Freezing Eggs

Selecting High-Quality Eggs: Select the freshest eggs you can find. Examine the shells to make sure they are free from cracks and blemishes. Raw eggs will expand while freezing so they cannot be frozen in the shell. Hard-boiled eggs do not freeze well.

Preparing for Freezing: Break each egg separately into a clean saucer, separating yolks from whites if necessary. Examine for freshness and remove any pieces of shell before mixing with other eggs. Fresh eggs have firm whites and plump yolks.

Whole Eggs: Mix yolks and whites together by stirring gently. Avoid creating air bubbles or foam which will compromise egg quality during freezing. Depending on your intended use, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar (desserts) or 1/2 teaspoon of salt (main dish) for each cup of whole eggs to prevent yolk from becoming gummy. Package into suitable container, leaving 1/2 inch for headspace, seal and freeze. For cooking and baking, 3 tablespoons of this mixture is the equivalent of 1 whole egg.

Egg Yolks: Separate eggs and stir yolks together gently. Depending on intended use, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar (desserts) or 1/2 teaspoons of salt (main dish) for each cup of egg yolks. This will prevent eggs yolks from getting gummy. Package, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Seal and freeze. For cooking and baking, 1 tablespoon of this mixture is the equivalent of 1 egg yolk.

Egg Whites: Separate eggs, and gently mix together egg whites. Avoid creating bubbles or foam. Adding sugar or salt to this mixture is not necessary. Package, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace, seal and freeze. For cooking and baking, 2 tablespoons of this mixture is the equivalent of one egg white.

Suitable Packaging: Freezer containers should be moisture and vapor resistant and should not be prone to cracking or breaking at low temperatures. Containers should provide protection against absorbing flavors or odors and should be easy to label. Suitable packaging for freezing eggs includes freezer-grade plastic bags, rigid plastic and glass containers.

Maximum Storage Time: 12 months at 0ºF.

Thawing: Thaw eggs in their container in the refrigerator. Allow approximately 1 day for thawing before you need to use them (8 to 10 hours per pint). Eggs can also be thawed in their containers under cold running water.

Tips & Shortcuts: Ice cube trays and muffin tins made great containers for freezing whole or separated eggs. Freeze them until firm and then transfer individual cubes into plastic bags for long-term storage. 1 cube of whole egg mixture = 1 egg.

Refrigerating Eggs: Eggs can be stored for at least 1 month, covered in the refrigerator. Store them in the bottom of the refrigerator where it's colder, instead of in the door.