Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Archaeologists have found evidence that humans have raised fowl for their eggs for thousands of years, dating back to Ancient India and Ancient Egypt. Since modern methods of refrigeration were not commonplace until the 20th century, people relied on various techniques for keeping their eggs fresh for as long as possible.
Whether you find yourself with a surplus of eggs or want to be able to enjoy farm-fresh eggs long after your home flock’s egg production declines, you will benefit from knowing more about these time-tested techniques.
This article lists ways to preserve eggs long-term and offers links to articles and videos where you can learn more. Most of these methods apply to unwashed fresh chicken eggs because washing the eggs can often interfere with the preservation process.
Why? Fresh eggs, as opposed to store-bought eggs, are coated with a natural seal – called the bloom or cuticle – that helps prevent harmful bacteria from entering through pores in the shell. This article shares more about the bloom and how to preserve it.
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Refrigerating
We’ll begin with the easiest one. You can store unwashed fresh eggs on the kitchen counter at room temperature for about two to three weeks. However, when you store fresh, unwashed eggs in the refrigerator, they will keep for up to eight months. This video shows how to prepare fresh eggs for refrigeration.
Pickling
Pickling is an age-old method of egg preservation. It involves hard-boiling eggs, placing them in canning jars, and covering them with a seasoned vinegar solution. You can store pickled eggs in the refrigerator for up to four months.
Health experts advise against storing canned pickled eggs at room temperature due to the risk of botulism. However, many homesteaders have had success storing pickled eggs along with their other shelf-stable canned goods through the years.
Coating with mineral oil
Another way to extend the shelf-life of fresh eggs is by adding a second protective layer to the egg shells with mineral oil. With this method, eggs can be kept fresh at room temperature for up to eight weeks or in the refrigerator for up to nine months.
You can also use this technique to extend the freshness of store-bought eggs. Check out this video for the easy instructions.
Freezing
Freezing whole eggs typically causes the shells to burst, potentially leading to shell pieces mixing in with the eggs, spoilage, contamination, and texture change. Therefore, you may prefer to freeze eggs by pouring scrambled eggs with a bit of salt into silicone ice cube or muffin trays for later use in baking or as scrambled eggs.
After four to six hours, you can pop out the individual frozen eggs to store in the freezer in zippered bags. Here is a video demonstration.
Water glassing
Water glassing eggs involves preserving fresh eggs in a pickling lime solution. This article and corresponding video detail how to perform this method, which was very popular in the U.S. before refrigeration was commonplace. Water glassing typically keeps eggs fresh for about eight months.
Dehydrating
Dehydrated (also called powdered) eggs are another option for extending the shelf life of your fresh eggs. Stored properly, an unopened container of powdered eggs can stay shelf-stable for up to 10 years.
This article covers two methods for dehydrating eggs, and this video demonstrates the process for the home kitchen.
Freeze drying
If you’re aiming for long-term egg storage, freeze drying is another way to go. Freeze drying maintains the majority of the egg’s nutrients, and freeze-dried eggs can last in the emergency food pantry for 10-plus years!
One egg equals two tablespoons of freeze dried powder mixed with two tablespoons of water for use in baked goods or in making scrambled eggs. This article shares the steps you need to follow.
Thermostabilizing
Thermostabilizing is a lesser-known egg preservation process that involves heating eggs to kill bacteria and slightly cooking the layer of egg white near the shell. Thermostabilized eggs will last for up to eight months when stored at 34°F.
According to this article, combining the oiling of eggs with thermostabilizing can further extend shelf-life.
Salting
Salting is an ancient preservation method for preserving only the egg yolks. Also called curing egg yolks, this method creates a firm version of the liquid yolk that will keep for about a month in the refrigerator.
Here are the instructions, as well as some ideas for using preserved egg yolks in baked goods and other recipes.
How to Choose the Best Method for You
With all these options for preserving eggs, you may wonder how to know which one to pursue. The answer depends on how you hope to use the eggs in the future. If you want to use the preserved eggs for baking, then freezing, water glassing, or dehydrating are good methods to try.
On the other hand, if you’d like to enjoy eating fresh eggs in the winter or other times when your hens aren’t laying as many eggs, then pickling or oiling may be right for you.
Finally, here are some tips for being able to tell if a raw egg is safe to eat.
- As time goes by, the amount of air inside an egg increases, causing it to float when placed in water. Therefore, a fresh egg will sink in water while an older egg will float to the surface.
- The yolk sits up high in a fresh egg, with a thick white layer closely surrounding it. By contrast, an older egg has a thin, watery white and a flat yolk that easily breaks.
- It can be hard to tell if an egg is hard-boiled or raw by looking at it. Here’s a quick solution. Try spinning the egg on the counter. Hard-boiled eggs will spin longer and faster than raw eggs. Here’s a quick video demonstration.
- Don’t worry about if your eggs have a cloudy white. The cloudy appearance comes from the carbon dioxide content when the egg is laid and is one of the signs of freshness.
Here are some additional safety tips for handling and eating farm-fresh eggs.
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