reading time: 5 minutes
by Christie Cook If you’ve got chickens already, you know about the feast-or-famine approach these girls take with their precious eggs. However, if you’re new to the barn, you’re in for a treat. Springtime brings a seemingly endless supply of farm fresh eggs ready for an endless array of eggnog, custards, and meringues. However, once the daylight hours are shortened, most subspecies close for the winter to recover from a long season of egg-laying. What should the owner of the flock do to keep those priceless eggs in abundance all year round? Keep them. In this two-part series, I’m going to take you on a tour of the kitchen and show you how to keep farm fresh eggs all year long.
cooling
The simplest and most effective way to preserve eggs is refrigeration. Unlike their store counterparts that have expiration dates of a month or less, clean, fresh, unwashed eggs will keep 6 to 8 months when refrigerated immediately after laying. Even after many months in the refrigerator, properly chilled eggs continue to work well as fried or poached eggs, scrambled eggs, custards, and other recipes, depending on the egg’s consistency and volume-producing capacity.
The key to maintaining this freshness is choosing fresh, unsoiled eggs that require no cleaning to retain their “bloom.” This protective film covers the shell and keeps bacteria out of the delicate egg while slowing moisture loss. Eggs laid during the cooler months tend to store longer, while eggs laid in the heat of summer become runny and turn rancid faster than eggs laid in cooler conditions. However, collecting the eggs several times a day during the hot summer months and cooling them promptly goes a long way to minimizing any loss in quality.
In general, the only difference between a day-old egg and one that has been cold for about eight months is the thickness of the white and the puffiness of the yolk. As eggs age, the whites naturally become thinner and slightly runny while the yolks become softer and break more easily. However, this isn’t usually any problem in most recipes other than a slightly wider base for fried eggs. And while it’s true that fresh egg whites make the best meringue, I succeeded in creating a church-worthy meringue with 8-month-old eggs with a little whisk and a little extra cream of tartar added to the mix. No one is ever wiser.
freeze them
Freezing raw and cooked eggs is my second favorite way to extend the bounty of our flock due to its ease of use and quality results. Raw eggs may be frozen in the shell, whole (without the shell), and scrambled or separated, while cooked eggs may be frozen, scrambled, or laid whole.
One of the biggest challenges with frozen raw eggs is that the golden egg yolk turns into a hard gelatinous ball that will never cream again. This makes frozen egg yolks problematic in recipes that call for a smooth, silky yolk, such as eggnog or banana pudding. However, most cake and muffin recipes, many bread recipes, and even casseroles that don’t rely on cream yolk turn out just fine, perhaps with a spot or two of a little egg yolk remaining in the final product.
However, one trick to get around this hurdle is to puree the eggs well or mix them well before adding them to recipes. When frying a previously frozen whole egg, make sure the yolk will not be runny but will resemble a hard-cooked egg yolk while the white will fry as normal. Both flavor and texture remain nearly identical to—and often indistinguishable from—eggs fresh from the barn.
The biggest benefit to freezing scrambled eggs instead of whole eggs is the lack of a jelly-like yolk which is a boon for making scrambled egg dishes and incorporating into other recipes where little specks of yolk are undesirable. Separating the whites and yolks before freezing also makes it easier to make a quick meringue or German chocolate cake, where separating previously frozen eggs can be difficult.
A lightly greased muffin tin or ice cube tray is all that is needed when freezing, separating, separating, and/or scrambling whole raw eggs without shell. Some recommend adding 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt or up to 1 teaspoon of sugar/honey per cup of scrambled eggs to maintain their smooth texture. However, I often forget this step and haven’t noticed much difference.
Regardless of the toppings or whether scrambled, separated, or whole eggs, prepared eggs are placed in a tin or ice cube tray, frozen, popped out, and stored in freezer-safe bags, bowls, or other containers. When freezing eggs in the shell, place the eggs in a bowl to catch the egg whites that escape as the shell expands and cracks during freezing. However, most eggs don’t lose much of their white, allowing each egg to be used as a whole egg in any recipe. When preparing the recipe, let the frozen eggs thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Cook and freeze
When I need a quick meal, I like to scramble or bake eggs and then freeze them in individual portions for breakfast sandwiches or burritos. I’ve found that scrambled eggs slightly uncooked before freezing avoids the dryness one can encounter when reheating pre-cooked eggs. Whole eggs baked in a lightly oiled muffin tin at 325°F for about 13 minutes and then frozen will reheat just like scrambled versions.
Whether you’re new to egg harvesting or an old pro, preserving those extra eggs during the laying season makes fall-winter season filling with meals made with farm-fresh eggs, even when the girls insist they need a break from summer duties. The key to successful freezing and use of these eggs is experimenting with different recipes and freezing techniques.
Whole wheat waffles and berries
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- 1¾ cup of cold milk
- Half a cup of olive oil
- A cup of unsweetened apple juice
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla
- 1 cup blueberries – fresh or frozen
- Preheat the waffle iron.
- Mix all dry ingredients except for the blueberries.
- Using the mixer on low speed, add all the wet ingredients and blend until smooth.
- fold in blueberries.
- Pour the recommended amount of batter into a waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Top the warm waffle with a layer of honey and blueberries.
Note: Any form of frozen raw egg will work in these recipes. Defrost the eggs completely in the refrigerator. If you’re using frozen, unpeeled eggs, puree the yolks or blend the stick to reduce the yellow spots.
Chewy chocolate brownies
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups of sugar
- 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
- Add the oil and eggs to the dry mixture and mix until all ingredients are well combined.
- Pour into a lightly oiled 9″ x 13″ baking pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- The middle should still be soft but not mushy when done. Delicious when served with vanilla ice cream.
Originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of Countryside Journal and Small Stock They are checked regularly for accuracy.