How To Preserve Farm Fresh Eggs

Dehydrating, Freezing, Water Glassing. How do you do it, how long do they last, and do they cook up the same?

When a farm fresh egg is laid, it has a natural covering called bloom. The bloom is the moist protective coating on a freshly laid egg that partially seals the pores of the eggshell to prevent penetration by bacteria. Also called the cuticle. That's why it is advised to not wash farm fresh eggs. If you chose to not wash your farm fresh eggs, they can last at room temperature stored on your counter for up to three months. It doesn't matter if it has chicken poop or bedding or feathers stuck to it, it's still good as is to be stored at room temp. If you do choose to wash your egg, then you must immediately refrigerate it. According to Purina, washed eggs last about two months in the refrigerator.

How To Tell If An Egg Is Fresh

Place your eggs in a cup of water. If your eggs sink to the bottom and lie flat on their sides, they are very fresh. If your eggs stand on one end at the bottom, they are a few weeks old, but still fine to eat. If your eggs float to the surface, they are no longer fresh. When preserving your eggs for future use, you want to use eggs that are as fresh as possible.

Preserving Eggs

So what do you do if you have an abundance of eggs that you cant eat quick enough?

Dehydrating

There is two ways to dehydrate eggs.

Dehydrator Instructions:

1. Crack eggs into a bowl. 5 eggs is the amount that fits best onto 1 of my dehydrator trays. Customize to your dehydrator and egg needs, splitting across multiple trays if necessary.

2. Whisk the eggs very well, until fully blended and a little foamy.

3. Pour the eggs carefully into the fruit leather tray of the dehydrator, ensuring that the dehydrator is placed on a level surface.

4. Dehydrate eggs for 8-10 hours at 140 degrees, until fully dried and flaky. *The egg flakes are oily, and should easily scrape away without sticking to the tray when fully dry. If they are still sticky, leave the sticky portion in for more time.

5. Transfer dried egg flakes to a zip top baggie and place in freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

6. Remove eggs from freezer and blend in food processor or blender until completely powdered. If they stick to the sides, they are not dry enough. Put back into the dehydrator for more time.

Oven Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting, no higher than 165 and not lower than 160 to be sure that there is no risk of salmonella forming during the long process. 

2. Line the baking sheet with a Silpat or other silicone mat.

3. Crack eggs into a large bowl and whisk until well beaten.

4. Pour a thin layer of eggs onto each pan. I usually get about a dozen eggs in one average size cookie sheet.

5. Place in the oven and dry for 6-12 hours. Scrape and stir the eggs on the pan occasionally. The time it takes to dry eggs will depend on the temperature of your oven.

6. Remove eggs from the oven and use a straight edge spatula to scrape them off the pan, breaking them up into smaller pieces, if you use a silpat mat this will be much easier.

7. Place egg pieces into a food processor or blender in small batches, and blend on high until you get crumbs or a fine powder, whichever you prefer.

Storing Dehydrated Eggs:

Its best to place them in a mason jar or mylar bag with an oxygen absorber to preserve the eggs.

To Rehydrate

1. Add 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of cold water per egg directly into zip top baggie, so that you can dispose of it later without worrying about raw eggs contaminating your cookware.

2. Let sit for about 5 minutes, or until the egg mixture looks like it did before you dehydrated it. When in doubt, add a little more water than you think.

Taste:

I personally think that rehydrated eggs texture is a little rubbery. When using in a recipe, they behave exactly the same and taste identical to using a fresh egg.

Freezing

According to the USDA you can freeze eggs for up to a year. You can freeze them mixed or unmixed. The easiest way I have found to freeze eggs in individual serving sizes is to use a cupcake tin or an ice cube tray. To use frozen eggs, thaw in the fridge and then cook like normal. It does not change the taste or texture once thawed, cooked, then eaten.

Water Glassing

Water glassing eggs involves submerging fresh, clean, unwashed, eggs in a pickling lime and water solution to seal off the shell and preserve them for 12-18 months. The result is perfectly fresh, unspoiled eggs, just like they were the day the hen laid them.

I use fresh eggs, with bloom, not washed, no poop, or soil, or cracks, or feathers. Use the ratio of one quart of water to one ounce of lime regardless of the container size. I mix the lime in the water and stir until does not dissolve anymore. There will be allot of lime settled in the bottom with the eggs. Gently place the raw eggs into the container. You can add eggs every day as you find perfect ones. When jar is filled place a good lid on it and make sure it has a good seal. Put it in cool dark place. You can keep them in storage for 2 years. Use them just as you would use raw eggs. They cook and taste the exact same.

Obviously with all eggs, you should crack them into a bowl before putting them in a recipe or a pan to cook. If the smell is off, don't use them. Always do a float test before using your eggs.