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Classic
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page 199
EGGS.
There are so many ways of cooking and dressing eggs, that it seems unnecessary
for the ordinary family to use only those that are the most practical.
To ascertain the freshness of an egg, hold it between your thumb and forefinger
in a horizontal position, with a strong light in front of you. The fresh egg
will have a clear appearance, both upper and lower sides being the same. The
stale egg will have a clear appearance at the lower side, while the upper side
will exhibit a dark or cloudy appearance.
Another test is to put them in a pan of cold water; those that are the first to
sink are the freshest; the stale will rise and float on top; or, if the large
end turns up in the water, they are not fresh. The best time for preserving eggs
is from July to September.
TO PRESERVE EGGS.
There are several recipes for preserving eggs, and we give first one which we
know to be effectual, keeping them fresh from August until Spring. Take a piece
of quick-lime as large as a good-sized lemon, and two teacupfuls of salt; put it
into a large vessel and slack it with a gallon of boiling water. It will boil
and bubble until thick as cream; when it is cold, pour off the top, which will
be perfectly clear. Drain off this liquor, and pour it over your eggs; see that
the liquor more than covers them. A stone jar is the most convenient; --one that
holds about six quarts.
Another manner of preserving eggs is to pack them in a jar with layers of salt
between, the large end of the egg downward, with a thick layer of salt at the
top; cover tightly, and set in a cool place.
Some put them in a wire basket or a piece of mosquito net, and dip them in
boiling water half a minute; then pack in saw-dust. Still another manner is to
dissolve a cheap article of gum arabic, about as thin as mucilage, and brush
over each egg with it; then pack in powdered charcoal; set in a cool, dark
place.
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