4 Ways To Preserve Extra Eggs

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Whether you scored a great deal on eggs from a local farm or the grocery store, or your own hens are producing way more than you can eat, there are plenty of ways to preserve extra eggs. You might be surprised at how long fresh eggs can last when refrigerated. Still, using other methods, they can keep for many months or even years.

Storing fresh eggs

Before you start trying different preservation methods, make sure you’re familiar with just how long fresh eggs can actually last.

How long can you store fresh eggs?

You can store your unwashed, farm fresh eggs at room temperature for 2-4 weeks. In the refrigerator, unwashed eggs can last for 3 months or more. Washed eggs can last for approximately 2 months in the refrigerator.

Unwashed eggs are covered with a protective layer, called the “bloom”, that prevents bacteria from getting inside the egg. Once eggs have been washed, the “bloom” is removed, and they’re more susceptible to harmful bacteria.

Because eggs are porous, it’s best to use only water when washing them. If you use soap or other chemicals during washing, these can seep into your egg. Yuck.

How can you tell whether your eggs are still fresh?

Not sure how old your eggs are or whether they’re still fresh? The float test can help! To test your eggs, simply fill a bowl or glass with cold water and gently drop your egg in. Fresh eggs will sink to the bottom and lie on their side. If the egg sinks but stands on end, it’s less fresh, but still edible. If your egg floats, it should not be consumed.

Thinking about adding chickens to your homestead?

If you don’t already have chickens, thinking about all those fresh, long-lasting eggs may just have you feeling ready to build a coop! Chickens are easy to care for, don’t take up a lot of space, and can provide your family with both eggs and meat. Read more about choosing the best chickens for your farm!

4 ways to preserve extra eggs

Need to store your eggs for longer? Don’t worry. Extra eggs are a great problem to have, and they’re not difficult to preserve. There are multiple ways to save your extra eggs for future use.

Raw, scrambled eggs

You can preserve raw eggs one at a time or in a group. Simply crack an egg into a bowl and scramble it. Then, pour it into a silicone ice cube tray. Repeat with as many eggs as you’d like. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 24 hours. After they’re frozen, pop your eggs out and store them in a plastic freezer bag.

If you prefer (and depending on the size of your ice cube trays), you can put more than one egg together in each slot of the tray. When you want to use your eggs, simply thaw them in the fridge. Once thawed, mix them into recipes or cook them for breakfast!

If you don’t have silicone ice cube trays, you can also try this method using muffin tins.

Cooked, scrambled eggs

Though pre-cooked eggs are less versatile than raw, frozen eggs, they’re a quick, easy food to heat up and eat.

To freeze, start by simply cooking your scrambled eggs, leaving them slightly runny. Cool thoroughly, then seal in freezer bags or air-tight containers. When you’re ready to enjoy them, just take your eggs out and reheat. Easy!

Cooked eggs can last for up to 6 months or more in the freezer.

Dehydrated eggs

There are a lot of mixed opinions out there about whether dehydrating your eggs is worth it or is even safe. You can dehydrate your eggs whether they’re raw or cooked. However, it’s considered safer to dehydrate cooked eggs.

Jill from The Prairie Homestead wrote all about why you may or may not want to dehydrate your eggs – check it out to learn all the pros and cons!

Freeze-dried eggs

To freeze dry your eggs, you first have to invest in a freeze dryer, making this method less accessible for everyone. However, if you do have a freeze dryer, you can store your eggs for up to 20 years!

You can freeze dry your eggs either cooked or raw. Store your dried eggs in glass jars or in mylar bags (don’t forget oxygen absorbers).

More ways to preserve extra eggs

Freezing, dehydrating, and freeze drying eggs will preserve them for the longest amount of time. However, if you’ve found yourself with dozens of eggs and you’re searching for other ways to keep and enjoy them, there are even more options.

Hard boiled eggs are an easy-to-grab snack, and they don’t take long to make. They can last in the refrigerator for up to a week.

You can enjoy pickled eggs either plain or in sandwiches, and they can also last up to a week in the refrigerator.

Rubbing your eggs with mineral oil allows them to last for up to 3 months unrefrigerated in food grade containers or up to 12 months in the fridge.