Admit it. Its been on your mind for most of the morning. You can’t get it out of your head. Yes, we’re talking about that all-important question – Can you freeze eggs? You’ve come to the right place to answer this question and stop the worry and never-ending concern. Here’s the answer…. YES! And here’s the nitty gritty on how to do it!
It is that time of year when egg prices drop and you can find some great deals on eggs. So with that in mind and as we eat a lot of eggs in our house we love to buy them for much less and freeze them so we don’t have to buy them at the higher prices the rest of the year. 🙂 So a few years ago we asked the question ourselves – “Can you freeze eggs?” when the time of year came around that eggs were so cheap that we wanted to stock up!
Eggs are considered the “poor man’s protein” and what better way to help us stick to our budget and to help us stick to healthier eating than buying them at a rock-bottom deal and freezing them so we could continue eating healthier for even less (because we’re not buying them when they are so expensive). But don’t think that springtime is the only time you can find great deals on eggs – we always loving looking for those markdowns (see the pictures below for an example) as you can often find them year-round!
Plus, another consideration is that not only are the “cheaper egg varieties” on sale, but also some of the higher-end eggs as well. We prefer to buy brown or cage-free eggs when we can fit them in our budget, and so when the opportunity arises, we stock-up on them! Then they are prepared to be frozen so we can have them when we need them.
SO Here’s How You Can Freeze Eggs!
What you need:
- Eggs
- Salt or sugar (to prevent the yolk from turning into a gel consistency when defrosting)
- Something to measure out 1-2 cups
- Ziploc or other container to store
It is very quick and easy to prepare eggs for the freezer and a task that our 7- and 8-year old daughters like to do (and practice egg cracking:))
We found that about 5-6 eggs is equal to one cup. We freeze most of our eggs in this quantity as we usually use about this many at a time!
First, crack the eggs in a separate bowl and measure them out (we measure by cups).
Second, add salt to the eggs. You will want to use around 1/2 teaspoon of salt for one cup of eggs (if freezing individually just use a dash)! Adjust the salt amount based on how many you are freezing together!
Third, gently mix the eggs so the yolks break up a bit and mix with the salt.
Fourth, pour egg mixture into your Ziploc or other container.
Fifth, label your eggs with date and quantity and then stick them in the freezer!
Here is some additional information to help you preserve your eggs for use!
- Eggs can be frozen for up to 1-year.
- Defrost your eggs for 1 day before use in the fridge.
- You can use sugar instead of salt if you are using them for baking, etc.
- You can freeze individual eggs in an ice cube tray for use of one egg at a time.
- You can freeze the egg yolks and egg white separately if you need to.
- When freezing just the yolks, you will still need to use the salt (or sugar) to prevent it be like gelatin when you defrost them.
- When freezing just the whites, you do not need to add any salt or sugar – just mix very gently before freezing.
- Eggs can last quite a while after the “best by” date and still be just fine for use and consumption without the need for freezing. You can see our previous post on this topic of Food Expiration Dates: What They Really Mean
- Mark your bag/container with either the number of eggs or the amount it is equal to if you plan to use them in recipes. For example: our bags say “1 cup” or “6 large eggs.”
So when you are in the store next and you see a super deal on your family’s favorite eggs, instead of asking “Can you freeze eggs?” now you know you can, how to do and ultimately save your family a little more money in this area!
Note, check out the post on the proper method to freeze single eggs.
Have your tried to freeze your own eggs before? What was your experience?
Final thoughts:
As a couple of side notes, eggs can stay in the fridge for quite a while past expiration dates. In addition, with the use of mineral oil, you can actually store them for many months outside of a fridge in a coolish area (like a basement) just fine as well! You will want to check out all of the resources on eggs on our All About Eggs page HERE.
Lori
Love this post! We will be doing this for sure! We will write on our bags not only how much we put in but also if we added salt or sugar to the bags.
THANKS!
Lori
Also I just emailed you a link for a parenting book for only $3 for large families I hope you see it soon and can post it!
thriftycas
Thanks Lori! I actually saw their announcement that this was coming later today (as I am a fan of their blogs!) – but then was off my computer and forgot about it as I wanted to get one too 🙂 I am going to post it now!
Debbie
I always wondered about this. I know people that freeze already cooked scrambled eggs when they’re in homemade breakfast burritos, but I had never heard of anyone freezing them raw like this. I’ll have to give it a try.
sarah
Do you have any idea how well this would work out if I added pre-cut veggies(maybe even cooked meat?) to the bag for quick egg scrambles? That would certainly cut out alot of time in the morning.
Ashley
I am SO glad that you posted this! I have wondered about freezing eggs a lot. Thank you!
Ashley
Also, I would like to know your opinions on individual freezers. You may have posted about this already, but I am wondering if you personally think its a great investment. If so, which kind, what price range, etc.
Mary P
Ok, so I am confused…. do you HAVE to break the yolks? One picture shows them not so broken, and the directions say to mix gently. I am wondering, if you dont have to break the yolk? That way, you could use them for sunny side up or however you like your eggs. I freeze gallons of milk all the time since we live 80 miles from town, and i have chickens too so would like to know
Thanks!
thriftycas
Yes – gently mix and break them up. I don’t think you can freeze them with them not being mixed – the salt has to mix with the yolk, otherwise it will be like a gelatin when you defrost it. When we use them, we use them as scrambled eggs, in breakfast burritos, or even in a breakfast casserole or quiche. Basically, any use that we have for frozen eggs is in a scrambled form anyway. Hope that helps!
Mary P
Thanks so much for clarifying that for me!
Heather :) :) :)
That’s a really good tip!!! Someday when I can get out to the organic egg farm…I’m going to buy dozens and dozens of eggs, and freeze them. We go through eggs really fast in my family!!!! Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 😉
Debby
Thanks!!! I have 3 dozen eggs I got FREE in the past few weeks and wasn’t sure what to do with all of them.
heather
So cool! i have to try this!
Kim Leathem Pickett
Thanks! Added this to my Pinterest folders!
Terrie
What a great way to save eggs. We have 8 hens and I scramble trying to find people to take some eggs. We can’t eat as many as they lay!!!
Lori
Funny thing!! I JUST got done separating 30-35 doz. eggs. (We have 50 chickens and eggs were running out our ears). I am going to freeze them until I have the time to make noodles with the yolks and angel food cakes with the whites. I put no salt or sugar with either, and they will freeze just fine! (We have never frozen them just to eat for breakfast, so maybe that is why the salt/sugar). My MIL has frozen eggs for years, and they have been just fine. Happy egg eating!!! (and freezing!!!)
Erinn S
OMG! Thank you for this post. I never knew you could do this and Organic Eggs are so expensive! Love it!
Trisha
I put in a jar and shake them before freezing, and I freeze the bags flat..for extra storage room.
Veronica
I have done this and ended up with bit of hard egg. Any suggestions to avoid this? Thanks