How To Store Fresh Eggs

My Russian grandfather told me that when he was growing-up on a farm in Massachusetts in the 1920s, they stored eggs in crockery jars of olive oil; this seems to be similar to coating eggs with lard. However, being submerged in oil with the oil covering the eggs by 2 inches, would provide a more water tight environment than coating them with lard. Also seems that it would require less handling though, one thought that comes to mind is how would you get to the oldest eggs on the bottom of the crock? He told me that they were pickle barrel sized containers at least 5 gallons in size. Olive oil does have a long shelf life in cool environments. I didn't occur to me to ask him whether the eggs had been washed, or not. It wouldn't surprise me if they weren't washed. Has anyone else ever heard of, or tested, this method?

Storing in 35 to 40 degrees would require refrigeration thus electricity.

I wonder how long eggs would fare in an underground storage cellar at 50 to 60 degrees that would not require electricity.

how can i tell which of the two dozen-packs of eggs was left in the
barn during a freezing spell recently? one dozen is a week old and
the other is about two weeks old and we cannot tell or notice any
difference. is there one, and if so any difference for eating or
cooking quality? thx.

How Cool! We were cooking out of an old Joy of Cooking, and came
across 'waterglass' and it wasn't in our dictionary so we went
online and found a simple definition in M-W with a link to this
article. It reminds me of a presentation by an entomologist who
mentioned marveling at some simple technology shown him in China.
He responded to the teacher "wow, that must be an ancient
tradition!' to which the teacher responded, "no. I read it in an
old USDA publication." Makes me reconsider the offer to purchase
all the back issues on CD.

In reply: please call me; 469 261-6056... I have a few questions an
answers in preservation to act upon your availably for reply. Thank
you for your concern, I remain, Jimmy Vouras Well, for several
years, we answered that question by recommending one or another (or
several) of the "guaranteed, gen-u-wine egg preservation" methods
that we'd run across in old farm magazines, ancient Department of
Agriculture pamphlets, and other sources. And, although we usually
asked the folks we'd advised to let us know how the ideas worked,
we never ... seemed .... to hear f rom them ....... again.

In the 1940's and early 50's, in Scotland, waterglass was a very
common way of preserving eggs. I remember the big zinc(?) tub in
the attic where the eggs lay under their glassy covering. Of
course, this was also the time when potatoes were stored through
the winter outdoors in "clamps" - buried in straw (I think) covered
with long ridges of soil, and retrieved through March.

How come you don't pickle the egg? This process should have been
used to preserve the egg for winter and beat the fresh egg in
refrigerator wasting electricity.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Focus_on_Shell_Eggs/index.asp
Here is what the link says: Do Pickled Eggs Keep a Long Time?
Pickled eggs are hard-cooked eggs marinated in vinegar and pickling
spices, spicy cider, or juice from pickles or pickled beets.
Studies done at the American Egg Board substantiate that unopened
containers of commercially pickled eggs keep for several months on
the shelf. After opening, keep refrigerated and use within 7 days.
Home-prepared pickled eggs must be kept refrigerated and used
within 7 days. Home canning of pickled eggs is not recommended.