3 Super Easy Ways to Store Chicken Eggs So They Stay Fresh    

Many people who keep chickens find themselves with more eggs than they can easily use. If you’re in that position, or if you manage to score a bunch of fresh eggs from a friend who has too many, you might be wondering how to easily store and preserve your eggs for use later.

While there are many methods, I want to share the easiest ones with you here. These methods don’t require expensive equipment, nor do they require much effort or skill. In fact, they’re pretty much as simple as it gets.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I love simple. I mean, let’s be honest. There’s definitely enough going on in my life on the daily that if I can find a simple way to achieve my goal effectively, I’m all about it.

So what are these simple methods? The first, easiest method is to store chicken eggs at room temperature. You can also refrigerate them. (I know, you probably guessed that, but there are a few things you should know about refrigerating farm-fresh eggs). The second method is freezing. Yep, you read that right! You can freeze your chickens’ eggs and reuse them later in cooking and baking.

Store at Room Temperature

This is a great method to use if you haven’t used any water to clean your eggs, and you haven’t scoured them too much with a cloth. Generally speaking, if your nest boxes are clean, your eggs will be clean (although you’ll occasionally get a dirty egg, even with super-clean nest boxes). If your eggs are clean, you can leave them out on your counter at room temperature for up to a month.

One note: if you have dogs or cats that like to “investigate” things left out on the counter, like we do, this may not be the best method for you. And, if you’ve washed your egg off with water, this is also not a good method. That’s because washing the egg in water, even a little bit, can remove the egg’s bloom. (The bloom is what keeps bacteria from getting into the egg). In those instances, refrigeration or freezing are better options. Similarly, I wouldn’t do this for eggs purchased at the store, because they’ve been washed.

Extend Shelf Life by Refrigerating

While you don’t have to refrigerate farm-fresh eggs (unless they’ve been washed), it will extend their shelf life. You can store them for up to 6 months in your refrigerator without doing anything special. Just make sure they’re in an egg carton or a sealed container. To keep them fresher for longer, store them pointy side down. That way, the air pocket in the egg is kept away from the yolk.

You can store chicken eggs that you haven’t yet washed in the fridge, and it’s also a great way to store eggs that you have washed. If you have eggs sitting out on your counter, and they’ve been out for close to a month, just pop them into an egg carton in the fridge to keep them fresh and safe to use.

Simple Freezing Methods

There are mixed reviews on freezing eggs. Some people say that you won’t notice a difference in flavor, while others say that they just don’t taste as good as fresh. I agree with the latter: they don’t taste quite as good as fresh eggs, but they’re definitely still usable and edible.

There are several different methods, but the simplest is to crack an egg, whisk the yolk and white together, and pour it into one of the slots in an ice cube tray. You can store a bunch of eggs this way, then pop them out, defrost them, and use them like normal when you need them. You can also separate the whites and the yolk and freeze them (in ice cube trays) separately.

Eggs will last up to 1 year in the freezer, so it’s great for long-term storage. The following measurements will help you figure out how much to defrost to use for baking and cooking:

• Contents of 1 slot in an ice cube tray: 1 whole egg (if you whisked yolk and white together)
• 3 tbsp frozen egg: 1 whole egg
• 2 tbsp frozen egg white: 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp frozen yolk: 1 egg yolk

If you’re planning to bake with the eggs, some people also recommend adding a little bit of honey before you freeze the eggs. I haven’t done this, so I can’t vouch for it, but if you’re interested in trying it, I say go for it! (And let me know how it turns out!)

 

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