Poland has two research stations operating throughout the year in the Arctic and Antarctic: the Polish Polar Station Hornsund on Spitsbergen, and the Polish Antarctic Station "Arctowski" on King George Island. Easter is celebrated in both places, so the members of the staff can feel connected to their families and friends back in Poland. However there is a problem with delivering the eggs to the stations and storing them for a long period of time in order to have them on the Easter menu.
In June the cargo ship carrying supplies to the stations sails north to Spitsbergen, and in September it heads south to King George Island. The first trip takes about a week, and the second more than a month. Additional supplies are provided at the end of the summer season - in August-September to the Arctic, and in March to the Antarctic. Together with the scientific equipment and food supply, several thousand eggs packed in cardboard boxes are delivered. There are enough to keep around for Easter. The only question is how to keep them fresh for such a long period of time?
Food is stored in a cool room with the temperature around +4°C. Every week, the boxes with the eggs in them need to be turned upside down to prevent them from drying up. If this is done regularly, then there is a chance that the eggs will last until Easter. Another method is to separate the whites from the yolks and to freeze them at about -20°C, but if you dothis, then you can only make cake or some scrambled eggs.
Those of you who are curious to know how a typical day at the research station in the North and South looks like are invited to take part in the online lesson "Work and life in Polish Arctic and Antarctic research stations” on 27th of April at 07:00 UTC (the lesson will be held in Polish. If you are interested to have the lesson in English, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Dagmara Bożek-Andryszczak
Photos:
1. Easter egg with Weddell seal (author: D. Bożek-Andryszczak)
2. The eggs will have been served soon on Easter table, “Arctowski” Station (author: D. Bożek-Andryszczak)
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