Preserving Eggs (Plus Recipes!)

Preserving Eggs (Plus Recipes!)

Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Kristi Cook If you already have chickens, you know about these girls’ feast-or-famine approach regarding their precious eggs. However, if you’re new to the coop, you’re in for a treat. Springtime arrives with a seemingly endless supply of fresh farm eggs ready for an endless array of egg bread, custard, and meringues. Yet as soon as daylight hours shorten, most breeds close up shop for the winter to recover from a long season of egg laying. What’s a flock owner to do to keep those priceless eggs in abundance year-round? Preserve them. In this two-part series, I’ll take you around the kitchen and walk you through preserving your eggs to keep them farm-fresh throughout the year.

Refrigeration

The simplest and most effective method for preserving eggs is refrigeration. Unlike their storebought counterparts with expiration dates of a month or less, clean, fresh, unwashed eggs keep for 6 to 8 months when refrigerated promptly after being laid. Even after several months in the refrigerator, properly refrigerated eggs continue to work well as fried or boiled eggs, whipped whites, custards, and other recipes, depending on the egg’s texture and volume producing ability.

The key to maintaining this freshness is selecting freshly laid, unsoiled eggs that require no cleaning to retain the “bloom.” This protective film coats the shell and keeps bacteria out of the delicate egg while slowing moisture loss. Eggs laid during the cooler months tend to store the longest, while eggs laid in summer heat become runny and turn rancid faster than those laid under cooler conditions. However, collecting eggs several times daily during the hot summer months and refrigerating them promptly goes a long way to reducing any loss in quality.

Generally speaking, the only difference between a day-old egg and one that’s been chilling for around eight months is the whites’ thickness and the yolk’s plumpness. As eggs age, whites naturally become thinner and turn a bit runny while yolks become softer and break more easily. However, this typically poses no trouble in most recipes other than a slightly wider base for fried eggs. And while it’s true that the freshest egg whites produce the best meringues, I’ve successfully made church potluck-worthy meringue with 8-month-old eggs with just a bit more whipping and a little extra cream of tartar added to the mix. No one is ever the wiser.

Freeze ’em

Freezing raw and cooked eggs is my second favorite method for extending our flock’s bounty due to its ease of use and quality results. Raw eggs may be frozen in the shell, whole (without the shell), and scrambled or separated, while cooked eggs may be frozen, scrambled, or whole.

One of the biggest challenges facing the frozen raw egg is that the creamy golden yolk morphs into a firm, gelatinous ball that will never be creamy again. This makes frozen egg yolks a problem in recipes that require a smooth, silky yolk, such as eggnog or banana pudding. Yet most cake and cookie recipes, many bread recipes, and even casseroles that don’t depend on creamy yolks turn out just fine, with maybe a fleck or two of tiny yolk pieces remaining in the finished product.

However, a trick to overcoming this obstacle is to thoroughly mash or stick blend the eggs before adding them to the recipes. When frying a previously frozen whole egg, know the yolk won’t be runny but will, instead, resemble a hard-cooked egg yolk while the whites will fry up like normal. Both flavor and texture remain nearly identical to — and mostly remain indistinguishable from — fresh-from-the-coop eggs.

The biggest benefit to freezing eggs scrambled rather than whole is the absence of this gellike yolk which is a boon to making scrambled egg dishes and incorporating it into other recipes where little flecks of the yolk are undesirable. Separating whites and yolks before freezing also makes it easier to create a quick meringue or German chocolate cake, as separating previously frozen eggs can be difficult.

A lightly greased muffin tin or ice cube tray is all that’s needed when freezing raw, whole eggs without the shell, separated, and/ or scrambled. Some recommend adding 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon salt or up to a teaspoon of sugar/honey per cup of scrambled eggs to preserve the smooth texture. However, I often forget this step and haven’t noticed a significant difference.

Regardless of additives or whether scrambled, separated, or whole, prepared eggs are placed in a tin or ice cube tray, frozen, popped out, and stored in baggies, bowls, or other freezer-safe containers. When freezing eggs in the shell, place eggs in a bowl to catch any egg whites that escape as the shell expands and cracks during freezing. Most eggs, however, do not lose much of the white, allowing each egg to be used as a full egg in any recipe. When preparing a recipe, allow frozen eggs to thaw in the refrigerator before use.

Cook, Then Freeze

When I need a quick meal, I like to scramble or bake the eggs and then freeze them in individual portions for breakfast sandwiches or burritos. I’ve found that slightly undercooking scrambled eggs before freezing avoids the dryness one can encounter when reheating pre-cooked eggs. Whole eggs that are baked in a lightly greased muffin tin at 325 degrees F for about 13 minutes and then frozen will reheat just as nicely as the scrambled versions.

Whether you’re new to the egg harvest or an old pro, preserving those extra eggs during the laying season makes for a fall and winter season loaded with meals created with farm-fresh eggs, even when the girls insist they need a rest from their summertime duties. And the key to successfully freezing and utilizing these eggs is to experiment with your recipes and the various freezing techniques.


Whole Wheat Blueberry Waffles

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1¾ cup cold buttermilk
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup blueberries — fresh or frozen
  1. Preheat waffle iron.
  2. Combine all dry ingredients except for the blueberries.
  3. Using a mixer on low speed, add all wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
  4. Fold in blueberries.
  5. Pour recommended amount of batter into waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer directions.
  6. Top warm waffles with honey and blueberries.

Note: Any form of frozen, raw eggs will work in these recipes. Completely thaw eggs in the refrigerator. If using unscrambled frozen eggs, mash or stick blend yolks to minimize yellow flecks.


Chewy Chocolate Brownies

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.
  3. Add oil and eggs to dry mixture, mixing until all ingredients are incorporated well.
  4. Pour into a lightly oiled 9-by-13-inch baking pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
  5. The middle should still be soft but not mushy when done. Delicious when served with vanilla ice cream.

Originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.

2 thoughts on “Preserving Eggs (Plus Recipes!)”
  1. While it is expensive initially, freeze-drying eggs can make them last for many many years. Throw a few dozen eggs in a blender, freeze-dry, then turn to a powder in the food processor. Three Tbsp egg powder to 3 Tbsp water equals one egg.

  2. I am dealing with dozens of eggs now and am making cupcake tin frittatas. I wonder how long they’ll last in the freezer? Anyone know?

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