Buy your eggs in bulk and store them for months with this simple process. In minutes you can preserve your eggs for up to 9 months and they do not need to be refrigerated.
This process really could not be simpler, it seriously takes about 5 minutes and is a great way to keep from throwing out eggs and a way to stock up at discount prices. Whether you are a prepper or not it makes sense to stock up on foods that you use everyday. It is convenient to have eggs on hand and you can take advantage of sale prices to stock up if you know how to store them.
Of course, the ideal is to have your own flock of free-range chickens laying fresh eggs for you daily. This is not, however, a possibility for everyone or even most of us. I do live on a small farm, but our little flock on the farm is not producing enough eggs for everyone so I have been buying eggs at Costco. It is an hour drive to my local Costco store and buying several dozen at a time makes sense for me to reduce the number of trips I make into town saving me time and fuel. I am also a believer in prepping and having food stored just in case.
Why this works: Nature is pretty darned smart. When an egg is laid it has a coating on it that keeps bacteria out, naturally protecting the egg. When an egg is washed for distribution this layer of bloom is removed making the eggs susceptible to bacteria. Mineral oil recreates this barrier and returns the eggs to more natural state of decay. If you are lucky enough to have your own flock of hens, wait to wash your eggs until time of use and they will store for months the way nature intended.
Wash eggs thoroughly before using to ensure that treated shells do not contaminate your dish. It is always a good idea to crack your eggs into a separate bowl rather than into your ingredients as you cook.
Eggs will last 9 months or more if stored using this technique. Eggs are really great about telling you if they are bad, you can smell it a mile away. If you are boiling them you can tell if they are bad because they will float.
Caution: Mineral oil is a petroleum based product, which means it is toxic to humans. All petroleum distillates are toxic including petroleum jelly, anything that contains the term ethyl and even baby oil. Be sure to wear gloves to keep the mineral oil from coming into contact with you skin.
I learned this technique from Wendy DeWitt’s wonderful food storage seminar. Please see the video below.
There are also a lot of great posts online explaining this process, this is a very good one:
Supplies
- Eggs
- 1/4 cup Mineral Oil
- Latex or Nitrite Gloves
- Small Bowl
Process
- Remove eggs from carton for easy grabbing and set carton to the side. Once the mineral oil is on your gloves they will be hard to remove with your slippery fingers.
- Heat 1/4 cup of Mineral Oil in a small bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds (1/4 cup will preserve several dozen eggs. If you are doing just one dozen you can use less)
- Snap on your latex gloves and dip your gloved fingers in the mineral oil
- Grab an egg and roll it around in your hand completely coating the egg in mineral oil
- Return the egg to the carton with small point side down.
- Done! Repeat for all of the eggs. Store in a cool dark place (68° or less) or return to the fridge. I live in a tropical climate so fridge it is for me!
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