I know, not a particularly sexy heading, but one that needs to tell the reader this is going to be an observable fact based scientific minded post. One that is important for any self-respecting #livingofftheland #sustainableliving #endoftheworld survivalist.
Let me first create the context: Chickens lay eggs. No new science behind that statement. A less known fact is that chickens are seasonal. I have found autumn to be the time in the year where the speed of egg production drastically reduces from the usual 36 eggs a week, to a mere 18 if you are lucky, sometimes even less than 10 eggs.
For baking, this is not too drastic, there are egg replacement baking products, or you can even substitute egg with a tin of mashed butter or broad beans. That does tend to make rusks a bit stolid. (Stolid is defined as impassive, emotionless, and indifferent. Which is not completely incorrect description for such rusk experiments).
For frying eggs, that is not going to work.
[enter left stage] Behold, water glassed eggs.
A dearly learned lesson, which has an apt idiom “make hay while the sun shines”. In times where egg production is at a high, preserve for the low season. Same goes for all manner of farm produce.
The recipe is not complicated at all. My experiment notebook goes into the finer detail.
So preserving is one thing, and leaving a jar of water glassed eggs in a dark cool place is all good and well, the real proof in the pudding is subsequent application.
[enter stage right] My able-bodied camera assistant (thank you Samuel) can verify that there is simply no indication that the egg is not fresh. No smell, no discoloration. The white is simply a little more runny than usual, and this was 9 months after preservation.
The daughter of my able-bodied assistant can verify that a 9-month water glassed fried egg is perfectly good.
Lastly, baked goods. That is probably the best lifesaving reason to preserve eggs. As was the case with me this weekend, for how would you make hot cross buns during easter, which is in autumn, where it would be wrong to assume you have eggs in the hen house. And now I shall step on to the next experiment – [evil scientist laugh reverberating in 3D, aka Pinkie and the Brain Pinky and the Brain (1995) (imdb.com)] ……….. cryogenic application of water glassing.
