24. As has been implied in the discussion given thus far, eggs will
deteriorate or spoil in a comparatively short time unless something is
done to preserve them. In view of the eggs she keeps on hand at home, as
well as those she buys, the causes of spoiling and the ways in which to
prevent spoiling are matters with which the housewife should be
familiar, particularly if she would secure for her family eggs of the
best quality at prices that are not beyond her means. The spoiling of
eggs is due to decomposition, which is caused by molds or bacteria that
result from accidental causes, and, in fertile eggs, to the germination
and development of the chick, which is a natural process. The loss of
quality resulting from molds and bacteria in the egg is brought about by
their growth and by the formation of chemical compounds, which give
spoiled eggs their peculiar appearance, taste, and odor. Some of these
molds are not injurious to health, while others may give rise to more or
less serious illness.
25. Various methods have been devised whereby their rapid deterioration
may be prevented, and a knowledge of these is important to those who
have occasion to purchase eggs or to keep them over from the season of
plenty to the season of scarcity. The method followed to prevent losses
due to the development of the embryo consists in the production of
infertile eggs--that is, eggs that are non-productive. This is a point
that is as well worth remembering in the home production of eggs as it
is in professional poultry raising. The method employed to prevent the
infection of eggs by molds and bacteria is to keep them clean and dry
from the time they are laid until they are finally used.
26. While the preservation of eggs is carried on to a greater extent at
present than formerly, the idea is neither new nor original; indeed, it
has been practiced for many years by the people of some foreign
countries. For instance, in some sections of China, duck eggs are
preserved by covering them with a layer of mud, and such eggs are often
kept for a year or more before they are eaten. However, eggs stored in
this way decompose and their odor and flavor disappear before they are
used, so that they must usually be hard boiled before they can be eaten.
Egg preservation such as is practiced in the United States is the
opposite of this and attempts to prevent not only ripening processes and
putrefactive changes but any bacterial or other changes that lessen the
original quality. It will be well to note, however, that eggs preserved
for any length of time deteriorate to some extent and cannot be expected
to be equally as good as fresh eggs.