Using the "Old" Mineral Oiled Eggs

Mineral Oiled Eggs
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I thought I'd just share a few pictures with you so that you can see what the "old" eggs look like.

I purchased these eggs the first week of February when they were on sale. I oiled them with warm mineral oil and put them in the carton and put my own date on the egg carton too. As you can see in this picture, I dated them February 9th and the expiration date on them was a little later in the month.

I had some sausage that I needed to cook before it went bad. It's not on my food profile right now so I decided to just make my husband breakfast for dinner. I looked in the fridge and there weren't any eggs so I went down to the cold dry room to grab another dozen. (I put them in the fridge after I bring them up because that's where everyone looks for them. *grin*)

Runny and Normal Yolk Eggs
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Anyway, I decided to use 4 eggs to make "hard scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese" for Hubby. (I personally loathe hard scrambled...they're lifeless and virtually tasteless at that stage.)

The first two eggs I cracked were quite watery and didn't hold their yolk. This is normal with older eggs. Most people don't know that eggs have a high water content.
The 2nd two eggs had a firm yolk on them just like I normally. I don't mind using the loose eggs for omelets and scrambled eggs, but I won't use them for baking.  The two watery eggs are what's surrounding the normal yolk eggs as you can see them in the pan. I hadn't stirred them yet.

Original Expiration Date
2012 All Rights Reserved Preparedness Pro

They cooked just like normal though and Hubby said they tasted "great." (Yes, my "gourmet" cooking style is completely lost on my husband's taste buds. *sigh*)

Old Egg Breakfast for Dinner
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Anyway, this makes these eggs at least 6 months old, though I usually use them at the 8 month mark. Out of all of the eggs I've personally purchased, I've only had the watery eggs happen 3 times and it's never been an entire dozen of eggs.

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Comments

I had to laugh, just this week we were down to only 8 dozen eggs left from the 99 cents a dozen sale in March. Hubby said it's time for a sale! sure enough we are having a 99cent a dozen sale at HiVee limit two dozen, BUT hubby goes past four of them so he gets 8 dozen a day, each day of the sale. We have been extremely happy with our "stash" of eggs, we keep them in a mini fridge we bought in 1986.

We also have a second mini fridge we got FREE and stock it with butter we get on sale, had a sale last week $1.49 each no limit...little fridge is filled! if anything happens to the fridge I have the glass jars to "can" my butter in....Butter kept cold last for a long, long, time....thanks Kellene for the great tip about the eggs, we have made believers out of a bunch of skeptics. Question, do you also store powdered eggs just in case? they are okay in baking. Hugs, buni

you can your butter ive heard this but i dont know how will you please tell me how to do this ive started the eggs and im also looking for other ideas have chickens

The search bar is your friend. Just put in "canning butter" in the search bar and the articles will come up.

My friend & I have been doing this method for preserving eggs. We've encountered two problems:
1 - Our shells don't peel easily - in fact, they pull chunks of white off. Tried taking them out of the water right away, leaving them in cold water for a while, and other things. Nothing seems to help.
2 - The taste of hard boiled older eggs is just not the same as fresh ones.
Any ideas to help these concerns? Are we doing something wrong? Using the mineral oil, cool basement, flipping eggs.

Older eggs are actually better for making deviled eggs as the peels come off easier, however, there's not a permanent window on that. If you were storing fresh eggs for this period of time then you wouldn't have any problem, but since you're not sure on just how old the eggs are and how they were refrigerated, when, then I don't try to serve deviled eggs past the 8 month mark on eggs that I KNOW I've gotten fresh. Otherwise, I don't go past the 3 month mark for deviled eggs. Will they taste different? Of course they will as soon as the molecules begin to break down into a more watery substance, in which case, there's not a sufficiently thick portion of the egg whites to hard-boil. In those circumstances I use them for omelets, scrambled, or poached eggs with no problems.
The temperatures must be at 68 degrees or better if you want good results.
Bottom line, don't risk deviled eggs on anything longer than 4 months if you don't have farm fresh eggs.

Remember...it's not cold inside a chicken!

can you tell us why the eggs need to be flipped over each month?

To maintain the shape of the yolk. I got lazy with these and that's exactly why they were watery...(or it could be that they were significantly older when I bought them on sale) but it's usually because I haven't flipped them properly.

carrie, we put a small window ac unit in one of our bedrooms to use as a cold room. Boy does it work great with our central air. The room is always around 48-50 degrees. This way we do not freeze the whole house.

I started down the mineral oil preserved egg path in April of this year & am Completely Thrilled!! I have to admit I was a little skeptical, but took the leap of faith anyway. I waited almost 4 months to crack open the first egg & to my extreme delight - All was Well! I made 'Breakfast for Dinner' & my persnickety hubby loved them even saying."That's pretty cool." Smashing Success! I'm hooked now!:)
K

I haven't tried to store eggs but I love the idea! My house is between 72 and 74 in the summer with the AC going. I don't have a room I can designate as a cold room for food storage and no basement. I can't lower the AC because of family health problems. I worry about keeping it cool enough for stored foods but can't find a solution. I wonder if these temperatures are OK for eggs?

I'd invest in something that can keep a room cool enough if it were me. We have insurance for our homes, our cars and our bodies, I think that our preserving our tools of sustenance should be as much of a priority. You need to have them at 68 degrees.

I used the method read here, and coated the eggs from local chickens with warm oil. Did not turn them, and they sat on the carton the the kitchen countertop for 4+ months. It's 75-76 in the house with the A/C going. Like you, I don't have a cool place to put them. This was a test run. Used them today for ommlets. Were just fine, and the omlet was great. My son loved it.
It works! Now all I have to do is get more and do the same, and turn them as suggested. Grateful for the information given on this site!

Kelleen, Egg preserving is an ongoing experiment in our house too. I don't remember your mentioning warm mineral oil however. I have processed my eggs by dipping in RT (room temp) mineral oil and then massaging each egg in my hands. I have set aside 4 doz/month, boxed, taped for easy turnover, over a 3 month period. This summer has been warm and my eggs have been stored in a crawl space beneath the house at probably a 70 degree average temp. I brought out the first dozen, now three months old and today used another really farm "fresh egg" as my control. Cracking each egg in a small white dish I noticed the yolk of the fresh egg stood high and rounded, the albumin opaque, practically colorless, thick and and hard to get on the spoon..all signs of a fresh egg. The 3 month egg, yolk had flattened and appeared larger in diameter, the albumin had a notable yellow tinge and was definitely more watery. I pan fried both eggs. The 3 month egg fried well, the white of spread out more, but I was still able to push it around the yolk to control the expansion and it looked exactly like the fresh egg. My husband and I both tasted each egg...and we could taste no difference. As the weather gets colder and storage conditions get better I will expand my storage to 6 months. At least it would provide some peace of mind to have fresh eggs in my storage. Again, thanks for the scientific approach to all of you writings, it is appreciated by someone who values the experimental process.

Thanks for sharing the further experiment results!

Yes, all of the articles denote warm mineral oil. It spreads easier that way and it goes longer and it permeates each of the cells better. It's just a way to ensure that you have the best possible experience.

I live in the desert and have scanty air conditioning, my "cool room" runs 78-85 degrees, and I'm currently eating eggs from April that have held all summer and are doing fine. Cooler would be better, but isn't an option here. Your mileage may vary, but that's what I'm getting right now...
I have had only a couple of bad ones, they had small cracks I missed when I checked them before oiling them. I'm trying to be more careful now. There is no question if an egg is bad, they are either good or OMG bad, there is no grey area.
I haven't eaten any eggs that weren't bought on sale all year, that's wonderful on the budget :) Thanks Kellene!

Yeah, over time I've started paying better attention to the "hairline" cracks that end up being problematic over time.

I haven't tried my preserved eggs yet but I think I will today. I have lots of hens so I really don't think too much about preserving them but last year the hens stopped laying for an entire month and for the first time I had to buy eggs for a couple weeks. I don't use a lot of eggs and have in the past given them to people at my church that live nearby. I can continue to do that and still preserve some for future use if needed. Of course once feed goes up I will adopt the method they use in Vietnam and am growing some of the things they use as feed for their chickens and still get lots of eggs and nice meat birds.

Sounds like a GREAT plan! :-) Wish I was your neighbor until we get moved and get our own hens laying.

Just wondering why you don't use the runny eggs for baking. I would think that it would be when you would use them. Thanks, I am using May's eggs now, and they are all still great.

When the yolk breaks down, it removes some of the molecular structure in it which will have an impact on holding the batter together as is necessary. It would be like adding water instead of cream to a recipe. And since baking is already more of a science, I choose not to mess with the formula.

What temperature should they be held at? I live in the south and the house is at 77-78 degrees usually in the summer. I worry that they will keep. Thanks!
Darlene

There are several who are having success at the 72-75 degrees. I personally won't hold them at anything more than 68.

Before I saw your tip I was always running out of eggs. I started putting them away in June and just used the first dozen. How nice to have the eggs when my boys decide that's what they want for breakfast and with the price now around $2/dozen here in Pennsylvania I'm gad I have a stash. Thanks for all your tips.

When I go downstairs to the basement to get eggs when my husband says "we're out of eggs!" I almost feel like the same way I do when I find an extra $20 bill in a pocket. :-)

wow I didnt know the oil needed to be warm,I have eggs that are 8 mos old and Im using them now havent found any bad so far, have used like 5 doz so far..
I still have 55 doz and in cool storage and will add 15 more doz this week..I love storing my eggs this way..
my brother brings us 15-20 doz every couple weeks from his job...yum yum frash Hickmans eggs every couple weeks...
I just started canning Meats a few mos ago and am so proud to say I just hit my 1 yr supply of 1qt of meat a day for 1 full year..oh I have lots of freeze dryed and store canned BUT wow it feels so good doing my own Meats..while we can still afford to buy London broil steak, chicken breast a couple weeks ago fo 88cents a pound..wow just had to get a couple hundred pounds lol.

Woohoo!!! *Doing the Happy Dance for Belinda*

I have a small farm and I oil my fresh eggs after I wash them in antibacterial dish soap and then keep them in the RV fridge turned all the way up so it is about 55 degrees. I have used both duck and chicken eggs that are more than 9 months old. They have been fine. Sometimes you can get a tiny "microcrack" that you can not see which will cause your eggs to spoil. So I always break mine into a cup before adding them to the pan or bowl. I have 24 dozen in there now but come winter when the chicks are not laying or the eggs are freezing and breaking before I can get them I will still have fresh eggs and will not have to buy any.

Oh yeah, good point. I forgot to say that I never crack my eggs directly into a pan or batter because you never know what they will be like.

Yes! Good to know. I've got my eggs down on my shelf, and I am faithfully turning the cartons over carefully every month. I want to wait a bit longer yet to test them out like you have. But this has increased my faith in them. ; )

Oil should be warm?

When I first learned of this method from your site I did an initial test that lasted 13 weeks and had no issues at all. I documented my weekly results on my blog. I'm now in the process of doing a longer term test as you did. Thanks for the original hint!

The #10 can of the OvaEasy crystals officially has a 5 year shelf life.

I enjoy the OvaEasy Eggs, but by comparison, when I can get eggs on sale, they sure are expensive.

The coating the is on the hen initially is great for preserving them for a couple of weeks, but there are millions of little pores in the shell which allow oxygen to exchange after the period time as the natural coating breaks down (as natural things do). When the oxygen exchanges, you get the deterioration of the eggs inside. Your farm fresh eggs will last a LONG time if you use a coating method of mineral oil, jojoba oil or waterglass on them.

I don't need electricity down in my basement or in a root cellar. It's easy to maintain that temp there.

No, please see the previous articles on which oils can be used. just put in "preserving eggs" in the search bar with the quotation marks.

If the electrical grid goes down for a few years and we have no A/C to store our eggs at 75 to 80 degrees in our houses, is it possible to dig a two foot hole in the ground and store your eggs in a box that would be in that hole. Or, maybe the hole should be 3 feet deep. I don't know. I am just trying to figure out a way to preserve these eggs if the electrical grid goes down. What are your thoughts?

For those that don't have a basement or root cellar I believe digging a hole at least 4 feet deep would work to store your eggs. At that depth the ground remains a constant temperature. Anything shallower would expose your eggs to frost/freezing in the winter and possible high temps in the warmer months. Be sure to have them in some sort of rodent/bug proof container not just a cardboard box. You will also need to find a way to cover the hole and provide some insulation like the dirt normally would. Straw bales should work. You also need to remember to flip your eggs like Kellene says.

I've used Ova Easy eggs, and they're awesome. In fact, I have a bag open now because we decided to buy fresh eggs only when we have a hankering for boiled eggs (to slow the kids down a bit). After having tried "regular" powdered eggs from a #10 can and then the Ova Easy eggs (from a pouch), my family declared the Ova Easy just like the real deal (as opposed to the "edible" powdered eggs) and hubby authorized me to buy more. My only complaint is that I can't see an instruction on the packet for making one egg (as in baking). It just says 2 parts Ova Easy to 3 parts water, as if you were going to use the entire pouch at once. The best before date is very short (18 months, I think). Ursula, does the #10 can of Ova Easy have a longer shelf-life?

For 1 Ova Easy egg: 4 tsp. of powder, + 6 tsp. (2 Tbl.) of water.

Amy, there are a grundle of articles on here giving you step by step instructions for canning meat--even bacon. Just put in "canning meat" with the quotation marks in the search bar and you'll find the articles on canning meat.

Last year I bought 12 doz. eggs on sale so I could try the preserving idea.
However, I forgot that the Mineral Oil should be warm and that the cartons should be turned. Since I live in FL the only place I felt would be cool enough was to keep them in the extra refrigerator in the garage. They lasted me for 9 months, and I never had a bad one in the entire batch. I'm stocking up again because eggs are now selling for 99 cents a doz. on sale. This time I'll try the warm oil and remember to turn the cartons over. I know that keeps fresh strawberries in the plastic containers fresh for over a week. Thanks for all the great ideas that have been shared.

Can olive oil be used? Or coconut oil?

@Stephanie, what method are you referring to?
I can't wait to try this egg preserving idea! I'll be storing them in an un insulated attic this fall/winter. The floors of the attic have insulation to help with the interior of our home. We installed a roof fan that eliminates alot of the heat buildup in the summer, but dont use the fan in the winter.
Have any of you used Ova Easy eggs? I bought some in a #10 can but havent used them yet.

I am still having a hard time understanding why we need to oil eggs from our own hens. They are not visibly dirty and we always thought the natural coating on them from the hen sealed the pores and kept them fresh. Of course store bought eggs are already washed once, so we thought this was one of the advantages over the store-bought ones. Thanks for clarifying this for me.

When eggs "go bad" there is no mistaking it. The nose knows. If you put in "preserving eggs" in the search bar with the quotation marks, you'll see the most recent article shares with you various ways to tell if the eggs are still suitable to use. Keep in mind that older eggs are much better for deviled eggs than fresh ones are.

I have tried this method of storing eggs and I really like it. I did find a few blogs that have dehydrated eggs. I was wondering what your thoughts are and if you know if this is a safe way to store eggs.

why would a person use mineral oil on eggs for storage...I would use natural vegetable oil like corn oil,canola, or shortening.then store in a dark cool place like a basement or cellar
..

Mineral oil will not go rancid, but ALL of the oils you mentioned will. The only other options besides the food grade mineral oil is Jojoba oil which is not a petroleum product and waterglass. See the other articles written on the topic just by putting in "preserving eggs" in the search bar (with the quotation marks).

Hi Kelleen,
Does it matter in what type of carton the eggs are stored? I aim to get the cardboard variety, but sometimes get the styrofoam (mostly to have on hand for the kids' painting projects) and reuse those.

It doesn't matter though I do prefer the styrofoam as it holds up better if it were to get wet.

I would like to ask Stepanie about what she knows about the Vietnam feeding of chicken.
Thanks for all your articles Kellene, I so enjoy them.

I did not see if you addressed this question, but I plan on making deviled eggs. My eggs are three months on at this point. Is there a surefire way to tell if the eggs are good since I won't be cracking them first?

Hi Kellene!
I found eggs at Aldi for .69 per dozen and I bought two dozen. I was very excited about that. My daughter and I coated them with mineral oil and put them back into their cartons. I checked on them today (after a week) and the oil has been absorbed by the shell. Is that normal? Did we do it right? They don't look "coated" in oil anymore. I love your blog and all your great ideas. I still have a lot to do and a lot to learn! Thanks for your help.

I usually still see a bit of a sheen on the eggs even several months afterwards, however, the cardboard containers sometimes absorb some of the mineral oil as well. To avoid that, just line the carton with wax paper or saran wrap. If you want peace of mind you can simply re-coat them again. Be sure to warm the oil though first as it will go on better that way and require less to coat the eggs.
Keep in mind that there are millions of little pores in the egg shell so you're going to get a reduction in you "sheen."

I recently brought up some stored eggs from the basement that I oiled back in February. I got fresh eggs from a local farmer. I insisted they not be washed to preserve the natural coating. I have turned them faithfully every week. I too had the yolks break down, but I also noticed the eggs had a definate "old" taste to them. I am hoping that it was just that dozen that tasted that way. I will know more when I bring up the next dozen to eat.
Anybody out there experienced the same????

The "bloom" on the egg deteriorates after about 10 days. They HAVE to be oiled. Unless the egg goes "bad" I've never noticed an "old" taste to them and I've been doing this for years now, even with store bought eggs.

Love your site! quick question: is 68 degrees optimum or can it be lower? our unheated dirt basement get around 60 tops in the summer and probably 40 in the winter. thanks

it can be lower, but don't let it go below freezing.

O.K. I admit that I'm a little confused here. From what I've read, if one has their own chickens, the eggs automatically have their own coating from the hen, that if left alone and on the eggs (not washed) and stored as is, the eggs will store for months without refrigeration. The reason for the oil is to prolong the life of store bought eggs that are washed by the distributor, and the oil simply replaces the coating that is naturally, otherwise on the eggs. The oil seals the egg from absorbing any oxygen, just as the natural coating does when left on the egg from the mother hen.

So, my confusion is, Why would anyone wash and disinfect farm fresh eggs, then coat them with oil for storage? Why mess with Mother Nature?

Also, I would like to say that I tried this and the shells on my eggs were cracked the next day. I didn't have a plastic foam carton (my eggs come in the cardboard ones). The plastic carrier I'd purchased was too small for my jumbo eggs, so I placed them in a plastic container instead, which admittedly, didn't work very well. I'll certainly give this another try after I obtain a foam carton. Any ideas as to why the eggs would have broken overnight? I did put the lid on the container---should I have left it off, perhaps?

Please respond to my email address as well, in case I miss a posting. Thanks. Rosey. :)

The natural bloom degrades after about 10 days. So you need to wash it off and replicate it with something more permanent. The oil will prolong the life of store-bought and fresh eggs. (Fresh is best, of course)
You can't preserve any eggs that have even the slightest of compromise to the shell. But frankly, I'm cluelesss as to why they might have cracked overnight. Nancy Drew would not approve. :-)

Kellene,

I was wondering, with the preserved eggs, are they still ok to use the yolk raw, as say an emulsifier for salad dressing or must they be cooked for safety sake? This is certainly something that was never covered in any of the health and sanitation texts I had in school! Btw, my local grocery has eggs on sale for $.97 a dozen. Definitely gonna give this a go.

I push the envelope on a lot of things, but using older eggs raw isn't one of them I'm willing to do. If my eggs are older than 2 months, I insist that they are cooked, and that number goes down to 1 month if they are store bought eggs as opposed to fresh ones.

Thanks for the response!

I buried an old freezer in the backyard. It is bug-proof and keeps eggs and other items plenty cool with no freezing in the winter.

Have you ever tried preserving hard boiled eggs using the mineral oil method? Not sure what would be the advantage--just curious.

Nope, can't say that I have. I fail to see the reasoning for it when I'm already storing fresh eggs. A hard=boiled egg has limited uses, whereas regular eggs have abundant possibilities.

You can still do it. I do what I do so that I can have the best chance of success in protecting my investment. The closer you get to the source, the better you are on so many levels.

So can I not do this if the eggs were in the fridge? Or do I have to go to a farm and buy it from there?

Can you tell me how to warm the oil? I saw microwave crossed out on the initial instructions and now I am not sure what to do.
Also, I bought four dozen eggs right before Easter and didn't oil them because I procrastinated on asking this question. So, their exp. date is 4/12. If I oil them now, can I still keep them for at least a couple months?

Microwave crossed out? I'm not sure what you mean. Weird, cause yes, I would use the micrcowave to warm it...just for about 10-15 seconds. You really need to oil the eggs as soon as you get them home. I wouldn't risk doing that on the ones that are old.

I am truly not an idiot...

I am truly not an idiot....but where do I buy mineral oil? LOL I have never purchased it..not sure where to look for it.

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