through the shell into the egg you're eating? Second, does it matter what type of carton you use (ie. Cardboard, foam, plastic...)?

You don't wear gloves to

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You don't wear gloves to protect your hands. You wear gloves to get a better grip and to have a sterile environment when oiling the eggs. I prefer the stryofoam cartons as they don't absorb any of the oil.

Amazing info! Thanks a lot. I

Amazing info! Thanks a lot. I know this article is about 2.5 years old but ill try my luck and ask anyways.
I going camping for a week. The weather might be topping at 95 degrees during the day. Is that too hot for a week? or the eggs should be fine for a week?
Thanks again!

If they are fresh eggs, then

Preparedness Pro's picture
If they are fresh eggs, then you should be oK, but only because it's not going to be 95 24/7. Bottom line, when in doubt, don't. :-)

I have heard of a product

I have heard of a product called Ke-peg. Is it better,worse or equal to mineral oil? Also if I get bloom on eggs and want to make sure that they are preserved, do I use the mineral oil on top of the bloom?

Ke-peg is significantly

Preparedness Pro's picture
Ke-peg is significantly better than mineral oil since mineral oil is a petroleum product. I've loved using Ke-peg. It's just been hard to find is all. I use coconut oil the most nowadays. Yes, I wash the bloom before coating.

I had sailor friends that

I had sailor friends that would dip their eggs in paraffin (wax) to keep their eggs fresh for long sea passages, like from San Francisco to Tahiti.

I was researching how to

I was researching how to preserve eggs after having read The Book of Camping & Woodcraft by Horace Kephart (1905) and found your page. He recommends vaseline. Do you agree that this is the same as mineral oil as mineral oil is often the same as machine oil.

Vaseline is a petroleum

Preparedness Pro's picture
Vaseline is a petroleum product, so no, I'd never use it. However, to that end, I no longer use Mineral oil either. Instead I use Coconut Oil or Jojoba oil.

The eggs i had in the

The eggs i had in the military were 20 years old in 60 dozen crates. Does anyone know how the government stores their eggs?

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