I have started on this self sufficiency journey. And for me self sufficiency is holding hands with poverty. So my journey is not as the crow flies but rather it wends and weaves depending on what presents itself.
Someone was kind enough to drop off a some oranges at my house last night. Looks like I will be learning how to make marmalade. I don't even think I like marmalade. I had it once as a kid. But there is definitely too much citrus for us to consume before it goes bad. Marmalade was all I could think of.
And after all, perhaps the boys will really like it.
And Adriana and her famous silkies are keeping us in eggzes. She brought a bag full of them. Too many to put into cartons...I haven't even counted them yet but she simply loaded up a plastic grocery bag (she strengthened it by putting a few bags together) and carefully eased it down on the counter as the eggs settled. The bag is about six or seven inches deep in eggs. What to do with that many eggs? Pickle them? That is all I can think of. I know we will have egg salad sandwiches and my own chooks give us plenty of eggs for daily cooking.
btw I have another new hen laying. A tiny pink egg with white speckles. She is a Sussington. What? Never heard of a Sussington? Of course you haven't, it is the fancy name I slapped on them when my Light Sussex roo covered my Orpington hens. I LOVE the big body, full feathered, waddly look of both breeds. However my Sussex weren't the most prolific layers but the Buff Orpingtons worked overtime on laying soooo.... I was curious. This is the first henling to start laying and she has started quite early. So I am excited to see what genetics gave her. She is gorgeous white with black trim like the sussex but I am hoping she will be a prolific layer like my orpies.
Okay, back to the egg dilemma...any suggestions for using eggs up? I am quite sure there are at least eight dozen eggs in there (little eggs mind you but eggs all the same).
The picture is dark but maybe it will give you and idea of just how many eggs I am trying to wade through.
That's a lot of silkie eggs! I don't know... tiny little deviled eggs? I could probably eat the whole bag of deviled eggs Hard boil 'em for snacks? Have a community breakfast?
That is what we did last time...made a ton of deviled eggs and took them to a party. They dissappeared in minutes. The little eggs make nice deviled eggs because you can politely stuff a whole one in your mouth and not look too greedy.
However, I am trying to shed about a million pounds so that much mayo is off limits for me.
I love your idea of a community breakfast. Wish I could pull that off.
Breakfast tacos? I always burn up a couple dozen with mine. I TRY to make extra, so I can freeze some for quick eats, but hubby never seems to know when to quit - the more I make, the more he eats! Or corned beef/roast beef hash and eggs? That takes up another dozen (regular size eggs) ???
I suggest you try making marmalade out of those oranges and, if you don't like it, you ship the whole lot of it to me! I love marmalade!!
Last time we had oranges, I made a big batch of orange oil out of the peels.
Pickled spiced beets and eggs! Some one said they just froze eggs in the shell. You might try that with a few first. Someone else said rub mineral oil on the shells and they should keep fine. But I think an egg custard pie sounds pretty good! I wonder if that can be made with stevia or something to cut calories?
I had to find the instructions in a book from the library but here is what Robin Mather says in "The Feast Nearby"
"I separate the eggs, place the white from each egg into a compartment of an ice cube tray, and then pop the frozen whites into zip-top freezer bags. They whip frothy merangues and airy souffles as well as fresh egg whites do. Egg yolks require a bit of extra treatment and will become unusable without it. They need 1/8 teaspoon of salt, or 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, for every 4 yolks, lightly beaten. I freeze those in containers, labeled for sweet (with sugar) or savory (with salt) dishes. Both the whites and yolks will keep for up to a year. I may also freeze some containers that combine one whole egg and two whites, lightly beaten, for the health-conscious omelets I like, although some studies hint that the yolks from free-range eggs are lower in cholesterol and saturated fat than conventionally raised eggs."
She also goes on to say that in a article from a 1977 Mother Earth News, "the best results came from storing unwashed eggs--which still retain a protective covering on the shell called 'bloom'---in a covered, refrigerated container. "Even after seven months," the article said, eggs "stored in this manner smell good, taste good, have a good texture, and---in short---seem almost fresh." "
I would boil a pot of water, and briefly dip each egg in the water. This toughens up the membrane inside the egg, so they last longer. Then just put in old egg cartons or a box to protect them and put in frig.
We used to live off grid- with no frig, and kept our eggs good longer this way. You could also hard boil eggs for snacks and put them in school lunches too.