Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/264

 or hotel, it is wise to only supply half the number at one time, for instance, if twelve dozen, only take six dozen out of the lime at once, and the other six dozen in two or three days, because preserved eggs get stale very soon once they are lifted, but when first taken out of lime they are fit for boiling, frying, or anything, but unless they are put in perfectly fresh from the nest they will not come out fresh, and in dropping them in care must be taken that they are not cracked or broken. Kerosene tins are a convenient size for holding the lime and eggs, and as each one is filled it should be labelled with the number of eggs in it, and the date when the first lot were put in. If the lime is of the proper strength a hard crust of clear lime will form on the top, and this should not be disturbed or broken once the tin is filled with eggs. To make the lime water, allow two cups of lime to every gallon of water, boil fast for five or ten minutes, stirring the while; then remove from the fire,and next day pour off the clear water and fill up the lime tin again. Stir up the sediment and boil as before, and when that has cleared add it to the first lot. Fill or three parts fill your kerosene tins, and always put in your eggs with a long spoon fresh from the nest.

Almost every hen-wife has her own special way of preserving her surplus eggs. For my own part I have tried several, but always found that the most simple was the best. Here are one or two sent me from an egg and poultry district:—Make a pickle of 1 bushel of stone lime, 4 lbs. of coarse salt, and about 60 gals, of water. Slake the lime first with a little of the water, and when all is mixed leave it till the lime has settled and the solution is clear. Draw off the water very carefully into a cask, or whatever you mean to put the eggs in. The eggs may be placed in a biscuit tin (or any other) punched full of holes, and then placed in the lime water, they are easily got out in this way; or they can be put in one by one. When full, cover with a cloth. I have always found it most convenient to have small receptacles for the eggs, kerosene tins being as useful as anything, as then when using you can take the stalest first.

First oil every egg, then pack them in coarse salt, layer by layer in a keg or cask till it is quite full. Nail it up, and lay on its side in some place where it will be cool, and every day or two give it a half turn over to prevent the yolks from sticking to the sides of the shell.