If you’ve got a large flock of hens, you have been through the feast and famine of your chicken’s egg-laying. Is there a way to preserve chicken eggs so that you can keep the bounty of Summer into the winter months?
We’re going to take a peek at six methods to preserve eggs.
This post contains affiliate links.
6 Ways to Preserve Chicken Eggs
The Basics of Preserving Chicken Eggs
To get you started, you need to know a few basic things about egg cleaning and preparation before you start your preservation method.
- Don’t wash off the egg; there is a natural bloom that is a sealant from bacteria on the shell of the egg. You can wipe a spot of dirt or poo off gently before you preserve but don’t scrub the shell.
- Fresh eggs are best, attempt to preserve within 24-48 hours.
- Fertilized eggs last longer than an unfertilized egg preserving
- Always store your eggs point side down to allow the yolk to be centered during storage.
- After storing eggs, break each egg into a glass before adding to whatever food you are cooking. That way if there is a break in the shell and the egg did not preserve you’re not ruining your entire dish.
Refrigeration
How long can you refrigerate an egg and it remains tasty? That is the question.
If you follow the following steps:
- Don’t wash your egg
- Place point side down in an airtight container
- Keep refrigerated continuously at 35-40 degrees
You can expect to have fresh hen fruit up to seven months according to a study by Mother Earth News.
“Their whites may become somewhat runny looking over a period of time, but even after seven months—the cackleberries stored in this manner smell good, taste good, have a good texture, and — in short — seem “almost fresh.”
Freezing to Preserve Chicken Eggs
Freezing eggs can be a clucker of an idea when it comes to storing.
Here are three ways to freeze your eggs.
- You can crack an egg and pour into an egg tray or other small freezer-safe container and cover with plastic. Freeze each egg separately for efficiency in adding to recipes.
- You can store your yolks and whites separately or cook and freeze.
- The best solution is to scramble your eggs and freeze them. Once thawed, it takes 3 Tablespoons of the mixture to equal one egg. Note: use a dash of salt or sugar to help with the texture.
These eggs are truly best for baking as the texture is not quite right for that fluffy omelet or scrambled egg.
Pickling Chicken Eggs
The process of pickling an egg in brine has been successful for years. Hard boiling and peeling the eggs you place them in the brine solution with several spices and store in a jar or container in the refrigerator.
Canning them or leaving the pickled egg jar on the counter is NOT recommended as several people have had fatal repercussions from botulism that occurs when they are not refrigerated.
If kept in the refrigerator, the pickled eggs can keep up to three months.
Water Glass Eggs
You may have heard about this method of preserving from your Grandmother or Great-Grandmother. It was the most favored method before refrigeration came into existence.
Water glassing is another name for sodium silicate which you add to water to prevent bacteria from entering the shell.
Items you will need:
- Sterilized ceramic crock or plastic bucket (no metal)
- Sodium Silicate or Water glass
- Water
Boil your water then put it in the sodium silicate at a ratio of 11 parts water to 1 part water glass. Allow the water to completely cool.
Place the eggs point side down carefully in your desired storage container and cover with the water solution.
Make sure there are at least 3 inches of the liquid above the eggs. Cover tightly and store in a cool area.
A few things to mention about the eggs after they are waterglassed is that the shells have been soaking in water so you cannot hardboil them. The whites also become very runny so you can’t use them for souffle or meringue.
NOTE: Unfertilized eggs are best when using the Water Glass method.
Preserving Chicken Eggs in Mineral Oil
Another way to preserve without refrigeration is by using mineral oil on your hen fruit.
Slather your eggs with a layer of mineral oil where a little goes a long way, 1 Tablespoon will cover 18 eggs.
Place in a container, pointy side down and store in a cool dark place. Turn the eggs every month to help with the yolks not settling.
Mineral oil does not go rancid so therefore does not develop an off-flavor in the egg.
Reports have shown that the eggs can last up to 3 months on the counter and 6-9 months in a cool dark storage area.
NOTE: it is best to use eggs laid within 24 hours for optimized egg preservation.
Food, Glorious Food
The best way to preserve eggs is to make your food items and freeze them.
There are many different items of food that you can make, such as egg heavy baked goods, lemon curd, or even pasta.
Check out all the egg-licious recipes BCP has gathered in the 200+ Recipes That Use A Lot of Eggs.
These little gems can be pulled out all winter long to adorn your table with no mess and no fuss.
There you have it, six ways to preserve your egg bounty. Hope it gives you some ideas as winter is approaching.
What’s your favorite to preserve chicken eggs or recipe to use your abundance of eggs?