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It’s the time of year again when our chickens are in full egg-production mode and baskets overflowing with eggs are taking over our kitchen counter. Selling them here and there is fun and giving them away to friends and family is a sweet gesture. Just don’t forget to preserve some for yourself to pull out in the winter when egg laying naturally slows down.
There are several ways to preserve eggs but I’m going to walk you through my go-to method. I’ve found freezing them works very well for us because it’s such a simple, easy process. You don’t need any special equipment or supplies and the learning curve is minimal since you likely already store food in your freezer.
I like to freeze mine individually in a muffin pan lined with reusable silicon muffin cups. Crack one egg into each cup and then place the pan in the freezer for a few hours.
The first time tried to freeze eggs, I cracked them directly into the muffin pan thinking I would be able to twist it and pop them out like ice cubes from an ice cube tray. I was wrong! They were very hard to get out intact. They also started to thaw pretty quickly, especially with the body heat from my fingers with all the extra handling, and the project turned into a slippery, slimy mess!
Once the eggs are frozen, pull the muffin pan out of the freezer and pop each egg out of its cup. Package them up, vacuum seal them, and put them back in the freezer.
The amount I freeze together in one package varies. I think about common recipes I use and freeze according to how many eggs it calls for. For example, one of our favorite breakfasts is baked oatmeal. I freeze three eggs together frequently because we make this recipe* all the time. When I scramble a pan full of eggs for our family of six, I use 12 eggs. So then I also often freeze 12 together.
I keep a box in the freezer specifically for the frozen eggs so they don’t get lost.
Keep in mind fresh anything is almost always better than the preserved version. While this method is my favorite way to preserve eggs, it isn’t perfect. It does change the texture; so they don’t make great fried eggs and I wouldn’t use them for something like a meringue. But they scramble well and they work great for my normal, everyday baking needs.
Variations
Several people mentioned to me that they like to freeze their unbroken eggs, and just put them right into the freezer. They also say that they sometimes crack. To me, it seems like it would be messy and frustrating to try to thaw a cracked egg, and then fish out the shells.
Other people suggested beating the eggs first and then pouring them into the muffin cups. I think this is a great idea. Freezing the eggs does change the texture and makes the yolk more difficult to mix. Stirring first solves that problem. Personally, I don’t have an issue with the texture and extra stirring. I would rather skip the extra step in the preservation process.
*Our go-to breakfast is baked oatmeal and the original recipe came from The Prairie Homestead Cookbook by Jill Winger.
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