EGG BLOWING

There's more to do with eggs than just eat them!

Don't get me wrong. I do enjoy eating eggs...

What else can be done with eggs???

"BLOW" them to remove the insides, but first you've gotta make a hole in the egg...

To make a hole in the egg...

To define a point to grind away, I rub some pencil graphite on a piece of paper, hold the egg vertically, then swirl the egg around to make a mark. This probably works a little better than just "eyeballing" it.

I have blown eggs by breaking a small hole in both ends of the egg, putting my mouth on one end, and BLOWING!! The insides will be forced out if the hole is large enough and you blow hard enough. I've even used a sewing needle to make small holes for blowing small eggs. It helps to shake the egg and break up the yolk membrane, for the intact membrane can give considerable resistance to blowing. My jaw got tired...there's gotta be a better way...

I tried using a 12cc hypodermic syringe with an 18 gauge needle, and it was moderately successful. But the needle was sharp and a little small. What would work better??? Ah Ha!

Basketball inflation needles are larger and have nicely rounded ends. I tried one attached to the end of an automobile tire pump. It worked well. If you have access to compressed air, it should be just what you need.

To flush out the inside of the egg, I tried using a piece of plastic tubing with a needle attached. I would fill my mouth with water and then force water into the egg. After shaking the egg, the water/egg residue could be forced out with air blown in through the same tube.

To put it all together and make it easier to use, I discovered the water bottle in the photo above. The bottle is compressible plastic with a metal ball valve on one end. The metal slips off easily, and the basket ball needle can be pushed/screwed into the end of the plastic bottle, especially if the plastic is softened in hot water.

I drilled a small hole in the top of the bottle opposite the needle. This hole allows the "physics" of the blowing process to be manipulated to achieve the desired end: cover the hole with the thumb and compress the bottle; air or water is expelled. Compress the bottle and cover the hole; water can be drawn up into the bottle.

After the hole is drilled, it helps to insert a piece of stiff wire or perhaps a stick to swirl around inside to break the yolk membrane. This makes it much easier to blow the egg by inserting the needle into the hole that has been cut in the egg, covering the hole in the end of the bottle with one's thumb, then compressing the bottle to force air into the egg. The hole is large enough that the albumin and yolk can come out around the needle, but it's fun to pump some air in then remove the needle and watch the contents continue to come out for a few seconds.

It you put enough pressure inside, and if you do it fast enough, it's possible to crack the egg. I've had some bantam eggs crack, but don't worry...the contents really don't explode all over you.

Is it obvious to you that the egg must be held in this position? Would it work to hold the egg below the pump and insert the needle from the top? Ask the egg...it will tell you.

After the contents have been expelled, I find it desirable to rinse the inside with water a couple of times. After that I stand the egg on end, on a paper towel, and let any residual water drain. I don't put any chlorine bleach or disinfectant in the egg and rinse it out though some who blow eggs do use such rinses.

Cleaning the blown egg...

This photo shows the materials I use to remove the cuticle from the blow eggs. Left to right: wiping cloth, muratic acid bath, sodium bicarbonate bath, tap water bath, and you can just see a corner of a drying towel.

Muratic acid is technical grade hydrochloric acid that can be purchased at building supply stores. It is used for many purposes, including cleaning masonry after completion. The concentration of the acid in the jug I bought is 31%. Remove the lid, and it fumes. It's stuff to work with very carefully...can cause nasty acid burns. I have been diluting the acid with three parts of water to one part of acid which results in a concentration of about 8%. Full strength vinegar (5%) will work well though it will work more slowly due to concentration and lower hydrogen ion activity. I don't use protective gloves; at 8% the acid doesn't seem to affect my fingers. You may wish to use thin rubber gloves in your work.

In the photo above, you can see an egg in the acid bath. It is foaming. I swirl the egg for about five seconds, remove it and wipe the cuticle off with the cloth.

If the acid has acted long enough, the cuticle will roll up as can be seen at the left end of the egg in this photo. Continue wiping, and the result is a beautifully clean, uniformly colored egg.

I immediately put the egg in the base bath to neutralize the acid, swirl the egg about, then rinse it in the tap water bath. After that I dry it with a towel and stand the blown egg on a paper towel with the hole in the egg in contact with the towel. Residual water drains quickly, and the egg dries with a beautiful surface that invites you to turn on your creative powers.

 

Egg Blowing by J.D. Satterfield. What can be done with the blown eggs??? Decorate them for Christmas Tree ornaments...

 

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