You CAN freeze eggs for long term storage. I tested every method for freezing eggs, and this is hands-down the method that gives me the best results.
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Our youngest batch of chickens has just started laying eggs over the last couple of weeks. Finding those first cute little eggs (sometimes in the nesting boxes, but just as often on the coop floor or even in the middle of the yard!) is one of the joys of late summer that just never gets old.
This also means that suddenly, we've gone from barely getting enough eggs keep us supplied, to eggs coming out our ears.
I love it! We've been doing some extra baking, and having some fantastic frittatas and quiches for dinner. But even still - they're starting to pile up. Just a bit.
I could sell them - and I do sell a few dozen here and there. But the first thing I like to do when I get a surplus of eggs is to replenish my freezer stash.
Every now and again, we get to a point in the year where we just don't get enough eggs from our girls to quite meet our needs. In the late summer or early fall, the adult birds go through a molt, and stop laying for a while. Also, the darkest days of winter slow down production.
I've even had the girls go on "egg strike" for emotional reasons, like the time they had a particularly scary run-in with a hawk. It had flown right into the coop, and had my sweet little Eidelweiss in its talons. Even though I was able to rescue her (at a full 9-months pregnant, mind you! And no - the hawk wasn't hurt.) that little escapade put my poor babies in a tizzy for many, many days. No eggs for me.
So now and again, even with 20 chickens - we find ourselves needing extra eggs.
Thankfully, I always have a good supply in the freezer, so we never run out. They thaw beautifully, and cook up nicely. We usually scramble them, or use them in baking. For those purposes, I find it almost impossible to tell the difference between fresh and frozen eggs.
The only way I can tell the difference is if I cook them over easy. The yolk is a tad more sturdy - not exactly rubbery, but...different. It's not terribly off-putting, but I can definitely tell the egg has been frozen. For scrambled eggs though - total perfection.
I find that they maintain their quality for a very long time when properly frozen. The "powers-that-be" say that eggs can be frozen for up to 6 months. But, especially when vacuum-sealed, I find they last very well, and I'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between an egg that's been frozen for one week or one year.
How to freeze eggs
So here's my method for freezing eggs.
I far prefer freezing raw whole eggs individually, so that I can just take out however many I need at a time. I do that by using this heavenly little silicone soap mold. It costs about $6, and it might be the best $6 I've ever spent on kitchen tools. It gets used for a lot of things, but this is what I use it for most - freezing eggs.
Crack one egg into each space in the mold. Slide a flat cutting board or cookie sheet underneath, so you can easily move it to the freezer.
Can you use an ice cube tray for freezing eggs?
You bet! While I far prefer the dimensions, and easy use of the silicone mold, you can absolutely use an ice cube tray. Most standard ice cube trays have small enough sections that you'll need to separate each egg, in order for them to fit without spilling over. (Freeze the egg whites in half of the cubes, and the egg yolks in the other.)
If you're using a hard plastic ice cube tray without much flexibility, you may want to spray your tray with cooking spray before adding the eggs. A silicone tray will very easily release the frozen eggs without the need of any slick coating, but releasing frozen eggs from a stiff ice cube tray can be a little trickier.
A major benefit to using either a silicone mold, or a jumbo ice cube tray, is that you can freeze whole eggs without having to divide them. For the way I cook, this is something I find I really prefer.
Once the mold (or ice cube tray) is filled, slip the whole mold onto a shelf in your freezer, and let the eggs freeze until hard. Freezing the eggs in a single layer works better than stacking molds on top of each other. I find that 4 hours is usually plenty of time for the eggs to solidly freeze.
Once they're frozen, just pop them out, and place into freezer bags.
Packaging eggs for short term storage
If I'm just doing a few at a time, I'll sometimes use regular ziploc sandwich bags. 4 eggs fit nicely.
You can also store them in any freezer-safe container, and that works just fine if you're planning to store eggs for only a month or two.
Packaging frozen eggs for best results with long term storage
Usually, if I'm freezing eggs, I keep two molds going constantly for a couple of days, and I freeze a LOT of eggs all at once. I put them into vacuum sealer bags - 8 in the quart size, and 12 in the gallon size (I've linked the kind I use - sturdy and not prone to leaking, but cheaper than the name brand).
I seal them up, using my vacuum sealer. (This is the one I have. Don't buy it. It works, but you'll wish you bought a better one - pinky swear.)
Don't forget to label the bags of frozen eggs
Then I stack them flat, one on top of the other, in a corner of my big old chest freezer in the basement. It's an amazingly space-efficient way of fitting a LOT of frozen eggs into a fairly small, organized space.
If you don't have a silicone mold, and don't want to get one - you can also hack it with a muffin tin. Use it just like the silicone mold, breaking one egg into each space, and freezing until solid. To un-mold the individually frozen eggs, turn upside down over a cookie sheet, then set something warm over the bottom of the muffin tin. A hot water bottle works well. You want to thaw the bottom of the eggs just enough to easily pop them out, then place them in freezer bags, just like the instructions above.
HOW TO THAW FROZEN EGGS FOR COOKING
To use frozen eggs, just pull out the number of eggs you need. Thaw for a few hours (or overnight) in a bowl, in the refrigerator.
This is important. Thawing the frozen eggs slowly in a refrigerator, rather than quickly at room temperature, is really key for not getting egg yolks with a rubbery texture.
If you're making up a big quiche or another large egg dish, and are going to use a whole package of eggs, just let them thaw right in the freezer bag, in the fridge. When you're ready to use them, snip a corner off the bag, and pour them into your mixing bowl. So easy. So tidy.
Best recipes for cooking with frozen eggs
Previously frozen eggs work better in some recipes than others. For example, if you're looking to make something like Eggs in Purgatory, or Eggs Benedict, where a smooth and delicate texture of the yolk is really important to the finished quality of the meal, you may want to opt for fresh eggs instead.
However, frozen eggs work wonderfully in baked goods, and almost any egg dishes where you'd beat the eggs before cooking. Some recipe that work especially well with thawed frozen eggs are:
- Any type of quiche
- Scrambled eggs
- Breakfast burritos
- Tortilla de Patatas
- Fritattas
Frequently asked questions about storing eggs
Should I add salt or sugar when freezing eggs?
Over the last couple of years it's become very popular for bloggers to suggest adding a teaspoon of salt to each cup of eggs to be used for savory recipes, or a teaspoon of sugar to each cup of eggs destined for sweet dishes. Other say to add a pinch of salt to each egg. Or to add salt to each cup of yolks, if you're separating whites from yolks.
I have tried these methods. In my opinion, beating the eggs and adding salt or sugar does not result in a better texture once the eggs thaw. It does throw off the flavoring of the recipes that I make with frozen eggs. And it does limit my options for what I can make with the eggs left in my freezer stash. Using sweetened eggs in a savory quiche is just never a good thing.
Long story short - I've tried adding salt or sugar, and I personally DO NOT prefer the results.
Help! I froze my eggs all beaten together. How can measure out one egg's worth?
No problem. If you're working with chicken eggs and they were frozen all beaten together, just measure out 3 tablespoons of the thawed egg mixture, for each egg that you need. If you're working with frozen duck eggs, 4 tablespoons should be just about right.
Can I freeze cooked eggs?
It depends on what kind of cooked eggs you're talking about.
Scrambled eggs freeze wonderfully.
This is a great way to prep easy morning meals, like breakfast burritos.
Can you freeze hard boiled eggs?
Unfortunately, cooked egg whites really never thaw well after being frozen. Cooked egg yolks on the other hand, really do. You can save the yolks from hard boiled eggs to freeze for garnishes, to crumble into salads, or even to whisk into dressings or sauces.
You can also cook egg yolks individually for freezing, by simmering them gently in a saucepan with enough water to completely cover them, for about 10 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, let them drain, and then place into freezer bags or containers.
Can I freeze egg-based dishes like quiche?
Absolutely. Wrap quiche or other egg-based dish very well with plastic wrap, and freeze. To use, start by thawing overnight in the fridge, then re-heat in the oven or microwave like usual. For even better results, or to store longer than a few weeks, try freezing quiche on a tray until solid. Then place in a vacuum sealer bag, and vacuum seal to remove all possible air. Frozen this way, egg dishes like quiche can last very well for several months, and make great prep-ahead freezer meals!
This method of freezing whole raw eggs has very strategically streamlined my system for long-term egg storage.
It's made it so I never have to buy eggs - and I never dread using frozen ones, since these are easy to use, and not a big yellowish frozen lump, that needs to be thawed and then measured out into portions.
I hope this method works as well for you as it does for me!
Read Next: My 10 Favorite Ways to Use Extra Eggs
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Cowboy says
I didn't notice any real texture difference with my frozen eggs in eating, but I did in cooking. Making scrambled eggs for breakfast, I noticed that they were more watery until they were thoroughly cooked. After that, they tasted just fine to me, and the texture was fine. In baking, etc, I don't see that there'd be any difference at all. I never even thought of using a square silicon mold. Been using muffin tins the whole time. I do get the appeal of neater packaging. Most our eggs get used for pickling, or frozen for later use, usually in baking.
trevia S nichols says
I'm been freezing eggs for the last 30 yrs to help with the budget, I was taught to mix up the eggs and pour into a ice tray and one cube equaled one egg, As you said the eggs are not the same for frying but are good in everything else it works out fine. I like how flat yours are I can see how they would store better, But the tray does 12 at a time, Also you can spray the eggs with a olive oil when you first freeze them to kept the edges from drying out.
Marlene Williams says
Hi Anna, I'm not lucky enough to have a homestead instead of an apartment. I love your website. I learn so much! Can you freeze store-bought eggs? Would they turn out the same?
Lisa says
Hi, thanks for the great tip! I don’t have hens laying fresh eggs 😩, can I freeze store bought eggs the same and as long?
Thanks,
Lisa
Tracy Over says
Hi Anna,
I am so intrigued with this post! My husband and I don’t have any girls right now - “resident” wildlife has seen to that - but we’re talking about having some girls again in the near future.
I’m curious how you vacuum-sealed the eggs individually. Any tips/tricks that I can file away for future reference? I’ve already saved the silicone mold to my amazon wishlist 🙂
Kathy says
Do you think it would be ok to beat the egg and then freeze it?
Laura says
Than you so very much for sharing this post. I will be using it this weekend.
When you first posted it, I never dreamed I would have to go there. But I shall.
Thanks again for your wisdom and experience in these matters.
Take care...
Anna says
Oh Laura, thank you so much for your heartwarming comment. Indeed, these times are taking us all places we'd never dreamed. I'm right there with you. Wishing health and peace to you and your family. Thanks again, and you take care as well! ♥
Ophelia Toby says
Hello,
Thanks for your tested wisdom. I was about to panic too many eggs. I am new to the chicken farm as a hobby
Ihave a lot to learn. Keep up your posts.
Ophelia,
Lyons, Georgia
Rosemary says
H I Anna. Rosemary here from NEW ZEALAND. Many years ago my Mother used to put down winter eggs as they were called then ,in a goopy mix of preseveitor, in a 2 gallon tin . One thing I didn't like was having to taking them out of the tin. They were put in clean and fresh in their shells and were lovely. Thanks for you advice, Even now at 75 years old i still keep 5 chooks,thanks again Rosemary
Diane says
Wow, thank you so much!! I've had hens for 40 years and the only frozen eggs I'd use were when they froze before I brought them in!! This will be wonderful and also great for taking them camping! We always scramble those anyway! Thank you❤
Darla Horton says
My aunt used to freeze eggs in at canning jars, she separated and froze them.
Wendy says
Hi Anna,
I just stumbled upon this great article and can’t wait to try it.
My only question is, If I use the gallon bag to freeze 12 eggs but only want to use 2 or 3, How do I re-seal the bag afterwards?
Anna says
Hi Wendy! You can re-vacuum seal the bag (I find there's usually room to do this if I've removed a few eggs, and my sealer lives on my counter so it's easy). But honestly what I usually do is just roll the top of the bag over and close it with a wooden clothes pin. Once I've opened a bag of frozen eggs, I usually go through it within several days, and I don't find that being closed but not vacuum-sealed makes a difference in that amount of time. I hope this helps! Thanks so much for the kind comment, and best of luck!
Perry says
Outstanding idea! Thank you. Years ago my mother used to freeze eggs for baking or eating, but your method is sensational.
Anna says
Hi Perry! Thanks so much for the kind words. It's amazing how far our kitchen resources have come in the last decade, isn't it? Hard to believe silicone molds like this haven't been around really all that long, but now I can't imagine my kitchen without them. Thanks again for the kind comment!
Kathy says
How does this affect baking items?
Bon says
I froze my eggs last summer. It was killing me to have to buy eggs when the girls are molting and bodies resting in the winter. I used a small silicone muffin pan I had and it worked great I popped them into gallon freezer bags and dated the month collected and used the oldest ones first all winter long. They don't translate the same for fried eggs like a fresh so I bought a dozen here and there for that. I defrost mine and throw it in the blender to finely chop up the firm yokes and use for mayo, scrambled, quiche and baking. Anything you would use beat/scrambled up eggs.
I am going to see how it comes out if I pre beat them and then freeze since the yoke consistency isn't a way we like them when fried.
I am going to also try the slow defrost in the fridge you mentioned I have been doing it at room temp.
Peggy Perry says
Hi Anna
Thank you for the great tip on freezing eggs. My question is I don’t have a food sealer; would freezing these in ziplock bags trying to get most of the air out work, or would the eggs not last as long in the freezer?
Thanks
Peggy
Anna says
Hi Peggy! You know, my food sealer died last summer so I had a good chance to test this. In my personal experience, I found that frozen eggs in regular ziploc bags last very, very well for about 6-8 months.
After that, the outside edges slowly started getting a bit of a freezer burned texture which I found noticeable as a firmer texture once thawed. I've tested vacuum-sealed ones after 2 years in the freezer just for the sake of experimenting, and those ones were still as if I'd frozen them the day before. So there's definitely a difference in longevity, but if you're expecting to use these within the next 6-8 months, you should be absolutely fine! Hope that helps a bit!!
Peggy says
Thank you so much for answering.
Anna says
Absolutely my pleasure Peggy! Best wishes to you!
Luanna says
I did not have a vacuum sealer so I close my freezer bag except for a small corner were I put a straw and use it to suck out the air as I pull the straw out and finish sealing the bag. Works great for anything you want sealed.
Anna says
Great tip, Luanna! The straw trick is a lifesaver!
Rawinia says
thank you for all this information this is so cool tool to know i just love to learn new methods on how to keep my food storage growing today i will do some eggs for my freezer sounds good that will help out so much i will be able to say i have always got eggs thank you again
Anna says
Rawinia, thanks so much for the kind words! YES! It's such a great feeling to always know there are eggs on hand - I'm grateful for that as well. Glad you found the tip helpful! Best wishes, and thanks again!
Kamela says
Wow,I never even thought of freezing eggs. My mind is blown,I'm just shaking my head. Why have I never heard of this?? Thanks for the info.ur great !
KATHLEEN says
Hi Anna,can you freeze egg whites & the yokes separately or freeze together & separate when defrosted??
Anna says
Hi Kathleen, you can do it either way! They freeze just fine if you separate them first, but they also separate very easily (just like a fresh egg) if you wait until after they defrost. I do feel my yolks get a little tougher for some reason if I separate first and freeze without the white, but the whites turn out perfectly. Hope this helps!!
Kristin says
So glad to have found this method. We just defrosted our first batch of frozen eggs and the yolks stayed pretty solid. They tasted fine in a scramble but they didn't mix up like normal. Is that typical?
Anna says
Hi Kristin! It's normal for the yolks to hold together a bit more than yolks that have never been frozen. What I've found, and few readers have also let me know, is that the more slowly you defrost the eggs, the more like fresh eggs they'll be when you work with them. I find that if I set my eggs to thaw overnight in the fridge, the yolks are a lot softer and more like fresh, than if I let them thaw quickly at room temperature. Hope this helps!!
Jaymi says
Do they fry up like a fresh egg?
Anna says
Hi Jaymi! I would definitely not say that they fry up like a fresh egg - that's one use where you'd notice a bit of difference. TOTALLY edible and fine, but the yolks will be a bit more sturdy and almost "chewy". Scrambled, or used in a omelette, or anything baked, they're great, but over-easy or sunny-up...you'd likely be disappointed. Hope this helps!
Sandi Burch says
I just tried this recently. I pan "scrambled" them and noticed the yolk was sturdy like you said. I let them thaw overnight just to see the consistency before using. They cooked up great and tasted DELICIOUS! This was a fantastic post, thank you for putting it out there.
Anna says
Sandi, thank you so much for your feedback! I appreciate it so much, and love hearing how this went for you!! Hooray for never having to buy eggs in the middle of winter again! = )
Sollena says
Thank you for sharing your experience on freezing eggs, especially how you've wriiten about your experiences with them. I'll be using your method this weekend. So glad you could rescue Eidelweiss, poor thing and glad you were there. Have a super day!
Anna says
Sollena, thank you so much for the kind words!! And sweet Edelweiss is still doing well - she's about to hatch out another clutch of eggs any day now!
Eunice says
I had eggs freeze by mistake, in the shell . I used them and couldn’t tell any problem with using them in baking .
Anna says
Haha! Talk about some natural "vacuum-seal packaging!" Love it! And I totally agree - I really don't notice a difference with using them in baking at all!
Barbara Bettis says
[email protected] can you whip frozen egg whites for macaroons ?
Anna says
Wow, that is such a great question! The honest answer is that I have never tried it. BUT - I feel that the texture of the white really does not seem altered after thawing, so my inclination is that it would work. I MAY just have to experiment with this now...it's been way too long since I've make macaroons! If you try it, please let us know how it turns out for you!
Julie says
Anna, Thank you so much for this post. I wasn't sure about freezing the eggs, but now I do. Sometimes there are just too many, and sometimes not enough. We were lucky this winter; the ladies kept the eggs coming and I did not need to buy any.
Anna says
Julie, thanks so much for the sweet comment! Isn't it wonderful to have an abundance of eggs, and just know you'll never have to buy any? Now that I've got a pretty good freezer stash, I'm about to try my hand at curing yolks in salt - I'll have to let you know how it goes! Thanks again, and have a great night!
Wanda says
I'm 75 years old and have just learned something new -- freezing eggs. Now I'm even wiser than I was yesterday. Thank you for your input. When my daughter moves into their house on 13 acres and fills the hen house, I'll share this knowledge with her.
Anna says
Well, Wanda, you sweetie! Thank you so much for the kind comment! I'm so excited for your daughter, moving onto 13 acres - that's wonderful! Best wishes to both of you!!
Matthew says
how long do the eggs keep storing them like this? have you noticed any degradation in taste with age?
Anna says
Hi Matthew! When I use the vacuum sealer, I really notice almost no change with long-term storage. I have stored eggs for at least 10 months this way, and been very pleased with the results. If I have some that I've stored in just regular ziploc bags, I always use those ones first, so can't speak for the taste of ones stored this way for more than 3 months. Honestly, with the vacuum sealed eggs, I feel I could probably store them even for a year or two and be happy with the results when thawed. Hope that helps a bit!
Debra says
Hi Anna, I didn't know I could freeze eggs at all so this is SUPER-useful, now that all 24 of my hens are coming into lay at the same time. :-0 Also, thank you for your honesty about the vacuum sealer you have. I am shopping for one and had been considering this exact model (or a slightly more expensive one as you suggest). Love your site; always entertaining and informative!
Anna says
Debra, I'm so sorry to just be seeing your comment now! I'm glad this could be helpful! And YEAH - 24 girls all laying! Woohoo!! EGGS GALORE!
I'm glad the vacuum sealer advice could be handy too...sometimes I don't know how much to share, and I honestly kind of questioned putting that in. Thanks for your encouragement, and your very kind comment!!
Karen Merhalski says
Wow! I didn't know that you could freeze eggs! Thank you Anna once again for a very helpful article!
Melissa Keyser says
Interesting! I always thought you had to freeze the yolk and white separate. This would be great for baking because you can tell what "one egg" is!