freezing eggs???

[sumi]

As I've said in a previous post I decided to freeze some eggs to see what effect the freezing has on them and the quality. I picked 2 fresh eggs and 2 older ones that were sitting on the counter for about 2-3 weeks. The results are in:

After a day in the freezer they looked like this (oops, think my freezer may be a bit too cold):




I thawed them slowly overnight. Surprisingly they didn't make a mess:




I opened them to see what they look like inside:




And had them for breakfast:




Conclusion: I think my freezer may have been a bit too cold, hence the cracked shells, so I would suggest freezing them in a container. The whites after thawing them were a bit runny, like an older egg's. I didn't see a difference between the fresh laid eggs and the older eggs after thawing. Their quality turned out to be identical. After frying them I found they tasted a bit watery, but otherwise they were completely fine. So, for those of you who get frozen eggs: you don't have to throw them away. They are perfectly fine to eat.

 

[Marty1876]

I think I should add that egg whites only maintain reasonably good quality for about a month in the freezer. Chemically, the eggs have broken physical bonds from the act of the water freezing and expanding. Normal detioration will continue. The act of freezing will slow down this chemical process, but not stop it. Egg whites are more water based than oil based, and will be more intensely effected. Egg whites whole, or mixed with other egg whites can be used with 70% volume and natural texture (appx.) for about 30 days. After than, whites continue to deteriorate faster than yolks if plain. Now, if you mix the egg whites and yolks, and freeze promptly, the now heterozygous mixture (yolks and white don't truly blend very well since one is oil based and the other water based, and they don't like each other) is less effected overall from the cold, and should continue to be reasonably useful in baking and regular cooking for about 3 months.

I'm not egg professional, but I took a lot of chemistry and biology classes for my pre-med degree. When I see my own results, its easy to see the theories at work. LOL Also, I raise ducks and chickens, and freeze eggs. I don't freeze them whole myself, but I see no reason not to if you've washed the eggs shells well before freezing. If they are going to break open, you still don't want unpleasant contaminants touching the egg parts you intend to consume. (poop) Wash them well, and go for it, its as good a container as any. I can also see the advantage to being able to freeze them on a tray, and put them into a resealable baggy, and taking out what you need to thaw to use one at a time.

I'd be interested in the results of somebody freezing them whole, and putting them into a freezer bag, and testing their qualities in 90 days, or 180. Seems like a convenient and well protected package, but don't know how the whites will react. The egg shale itself might offer some protection to improve egg white freezer life.

 

[CreativeCowgirl]

So is it generally unwise to consume eggs that have cracked open before gathering due to freezing in the coop?

 

[Marty1876]

Unless your sure of the cleanliness of its environs, I'd be cautious. That siad, cooking to 165 will kill many germs, but not all. Some of our most feared germs can survive that temp. I myself would not eat cracked eggs from the hen house, I know what those sweet girls do in there, and their digestive bacteria are not our friend.

 

[sumi]

I would not either, but if you home freeze and they crack, or freeze in the coop and don't crack, I would eat it. Like I said, they were a little watery, but apart from that they were fine. It's a good way to store eggs for baking etc. I suspect our freezer was too cold for the eggs, that's why they cracked so bad

So I would recommend freezing them in a container.

 

[Marty1876]

I'm with Sumi, I would feel no qualms about eggs that cracked in my own freezer (and I'm thinking many will - egg whites have lots of water to expand) or I found frozen but not cracked in my hen house.

 

[Gifa]

I haven't read through the whole thread (I only sorta skimmed), so I don't know if someone has brought it up... but for those of us with smaller flocks... You can kind of predict when the next egg is due if you've got the time. They come in fairly regular intervals based on the individual hen's laying schedule. Because I'm a gigantic nerd, and stat hound, I've been making it a little bit of a side hobby to track my hen's schedules for my own education. Mostly to keep track of how many, from who, and to detail each hen's cycle, and how the length of day really impacts laying.

So, these are the charts I've made (if you are interested in seeing how I am tracking). I've turned on the dots on one of the hens in the laying time chart so you can see her schedule more clearly.




So the only data I am inputing is the weight of the eggs, the time the eggs are laid, the a count on the day the eggs each hen lay, and sunrise/sunset/day length values (which I get from an online calculator/calendar). The rest is automatically filled and drawn. I set up the charts and the fields calculating averages to auto-populate from the values I am entering in.


Since I am fortunate enough to be home during the day, I mark the row on days the morning lows are going to be in the single digits... I have an automatic chicken door so I can sleep in a little, but if it is obvious from the schedule that a hen is going to lay an egg right after sun up, I make a point to be up to collect it.


I haven't had any trouble with eggs freezing, but it's been a rather mild winter here this year, and in a fascinating twist... I have caught two of my girls (the two lowest on the pecking order) sitting in the nests on eggs on days they aren't due to lay or long after they've laid for the day as if it's their job to keep the flock's eggs from freezing.

 

[BluesChicken]

Wow Gifa!

My hat's off to you!

 

[pigeonguy]

In the old days great grandma would put between 2 and 4 inches of flour in the bottom of a very large crock and then threw out the summer and fall put extra eggs in standing up. When she had a layer of eggs not touching each other on the sides and not touching the sides of the crock but all around and across. She would then put another layer of flour covering those eggs by 2 to 4 inches she then put another layer of eggs then flour then eggs then flour. You get the idea. Then when she made bread or pancakes in the winter while the chickens were not laying plus back then you reduced you flock in the winter for meat.She would take out enough flour and enough eggs for that meal. The eggs kept that way all the way threw the winter which lasted for 4 to 5 months. They never went without bread or things made with eggs. In those days there were no refrigerators or freezers to keep them in. So this was the method used by some old farm women. Also when she cracked one for use each was opened in a bowl and added to what ever or cooked 1 at a time that way she could see if it was good before using. Put one egg in the bowl use it put another egg in the bowl use it. Do not put more than one in the bowl at a time. That way you don't ruin 2 eggs because the 3rd is bad. I still do that today because I have gotten a bad egg before.
If a frozen egg is watery or rubbery or what ever and only keeps for a couple of months. Then this method would make more sense to do. You can keep them 4, 5 or 6 months this way and not have the watery issue. Even though the bloom is on the egg the flour cuts off the air to the eggs. No air no spoilage. Just a side note do not leave the crock where it can freeze in the winter and keep it in the shade or root cellar in the summer. Even in summer months flour stays cooler than the air around it don't know why it just does.
Hope this helps someone to preserve their eggs better. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways. I should probably also add unwashed eggs will keep in the fridge for 2 or 3 months. Sometimes they are that old when bought from the store.

 

[campcabo]

PrnzsButtrcluck, I had the same peeling problem. Two things I have found that help. Use older eggs for boiling or use an egg punch. I did a test last year to see at what stage an egg was easy to peel. I dated one egg for a month and then boiled them all and started peeling. At about the one month mark the shell came right off. I also use a little cool water while I am peeling. My husband has tried an egg punch that we got from a friend and he says that works good on the fresher eggs. Hope this helps

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