How to Freeze Eggs

If you want to stock up on eggs for a later day, you can freeze them to extend their shelf life.

Here’s what you need to know about freezing eggs.

Freeze Raw Eggs, Not Cooked Eggs

frozen eggs organized in baggies
If you want to use eggs for baking or cooking, you should freeze them raw. When defrosted, they taste and act just like freshly-cracked eggs.

It is possible to freeze cooked eggs. However, the texture of the egg white gets a bit weird when you freeze and defrost a cooked egg.

It’s still edible, but you might not like the result.  This doesn’t happen with the egg yolk though, so you could cook just the yolks (or remove the yolk from hardboiled eggs) and freeze these.

Do Not Freeze Eggs in the Shell

The egg will expand in the shell and can cause it to crack.  When you defrost the egg, the egg will then leak out.  It’s a mess!   Instead, crack the eggs and just freeze the egg liquid without the shell.

Freezing Whole Eggs

Here’s how to freeze entire eggs:

  1. Crack the egg open.
  2. Put the egg liquid into a container. Each egg should have its own container.
  3. Freeze until solid.
  4. Remove frozen eggs from their containers and put them into plastic baggies; they will take up less space in your freezer this way.
  5. Label each baggie with the date the eggs were frozen

Containers for Freezing Eggs

Ideally, you want each egg to be frozen in its own container.  This makes it easier to grab exactly how many eggs you need.  Here are some ideas for freezing containers:

  1. Large ice cube trays
  2. Silicone cupcake trays
  3. Small Tupperware containers

*Ideally you should freeze them in flexible containers.  This will make it easier to get the egg out of the container once frozen.

Freezing Eggs in Bulk

If you have a lot of eggs, it might not make sense to freeze each in its own container.  Instead, use this method:

  1. Crack the eggs and pour them into a container or blender.
  2. Blend the eggs together thoroughly.
  3. Pour egg mixture into smaller containers and freeze

*Be mindful of how many eggs you will want to use at once. Once frozen, you won’t be able to remove just one egg. You’ll have to defrost the entire container. For example, if you only need a few eggs per week, you wouldn’t want to freeze a dozen of eggs in the same container.

Can I Freeze Just the Yolks or Whites?

If you need egg whites or yolks for recipes, you should separate them before freezing.  It is not possible to separate the white and yolk from a defrosted egg.

Raw egg whites freeze well.  Just separate them and pour them into ice cube trays for freezing.

However, egg yolks get a bit weird when frozen. They start becoming very jelly-like and won’t work as well in recipes that call just for yolks. To prevent the gelatinization:

  • Mix the egg yolks together in a bowl
  • Add 1/8 tsp. of salt OR 1 ½ tsp. sugar per 4 yolks
  • Pour into a container and freeze

How Long Do Frozen Eggs Last?

The shelf life of frozen eggs is about 12 months. If kept below 0°F, frozen eggs can last indefinitely.

However, it is important to note that freezer temperatures often fluctuate, especially if you open the freezer often or store the eggs near the door where warm air can more readily get to them.

For this reason, it’s important that you rotate your eggs by using the oldest ones first. Be sure you label the eggs with the date you froze them for easier rotation.

Read: Does Freezing Kill Bacteria in Food?

How to Defrost Frozen Eggs

The best way to defrost an egg is to put it in the refrigerator overnight.  If you are in a hurry, you can put the frozen egg in a zip-lock bag and put it in hot water.

If you need to whip thawed egg whites, you should let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes first.

Using Frozen Eggs

If you beat the eggs before freezing, use these amounts:

  • 1 egg = 3 Tbsp. of thawed egg
  • 1 egg yolk = 1 Tbsp. of thawed yolk
  • 1 egg white = 2 Tbsp. of thawed whites

 

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    • Nope. They work just the same for baking. 🙂 I’m sure a food scientist might say that the proteins or fats change their form in some way or other but, even if that’s the case, it’s not noticeable.

      Reply
  1. Thanks for the info! I’ve never frozen eggs before. So does the yolk stay intact once thawed out? Or does freezing only work for scrambled eggs & baking purposes?

    Reply

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