Freezing Chicken Eggs

If you raise chickens, there will be times when you have a surplus of eggs. Freezing chicken eggs is a great way to preserve those fresh eggs to use later.

This post shows you how to freeze fresh eggs and how to use those frozen eggs in different recipes.

Why freeze fresh eggs?

I've raised chickens for almost 20 years. During that time, we had a few dry periods with no chicken eggs. Chickens naturally go through a cycle when they stop laying.

This usually happens in the winter when there is limited daylight. Most chickens need a minimum of 14 hours of daylight in order to lay eggs.

We do keep a light on in one area of our chicken coop, but the chickens can also roost in an area that has no light. This light mimics daylight and helps with egg production.

Usually, our chickens keep us with a fresh supply of eggs all year long. During the few dry spells, I have had to supplement with store-bought eggs. They just aren't the same!

With the shortage of eggs available in the stores and the high cost of eggs at the store, I'm doing everything I can to make certain I always have a supply of eggs.

Right now I am freezing any extra eggs I have. Frozen eggs are good for up to one year. You can freeze scrambled eggs, egg yolks, and egg whites.

There are a few tricks about freezing fresh eggs and I'll share them all with you!

In addition to freezing the eggs, I've tested them out too. I've made scrambled eggs, lemon curd, and meringue all successfully with the frozen eggs.

Key ingredients

• Eggs - Yep, we will actually be using eggs to freeze fresh eggs! 🙂 Use very fresh eggs that you know where they came from. I try to collect and freeze my eggs on the same day.
• Salt - For scrambled eggs and egg yolks, you need to add just a bit of salt to help stabilize the eggs
• Sugar - This is optional for freezing egg yolks. Add sugar if you will be using your egg yolks in a sweet dish.

Step by step directions

There are three main ways to freeze eggs; scrambled or separated into yolks and whites.

Whole Eggs - scrambled

Scrambled eggs are whole eggs with the yolk and white mixed together. These eggs can be used in baking, in casseroles, or for making scrambled eggs.

• Place as many eggs as you'll use at one time into a bowl. I usually do 2-4 eggs.
• Lightly scramble eggs so the yolk and whites are combined. Try not to get too much air into the eggs. You just want them mixed.
• Add a pinch of salt. This is optional, but I found the eggs froze better with a bit of salt. For four eggs, I used about ⅛ of a teaspoon of salt.
• Place in a container and freeze
• You can keep it in a container or once frozen, remove it and place it in a freezer-safe bag.
• Label and date contents and amount of eggs in each batch

Egg whites

You can separate eggs and freeze just the whites.

• Place as many egg whites as you'll use at one time into a freezer-safe dish
• Place in freezer and freeze
• You can keep in a container or once frozen, remove it and place it in a freezer-safe bag.
• Label and date contents and amount of whites in each batch

Egg yolks

• Place as many egg yolks as you'll use at one time into a bowl
• Mix with a fork
• Add a bit of salt or sugar. The salt or sugar will help stabilize the egg and allow it to freeze without becoming gelatinous.
• Use salt for savory dishes and sugar for sweet dishes. Be certain to label your egg yolks with whatever you have added and the amount you added.
• You can keep it in a container or once frozen, remove it and place it in a freezer-safe bag.
• Label and date contents and amount of yolks in each batch

And with the egg whites, I whipped them like I would in a meringue. They whipped up light and airy.

Recipe tips

• When using farm-fresh eggs, you may occasionally run into a spoiled egg. I break each egg into a small dish and then if the egg is good, I add it to the other eggs. This helps prevent spoiling an entire batch if an egg is bad.
• Be certain to label each container with the number of eggs and if you've added anything to the egg mixture.
• Use frozen eggs within one year

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Check out all my delicious methods for preserving food.

Be certain to listen to the podcast episode on how to freeze eggs!