PRESERVATION OF EGGS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 292, 7 September 1910, Page 3

PRESERVATION OF EGGS.

Eggs which have been preserved by any method may acquire peculiarities of appearance and flavour due to physical and chemical changes, some of whic|h are caused by bacteria. Authors differ in regard to the nature of the bacilli contained in fresh eggs, but they agree in stating that few eggs are free from them. Various methods of preserving eggs have been attempted, the object in nearly all methods being to exclude air. Experiments made in Germany give the following comparative results the eggs, in all cases, having beeu "laid down" in June and opened in the following February. The percentage of spoiled eggs is given iu each case. Eggs kept in bran, 70 ; coated with paraftine, 70 ; immersed 15 seconds in boiling water, 50 ; varnished with potassium silicate, 40 ; varnished with gum lac, 20 ; packed in wood ashes, 20 ; packed iu potassium permanganate, 20 ; coated with vaseline, none ; kept in lime wo tor, none ; kept in .solution of potassium silicat?, none. In the most recent method of preservation, cold storage, it is especially necessary to inspect the eggs carefully at the beginning, as one spoiled egg may contaminate a great many. The selected eggs are then placed in open racks in rooms where the tempera!ure is kept below :;0 deg. V. in order tc prevent putrefaction, and above 2'J :leg, !••'. in order to prevent freezing, whitii would solidify the yolk and crack the shell. The humidity of the air should lie as nearly as possible 78 per cent. Excessive moisture "auses moulding, and excessive dryness of tlie air produces too much, desiccation. ("old storage appears to preserve the egg in iv.s original microbial rorulition, nciiher destroying existing b;;eteria nor permitting the development of new one:;.