How to Freeze and Preserve Eggs

We've previously written about food waste -- and how we throw away tons of good edible food every day.

One thing is throwing away bad food, a completely different thing is to throw away good food simply because we buy too much or plan poorly.

In this article we'll take a look at how you can freeze eggs to preserve them for later use. This is perfect if you buy eggs from farmers in bulk, raise chickens for eggs or use only parts of the eggs for food preparation.

How long does eggs keep?

Eggs that you buy here in the US are washed. This means that the eggs have to be refrigerated (this is not the case with European eggs). If you keep uncooked eggs in the fridge, they typically last about a month after the pack date -- or three-four weeks after you pick them up in the store.

Eggs can safely be eaten three weeks beyond the sell date. Eggs, as long as they're stored properly, will not really spoil, but the texture and the taste will degrade by time.

How to freeze eggs -- the 101

How you should freeze eggs depends on which part of the egg you're freezing, and what you're going to use them for later.

In a regular freezer, eggs can be stored for up to a year and should be used only in dishes where they will be thoroughly cooked. To thaw, leave them in the refrigerator overnight.

Egg whites

Egg whites can be frozen in a container as they are -- no magic.

Yolks

Yolks can be frozen too, but they require a bit of extra work. To prevent them to thicken and "gel", beat in 1/8th teaspoon of salt or 1 3/4 teaspoons of sugar per 4 egg yolks. Sugar or salt depends on what you're going to use the yolks for -- savory dishes or sweet deserts.

Whole Eggs

Break the eggs open and batter until blended -- and then freeze in a container. Simple.

Hard boiled eggs

Hard boiled eggs don't freeze very well. The yolks can be frozen and used for garnishing or in salads though.

Remove the yolks from the egg and place them in a single layer in a pan. Cover with water one inch above the yolks and bring to just boiling. Removee the pan and let sit for 12 minutes covered. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain, cool and store in a freezer container.

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/how-freeze-eggs-later.html. Featured image by woodleywonderworks, Flickr CC