Yes, You Can Freeze Eggs — Here's How to Do It the Right Way

Eggs are getting a whole lot of attention these days. And, unfortunately, it's not great news.

In early January, Food & Wine reported on the ongoing H5N1 crisis, otherwise known as bird flu, affecting millions of egg-laying hens around the nation. In late December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 128,907,392 wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry, and "backyard or hobbyist flocks" had been infected by bird flu. However, by January 8, that number had already reached 130,678,370.

Millions of birds have had to be culled in the process, making eggs both expensive and harder to find. However, there is one thing you can do to help shore up your supply of eggs: Freeze them.

Here's what you need to know about freezing eggs and how to use them in the future.

Is it safe to freeze eggs?

"Frozen eggs are just as safe as fresh eggs," Dr. Brian Labus, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and an infectious disease epidemiologist, shared with Food & Wine. However, as he importantly noted, it's critical to "keep in mind that freezing eggs doesn't kill any pathogens, so you will need to cook them properly after they've been thawed. Bacteria easily survive freezing and will start to grow when given the right conditions."

How to freeze eggs the right way

Sorry to break it to you, but you can't just pop a whole egg into the freezer. "The water in them expands when they freeze and will crack the shells, making a mess when they are thawed," Labus explained. Beyond the mess, cracked shells have an increased risk of exposure to bacteria.

To freeze whole eggs, you need to "beat just until blended, pour into freezer containers, seal tightly, label with the number of eggs, and date, then freeze," said Elisa Maloberti, the food safety manager at the American Egg Board — advising against freezing hard-boiled eggs as the egg whites become tough and watery.

Related: Yes, the Color of Your Egg Yolk Matters — Here’s What It Means

You can also employ a few techniques to ensure your frozen eggs remain usable for recipes in the future. As Maloberti explained, you need to take a few extra steps if you're freezing yolks and whites separately. "The gelation property of egg yolk causes it to thicken or gel when frozen, so you need to give yolks special treatment," she said. "If you freeze them as they are, egg yolks will eventually become so gelatinous that they will be almost impossible to use in a recipe."

To prevent this, Maloberti says you can beat in either an eighth of a teaspoon of salt or one-and-a-half teaspoons of sugar or corn syrup per one-fourth cup of yolks (about four yolks). Then, label the container with the number of yolks, the date, and whether you’ve added salt (so you only use it for main dishes) or sweetener (so you only use it for baking or desserts).

For egg whites, Maloberti shared that you simply break and separate the eggs one at a time, making sure no yolk remains in the whites. Then, pour the whites into freezer containers, seal them tightly, label them with the number of egg whites and the date, and freeze. Maloberti even offered this hot tip: "For faster thawing and easier measuring, first freeze each white in a standard ice cube tray, then transfer to a freezer container."

How to thaw and use frozen eggs

As Labus noted, as with anything being thawed, "it is important to pay attention to the temperature of the food during the process. Food should never be thawed on the counter at room temperature."

Instead, if the eggs are frozen and sealed in a waterproof bag, allow them to thaw in the refrigerator or under cold running water.

Maloberti also says egg yolks or whole eggs should be used as soon as they’re thawed. Meanwhile, thawed egg whites will beat to a better volume if you allow them to sit at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes.

It's important to note that to avoid the risk of disease, thawed frozen eggs should only be used in dishes meant to be thoroughly cooked. "Just like fresh eggs, you shouldn't eat uncooked products containing raw eggs, like cookie dough or cake batter," Maloberti says.

How long will frozen eggs last?

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), frozen eggs can be kept for up to one year in a home freezer, giving you plenty of time to use any leftover eggs or to keep them on hand should this not-so-eggcellent bird flu situation worsen.

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