Most of us know you can freeze eggs that have been hard-boiled or baked into quiches or egg bites, but did you know you can also freeze eggs that are raw? Freezing raw eggs— whether whole or separated into whites and yolks—is a great way to preserve them for longer and free up refrigerator space. Also, if you’ve ever been burdened with an excess of yolks or whites after a big baking project, this is the perfect way to save them for your next baking spree.
Freezing eggs isn’t difficult, but you can’t just shove a carton of eggs into the freezer or even necessarily plunk some extra yolks into a container and chuck it in on top of your frozen chicken nuggets. There’s a little more to it than that. Here’s what you need to know.
How To Freeze Whole Eggs
If you try to freeze raw eggs in their shells, the water inside of them will expand as they freeze, shattering the shells and throwing raw egg all over your freezer. Not cute. To avoid this, you’ll want to remove the eggs from their shells before freezing. The best way to do this is to simply crack the eggs into a bowl together and whisk them lightly with a fork until they’re homogenous.
While you can freeze several eggs together in a big chunk, I recommend portioning the whisked eggs into ice cube trays, freezing until solid, and then storing the egg cubes in a resealable freezer-safe bag. This way you can thaw only what you need and you won’t get stuck trying to defrost a giant block of egg.
Larger ice cube trays are ideal—if it holds ¼ cup it should hold the equivalent of 1 large egg—but if you only have smaller ones you can still approximate the amount of egg you’re thawing by weighing the egg cubes: 1 large egg equals 50 grams. Once frozen, the eggs are best used within 4 months, but if you want, you can keep them for up to 1 year.
How To Freeze Egg Yolks
Freezing egg yolks is a little more complicated than freezing whole eggs because plain egg yolks thicken when frozen, rendering them unusable even when thawed. To prevent that, simply treat the yolks by mixing them with a little salt or sugar: ⅛ teaspoon salt or 1 ½ teaspoon sugar for every 4 yolks.
I recommend choosing your additive according to how you intend to use the yolks. If you bake a lot, you may want to opt for sugar. If you’re not a baker or you’re not sure how the yolks will be used, stick with salt: ⅛ teaspoon is such a tiny amount that you won’t be able to taste it, even in a sweet application. Whichever you decide to use, make sure to label your container with the additive as well as the typical contents and date.
How To Freeze Egg Whites
Egg whites are the most straightforward of all. You might want to give them a little whisk just to make sure they’re homogenous and smooth, but after that, simply pour into your container of choice and freeze.
Tips For Thawing Frozen Eggs
Since the frozen eggs are no longer in their shell, it can be tricky to tell how many you’re pulling out to thaw or how much to use if you’re following a specific recipe. If you have those perfect ¼-cup ice cube trays, you can simply know that 1 egg cube equals one egg. But what if you don’t? And what if you’re thawing straight egg whites or egg yolks? The kitchen scale is your best friend here: simply weigh the cubes of frozen egg and you’ll know exactly how much you’re defrosting:
One large egg= 50 grams
One large egg white= 33 grams
One large egg yolk= 17 grams
Frozen eggs are best thawed in the refrigerator. If you’re in a hurry, you can also place them in an airtight container (if they aren’t already) and let them sit under a trickle of cold water at room temperature. Once the eggs are thawed, though, they should be used immediately.
How To Use Frozen Eggs
Eggs that have been frozen should be used in dishes where the eggs will be fully cooked (i.e. reach 165 degrees). This isn’t a moment for a soft scrambled egg! Aside from that, you can use them however you would use an egg straight from the refrigerator: in quiches or quick breads, as egg washes, to bread chicken cutlets… you get the picture. You can even whip the egg whites once they’ve reached room temperature to make a Swiss or Italian meringue.
As food editor at Delish, Taylor Ann has tested and developed dozens of recipes, styled numerous photo & video shoots, and writes feature stories specializing in health, food science, and safety. Her Delish feature, “8 Reasons You Should Never Eat Baby Carrots,” has been read by 1.1M people, and her recipes, such as my Frico fried eggs, grilled Brie, and spinach puffs, have garnered 2.4M views on TikTok & IG. Taylor Ann has received a Top Toque award from ICE and has previously worked as a cook, most notably at abcV in NYC, and as a freelance recipe developer, working with outlets such as Health eCooks and Feel Good Foodie. TA loves to explore new cities and regions of the world and is particularly passionate about exploring foreign grocery stores. When she’s not writing, cooking, or dreaming up new recipes to explore, she’s listening to podcasts, running in the park, or going for long walks with her husband.
See more at www.projectcookbook.org Expertise: Food science, plant-based food, baking, and pastry Education: Culinary Arts degree from the Institute of Culinary Education, Bachelor in English with Writing and Theater from Hope College
