AUTUMN
DECEMBER 2012

March 14, 2011

STORING EGGS


Having thirty two free-ranging, pastured hens means having an abundance of eggs, an overabundance at times.
Even though my daughter has her organic egg business, YOLKS, ETC we still have more than enough.
  She sets aside all the *perfect* eggs for her customers. Some shells get soiled or have marks on them and those are the ones we keep for ourselves. 

Did you know eggs are not supposed to be washed until you use them?
 "Hen fruit, as it comes from the chicken, is coated with a light layer of a natural sealing agent called "bloom". And, while a good wash may make a batch of eggs look more attractive, it also removes this natural protective coating ... leaving the eggs more subject to aging and attack by the air and bacteria in the air."    ~Mother Earth News
We decided to freeze our excess eggs. 
We separate the egg whites from the egg yolks
and put the whites in ice cube trays. ( Yes! They look yellow!)
 Once frozen, they can go in a zip lock bag. To use them,we thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and make sure to use within 12 hours.
Egg whites can be used in boiled frostings, meringue cookies, angel food cake, white cakes, or meringue for pies.


 Next,we put the yolks together, mixed with a fork. 

 Because the yolks tend to become too thick, salt or sweetener needs to be added before freezing them.

 1/4 teaspoon of salt OR 1/2 tablespoon of honey or sugar per cup of egg yolks. 

Label the container with the date and the number of egg yolks. Egg yolks can be used in sauces, custards, ice cream, yellow cakes, mayonnaise, scrambled eggs, and cooked puddings.
1 1/2 TBSP of thawed yolk equals 1 egg yolk


Whole eggs can be mixed with a fork and put into a freezer container.
Once thawed, 3 TBSP of thawed whole egg equals 1 egg


The whole eggs can also be dropped singly into a small container or freezer bag. (without the shell, of course)
 .

They will last up to one year in the freezer.

 

This post is linked to Barn Hop #4 .

and Hearth and Soul hop


happy day!



9 comments:

Cary Ann said...

I needed to read this as we have tons of eggs in our fridge too. I know what I'll be doing tomorrow :)

michelle and murph said...

I always like learning something new! Thanks

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead said...

Great egg tips! I have yet to freeze any of mine, but I plan to in the future, and I really appreciate the info you have here!
Thanks for sharing this post at the Homestead Barn Hop!

Unknown said...

Good to know all of this Marcia!
We've ordered 10 new chicks and for us that will keep us in more eggs than we can use..The storage tips will come in handy!
Thanks!
Deb

Boho Farm and Home said...

I did not know you could do this...what a great tip! As a fellow chicken owner, I always have an abundance of eggs in the spring and now I know what I can do with them besides making quiche.
xo Caroline

Laura @ Green Legacy Farm said...

I was wondering about this recently since we have plans to get more layers - wonderful tip!

Christy said...

I can't wait to try this! We have an abundance of eggs also. We can't eat them all fast enough. Thanks for sharing this with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop!

Grace @ Sense and Simplicity said...

I had no idea you could freeze eggs. On the other hand, I never have an abundance of eggs at any one time. I love your photo of the brown and white eggs together.

The Wise Alternative 918-836-0565 said...

I always wondered how to store eggs long term...

Great post and thanks for sharing at the hearth and soul hop.