# River water curing eggs



## Flowie (Jul 2, 2015)

for years I boraxed...which works, no doubt.
Last 2 years I have been river water curing about 50% of my eggs.
I rinse them with river water, then soak them in fresh river water for about
15-30 minutes or until the membrane toughens.


Anyone else doing this? Thoughts?


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## A-5 (Apr 9, 2017)

Do you freeze yourself ur eggs?


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## devildave (Sep 20, 2014)

Yes it works great...But I feel like if it's a chrome female her eggs won't tighten up as well as a female who is in her Spawning colors with loose eggs...And yes they freeze just fine.....Chrome female eggs are almost like they have been deflated a bit..not round...After cold water cure.As to where a darker female with loose eggs ,firm up and actually bounce after a cold water cure...Been playing with it alot this season.... Double digit days don't lie


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## Flowie (Jul 2, 2015)

I have good luck with them.... they are really magical for 4-5 days after the cure. Then quality degrades pretty quick. Theres no preservstive, so the bacteria in the river water probably start to affect them.
As far as egg maturity...ive noticed that a less mature egg will cure badly if left in water too long. Loose eggs seem to be more forgiving in terms of how long you river water cure them. Skein eggs or almost loose eggs I check about every 10 minute until I like the hardness...then dry really well first in a mesh colander then on paper towels.


I still borax mine when i freeze them....although i froze some raw and they worked fine, they were a little sticky and harder to tie up in sacks than a boraxed egg.


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## A-5 (Apr 9, 2017)

Flat yes. And they goo a lot. Trying to get a drier firmer egg like store bought


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## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

If you want a firm egg let them air dry overnight.


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## A-5 (Apr 9, 2017)

hailtothethief said:


> If you want a firm egg let them air dry overnight.


Yea but I had them over dry before. I've just not perfected it yet. My eggs cured look great till I freeze them. I'll keep on trying.


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## devildave (Sep 20, 2014)

I know it's definitely a tough way to go after freezing..Sticky gooey mess.....It's a goofy science...But seems like the colder the water the better... I've had them cure up great with water straight out of the river in mid January...But water is icy cold...As the water temp has gone up they don't harden as well...So I've been trying almost frozen bottled water...Or filling a bottle of river water and putting in the freezer....Then curing.... We'll see how the next batch goes, if the chocolate swell ever clears up...


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## A-5 (Apr 9, 2017)

Most of mine are coho and king caught in Sept. so yea not very cold.


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## Flowie (Jul 2, 2015)

i havent messed with water temp, but a less mature egg still attached to the skein definitely seems to be able to soak up too much water.


devildave said:


> I know it's definitely a tough way to go after freezing..Sticky gooey mess.....It's a goofy science...But seems like the colder the water the better... I've had them cure up great with water straight out of the river in mid January...But water is icy cold...As the water temp has gone up they don't harden as well...So I've been trying almost frozen bottled water...Or filling a bottle of river water and putting in the freezer....Then curing.... We'll see how the next batch goes, if the chocolate swell ever clears up...


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## A-5 (Apr 9, 2017)

Good info.


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