Liming Eggs
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the lime solution
Slake the lime with a portion of the water until it is nice and white.
Gradually add the rest of the water and the salt, stirring well.
Let the mixture settle and cool.
Pack and store
Place a layer of fresh eggs in the bottom of a vat or barrel.
Pour the lime-milk carefully over the eggs.
Continue layering eggs and pouring lime-milk until the barrel is filled.
Ensure the lime solution covers the eggs.
Store the vat in a cool place.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Lime
- Raises the alkalinity of the solution, which slowly sets the egg white and yolk into a firm, preserved texture.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws water out of the eggs and helps preserve them against spoilage.
- Eggs (in the method)
- Provide the protein that the alkaline solution gradually sets during preservation.
The step that matters
Ensure the lime solution covers the eggs. Any egg left above the liquid can dry out and spoil, because air exposure lets microbes grow. Full submersion keeps the eggs sealed and evenly preserved.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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