There have been quite a few "foodpocolypses" in the past few years. There was the aporkalypse that left many bacon lovers quaking. There was the almost kalepocolypse that would have left half of Portland in a frenzied state. And now, we're in fear of an egg shortage as a result of the Avian Flu outbreak that has affected 47 million birds in the Midwest. The shortage is speculated to raise the price of eggs to an unseen high, and we all know what that means: breakfast is going to start looking pretty meek.
There is a solution: Stock up on more affordable eggs now, and freeze them for later use. They'll keep for up to a year, with a stamp of approval from the American Egg Board.
Photo credit: The Cupcake Project
But you can't just put a carton in the freezer and expect good results. Eggs are not like other cooking ingredients; they have some unique properties, so they need to be prepped before they can be frozen. Here are a couple of things you need to know before freezing:
- Never freeze eggs in the shell. They expand when frozen, so that's bad news.
- To freeze whole eggs (both whites and yolks), blend the eggs together first. Store in a freezer container with the date and number of eggs. Once thawed they'll be great for scrambled eggs, quiches and any other recipe that call for an entire egg.
- To freeze egg whites, separate them from the yolk making sure there's no crossover. For faster thawing and easier use, freeze individual egg whites in ice cube trays before storing. 3 tablespoons of egg mixture is the equivalent of one whole egg.
- Freezing egg yolks is a little trickier because the cold temperature can cause the yolk to thicken or gel. To avoid this, add 1/8 teaspoon salt to 1/4 cup of egg yolks if planning on using them in a savory dish. Or, for sweet dishes, add 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar before freezing.
- Thaw eggs overnight in the fridge or under cold running water.
- Use whole eggs and egg yolks right away once thawed.
- Use thawed eggs only in dishes that cook the egg.
Feeling confused? Let food blogger The Cupcake Project walk you through the process of freezing your eggs, whether you want a whole egg, egg white or just yolks.
Photo credit: The Cupcake Project
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