vicky whitworth
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Is Jose out there? How long can I keep the ladies' eggs? Chooks arrived Sunday. Have eggs coming out of my ears (no, not literally).
- Thread starter vicky whitworth
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FamilyWiggs
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For eating or hatching?
Penners
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Why not preserve the eggs?
Anything that prevents air from passing through the shell (yes, eggshells are breathable!) will help the egg to keep longer. The method used by my mum during WWII was "water glass" - a solution of sodium silicate. Just immerse the eggs in a big bowl of the stuff and they'll keep for much longer. You can also smear the shell with Vaseline or wax!
My wife sometimes freezes eggs. You can't freeze them whole, but take out the innards, separate the whites and the yolks and freeze a plastic bag or tub of each. They can subsequently be used for scrambled eggs or for cooking.
Anything that prevents air from passing through the shell (yes, eggshells are breathable!) will help the egg to keep longer. The method used by my mum during WWII was "water glass" - a solution of sodium silicate. Just immerse the eggs in a big bowl of the stuff and they'll keep for much longer. You can also smear the shell with Vaseline or wax!
My wife sometimes freezes eggs. You can't freeze them whole, but take out the innards, separate the whites and the yolks and freeze a plastic bag or tub of each. They can subsequently be used for scrambled eggs or for cooking.
LadyArowana
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Penners said:
You could be adventurous and try a century egg process, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg
citizensmith
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Pickled egg served nestling in a bag of cheese and onion crisps accompanied with a pint of Wye Valley ale outside on a sunny day.
Gourmet Menu - should be available on prescription if the world were a more sensible place.
Gourmet Menu - should be available on prescription if the world were a more sensible place.
Flyfisher
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Not very scientific, I'm afraid, but I'm sure we've saved eggs (for eating) for at least a month in the fridge.
I've never tried Penners' 'waterglass' method, though I've read it was once a common method (before frdges perhaps?) of egg preservation. My only childhood experience of it was using it for crystal gardens: http://www.practicalchemistry.org/experiments/making-a-crystal-garden,193,EX.html
I've never tried Penners' 'waterglass' method, though I've read it was once a common method (before frdges perhaps?) of egg preservation. My only childhood experience of it was using it for crystal gardens: http://www.practicalchemistry.org/experiments/making-a-crystal-garden,193,EX.html
skier-hughes
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All of the chicken books I've read say if you want to keep your eggs at their best not to put them in the fridge as they dry out, keep them in a cool place
Feltwell
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Pickled eggs - yuck. Well, pickled anything if I'm being honest - I can't stand vinegar!
I have heard of the water glass method, the local Victorian NT property has a bucket of them as a demonstration of how the Victorians used to preserve things before refrigeration became common - but I thought water glass affected the taste of the egg? I'm sure I remember being told of chickens being fed something to make the shells tougher so that the water glass taste wouldn't affect them so badly.
I've always thought it a little odd that most people (including me) refrigerate their eggs, but the supermarkets don't. Makes me wonder if it's actually necessary.
I have heard of the water glass method, the local Victorian NT property has a bucket of them as a demonstration of how the Victorians used to preserve things before refrigeration became common - but I thought water glass affected the taste of the egg? I'm sure I remember being told of chickens being fed something to make the shells tougher so that the water glass taste wouldn't affect them so badly.
I've always thought it a little odd that most people (including me) refrigerate their eggs, but the supermarkets don't. Makes me wonder if it's actually necessary.
Penners
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You and me both, Feltwell.Feltwell said:
worms
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I don't think the preserving of eggs was designed for the summer when eggs were always plentiful but for through the winter when the hens were off the lay. If Vicky has eggs "coming out of her ears" now, chances are she's not going to need the preserved ones until at least November, by which time she'd have buckets of them in water glass all over the place!
Best give/sell them on or "bake for Britain"!
Best give/sell them on or "bake for Britain"!
Flyfisher
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I've never thought it odd, though I accept it may be. I tend to refrigerate lots of foodstuffs, particularly all my fruit, though Mrs FF prefers her fruit at room temp. Perhaps it is odd.Feltwell said:
CatherineB
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I've never refrigerated eggs.
We seldom get around to eating them by the best before date (not big egg-eaters in our family), and frequently weeks after it.
I've never had an egg go "off".
They last flippin' ages, as far as I can tell!
Where's Joce?
We seldom get around to eating them by the best before date (not big egg-eaters in our family), and frequently weeks after it.
I've never had an egg go "off".
They last flippin' ages, as far as I can tell!
Where's Joce?
JoceAndChris
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Here!
Busy after coming back from holiday to too many problems - no water in the well, so nothing here for drinking or cooking and scarcely any rainwater in the tank.
And infested with rats.
Anyway - egg. Yes, agree with all the others - I think you'd get 6 weeks out of a fresh egg. It wouldn't be so pert or suitable for throwing in boiling water to poach but probably fine in a cooked dish. I bet the ones in the supermarket often approach that age.
I've been amazed to see infertile eggs that have been through the incubation process of gentle heat over 3 weeks that are still looking fine and smelling of nothing and get gobbled up by the rooks. (I always open the unhatched eggs in the field to try and get an idea of what went wrong)
And Vicky, your chickens will love their surplus eggs raw or hard boiled, or any way at all. They're very good for them; I always give them the cracked ones. They eat bits of the shells, and then the magpies swoop down and take the remaining empty shells. Birds like things with calcium in.
Unless you're unlucky the chicken doesn't seem to make the connection between being fed the eggs and realising they could eat what they've laid. An unbroken egg is of no interest to them, unless they're broody.
Can we have some piccies of your new girls? Are you getting fond of them yet?
Edit - eggs should be kept cool rather than refridgerated, if you like your soft-boiled egg not to crack in the pan. Eggs are porous and can take in bacteria or flavours - so keeping them in a drippy, dirty fridge would be a bad idea. (not that I'm saying PPUkers' fridges are kept in that state)
Busy after coming back from holiday to too many problems - no water in the well, so nothing here for drinking or cooking and scarcely any rainwater in the tank.
And infested with rats.
Anyway - egg. Yes, agree with all the others - I think you'd get 6 weeks out of a fresh egg. It wouldn't be so pert or suitable for throwing in boiling water to poach but probably fine in a cooked dish. I bet the ones in the supermarket often approach that age.
I've been amazed to see infertile eggs that have been through the incubation process of gentle heat over 3 weeks that are still looking fine and smelling of nothing and get gobbled up by the rooks. (I always open the unhatched eggs in the field to try and get an idea of what went wrong)
And Vicky, your chickens will love their surplus eggs raw or hard boiled, or any way at all. They're very good for them; I always give them the cracked ones. They eat bits of the shells, and then the magpies swoop down and take the remaining empty shells. Birds like things with calcium in.
Unless you're unlucky the chicken doesn't seem to make the connection between being fed the eggs and realising they could eat what they've laid. An unbroken egg is of no interest to them, unless they're broody.
Can we have some piccies of your new girls? Are you getting fond of them yet?
Edit - eggs should be kept cool rather than refridgerated, if you like your soft-boiled egg not to crack in the pan. Eggs are porous and can take in bacteria or flavours - so keeping them in a drippy, dirty fridge would be a bad idea. (not that I'm saying PPUkers' fridges are kept in that state)
vicky whitworth
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Thank you for advice. Six weeks to keep eggs - now that's good news cos I'm already getting fed up with eggs every day - breakfast, lunch and supper.
Will post some pics soon. Our two are ex-bats and our neighbour had had them for about four months before handing them on to us. They are very stroppy and have trashed the garden. Oh and frightened the cat. We now have a variety of bits of fences everywhere, and have just spent a fortune on buying posts, etc to make their run bigger. We reckon the first egg costs us £350, and I think the cost is mounting not decreasing. I like them which is more than I thought I would as I don't like birds as a rule - all that fluttering and feathers.
Do you think lots of lime will hurt them? They seem to like rummaging through the stuff that the builders raked out. I assume they don't eat the lime but any bugs living in it.
Has a chat with a couple of the passing dog walkers today who were telling me how much they enjoyed watching the builders harling last week. Seems like everyone in the village had a go except me (I was at work). Sorry Penners - we went for the pebbledash if the end. Only it doesn't look like pebbledash to me - it's very home-made.
Will post some pics soon. Our two are ex-bats and our neighbour had had them for about four months before handing them on to us. They are very stroppy and have trashed the garden. Oh and frightened the cat. We now have a variety of bits of fences everywhere, and have just spent a fortune on buying posts, etc to make their run bigger. We reckon the first egg costs us £350, and I think the cost is mounting not decreasing. I like them which is more than I thought I would as I don't like birds as a rule - all that fluttering and feathers.
Do you think lots of lime will hurt them? They seem to like rummaging through the stuff that the builders raked out. I assume they don't eat the lime but any bugs living in it.
Has a chat with a couple of the passing dog walkers today who were telling me how much they enjoyed watching the builders harling last week. Seems like everyone in the village had a go except me (I was at work). Sorry Penners - we went for the pebbledash if the end. Only it doesn't look like pebbledash to me - it's very home-made.
JoceAndChris
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I read that thread on hol Vicky - so pleased to hear that you decided to cover the bare stone up in the end. I think you should feel that you're doing your bit for the education of the nation!
Any chance of some pics of that too? It sounds like a wonderful new lease of life for your house.
Great to hear you like the birds, it's hard not to like watching their antics - they're so silly and sweet. They sound like a really happy, healthy group. I wouldn't worry about chickens eating a bit of lime, I've watched them eat paint, poo, yew, holly, laburnum flowers, sawdust and bin bags and various other poisons and toxins and come to no harm at all. I think they work on the theory that they'll try a bit of everything and see how they get along with it.
But if, in time, you find them a bit much I recommend the bantams as an alternative - they don't really cause any damage as they're pigeon sized and you'll need 3 of their eggs instead of one so you don't end up with the surplus.
It certainly isn't a cost effective pet, but it's nice never to have to throw food away again, and I think they make a garden come alive.
Any chance of some pics of that too? It sounds like a wonderful new lease of life for your house.
Great to hear you like the birds, it's hard not to like watching their antics - they're so silly and sweet. They sound like a really happy, healthy group. I wouldn't worry about chickens eating a bit of lime, I've watched them eat paint, poo, yew, holly, laburnum flowers, sawdust and bin bags and various other poisons and toxins and come to no harm at all. I think they work on the theory that they'll try a bit of everything and see how they get along with it.
But if, in time, you find them a bit much I recommend the bantams as an alternative - they don't really cause any damage as they're pigeon sized and you'll need 3 of their eggs instead of one so you don't end up with the surplus.
It certainly isn't a cost effective pet, but it's nice never to have to throw food away again, and I think they make a garden come alive.
Penners
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If that's what you wanted, then you did the right thing. I would never advocate doing something because it's someone else's preference.vicky whitworth said:
Ahem... except for a certain Mrs P's, of course.
Phew - that was close! :shock:
Schoolmarm
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Harling is a different thing than pebbledash isn't it? :?
My understanding is a Harling coat is simply watered down lime mortar thrown onto a wall using a Harling trowel. It gives a rough finish but nowhere near that of pebble dash.
It is also a lot harder than it looks to apply. My brief attempt ended with a lot of slop over my boots.
It is also a lot harder than it looks to apply. My brief attempt ended with a lot of slop over my boots.
Penners
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MdB said:
Here's the answer: http://www.lime.org.uk/products/mortars-and-plasters/hire-tools/render-gun-hire/