Learn how to freeze dry eggs as a way of preserving them for up to 20 years! Freeze dryer eggs can easily be reconstituted with an equal amount of water or milk. Freeze dried eggs can be used in your favorite egg dishes, from quick homemade pasta to this keto frittata!
We recently inherited 16 chickens, along with their coop and everything else you need to care for them. These lucky, spoiled chickens get to roam our property and free range to their hearts content.
In no time, we were filling egg cartons with delicious, farm-fresh eggs. But what do you do when you can't keep up with the large amount of eggs being laid? What method can be used to preserve the eggs for the winter months, when egg production comes to a screeching halt?
Although there are various methods used by homesteaders to preserve eggs for short term and long storage (for example, freezing and water glassing), freeze drying is by far the best option for long term egg preservation!
When you freeze eggs, they are generally good for up to 6 months, while water glassing the eggs will keep them shelf stable for 12-18 months. In contrast, the shelf life of freeze dryer eggs is around 20 years!
So, if you own a freeze dryer and are looking for more ways to use it, freeze drying eggs is a great option! Even if you are not raising backyard chickens, you can purchase eggs when they are on sale so you can have enough to freeze dry.
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- Freeze drying is one of the best food preservation methods out there. It helps to retain most of the nutritional value and flavor of the freeze dried food.
- You can freeze dry eggs during the spring and summer months when eggs are plentiful, then enjoy them all year long!
- To reconstitute freeze dried eggs, simply mix 2 tablespoons of egg powder with 2 tablespoons water and wait a few minutes for them to reconstitute.
- Reconstituted eggs can be used in your favorite egg recipes, including crepes, pfannkuchen (German pancakes), and cheesy scrambled eggs, and most baked goods.
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredient List
All you need for this recipe is eggs! The actual amount will depend on the size of your freeze dryer. If you have an extra large freeze dryer, which has 7 trays, you can process up to 2 ½ dozen eggs per tray, for a total of 210 eggs.
For a large freeze dryer, you can process around 120 eggs per batch, while a medium model can fit a dozen eggs per tray, for a total of 48 eggs. Finally, you can process approximately 36 eggs with a small model.
These numbers are estimates because the size of the eggs and how much you fill the trays will make a difference as well!
🔪 Helpful Tools
- freeze dryer (I own an xl-large Harvest Right freeze dryer)
- blender
- spatula
- food processor
- mylar bags or quart-sized mason jars
- oxygen absorbers
🥚How to Freeze Dry Eggs
Step 1: If you are not sure how old your eggs are, begin by float testing them. To do this, place the eggs in a glass or bowl or water. If the eggs sink to the bottom, they're safe to use. However, if they begin to float up to the surface, they shouldn't be used.
Pro Tip: Instead of tossing the bad eggs, especially if they don't smell bad, make scrambled eggs with them and feed them to your chickens!
Step 2: Turn your freeze dryer on and go through the cooling cycle which should take 15 minutes.
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Step 3: Meanwhile, add 12-18 eggs to a blender. Blend until they are completely mixed. Once prompted, load your trays into your freeze dryer. Pull each tray out partially and carefully pour the blended eggs into the trays. This is much easier than trying to load already filled trays.
Pro Tip: Although I have silicone mat liners, I don't use them with this particular recipe because the raw eggs will seep under the mats. Some people like to use these parchment liners instead.
Step 4: Gently push the trays back into place, then close and lock the door. Close drain valve, then hit start. Mine took 23 hours from start to finish.
Pro Tip: You can shave at least 5 hours from the processing time by freezing the filled trays ahead of time.
Step 5: When the time is up, open the drain valve to unseal the door. Check each tray to make sure no further drying time is necessary. The eggs should feel dry and powdery. You should not detect any moisture.
Step 6: Use a spatula to transfer the dried egg mixture from the trays to a food processor, then blend into a fine powder. The powdered eggs are now ready for storage.
🫙 How to Store Freeze Dried Eggs
Freeze dried eggs can be stored in glass jars for short term storage (six months to two years). I like to add oxygen absorbers and use a vacuum sealer to suck all the air out of the jars.
For longer food storage, or to have as part of your emergency food supplies, the powdered eggs should be stored in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, then sealed with an impulse sealer and dated.
🍳 Ways to Use Freeze Dryer Eggs
You can use reconstituted freeze dried eggs in most recipes requiring blended eggs. This means you can use reconstituted freeze dried eggs to make anything from chicken egg foo young to an apple Dutch baby, Mexican breakfast burritos, or quick homemade pasta!
But that's not all, the eggs can also be used in baking! Use them to make lemon blueberry scones, an orange bundt cake, or these yummy pizzelle cookies!
🤷🏻♀️ FAQs
Although you can freeze dry scrambled eggs, the most popular method is to process them while still raw. Freeze dried eggs not only retain 97% of their nutrition, but they also retain their original flavor!
Raw freeze dried eggs have a shelf life of up to 20 years when stored in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and kept in a cool, dark location.
Freeze dried eggs will last anywhere from six months to 2 years when properly stored in mason jars with oxygen absorbers.
How much freeze dried egg equals 1 egg?
You will need to mix 2 tablespoons of freeze dried egg powder with 2 tablespoons of water to equal one egg. Some people prefer to mix the dried powder with milk for a creamier texture, especially when making scrambled eggs or an omelet!
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- If you have room in your freezer, cover your filled trays with tray lids, then freeze before proceeding with this recipe. This will cut down on the freeze drying process.
- When packaging freeze dried eggs, don't let them sit too long prior to packaging because they will begin to absorb moisture from the air.
- To avoid spillage, don't fill your freeze dryer trays more than ⅔ full.
- Be sure to store your filled mylar pouches out of direct sunlight. Instead keep them in a cool, dry place.
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📖 Recipe
How to Freeze Dry Eggs
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- mylar bags (mason jars)
Ingredients
- 210 large eggs (or less depending on freeze dryer size)
Instructions
- If you are not sure how old your eggs are, begin by float testing them. To do this, place the eggs in a glass or bowl or water. If the eggs sink to the bottom, they're safe to use. However, if they begin to float up to the surface, they shouldn't be used.
- Turn your freeze dryer on and go through the cooling cycle which should take 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add 12-18 eggs to a blender. Blend until they are completely mixed. Once prompted, load your trays into your freeze dryer. Pull each tray out partially and carefully pour the blended eggs into the trays. This is much easier than trying to load already filled trays.
- Gently push the trays back into place, then close and lock the door. Close drain valve, then hit start. Mine took 23 hours from start to finish.
- When the time is up, open the drain valve to unseal the door. Check each tray to make sure no further drying time is necessary. The eggs should feel dry and powdery. You should not detect any moisture.
- Use a spatula to transfer the dried egg mixture from the trays to a food processor, then blend into a fine powder. The powdered eggs are now ready for storage.
How To Store Freeze Dried Eggs
- Freeze dried eggs can be stored in glass jars for short term storage (six months to two years). I like to add oxygen absorbers and use a vacuum sealer to suck all the air out of the jars.
- For longer food storage, or to have as part of your emergency food supplies, the powdered eggs should be stored in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, then sealed with an impulse sealer and dated.
Notes
- Instead of tossing the bad eggs, especially if they don't smell bad, make scrambled eggs with them and feed them to your chickens!
- Although I have silicone mat liners, I don't use them with this particular recipe because the raw eggs will seep under the mats. Some people like to use these parchment liners instead.
- The size of your freeze dryer will determine how many eggs it will take to fill each tray. I have an extra large freeze dryer, so I add anywhere from 2 dozen to 2 ½ dozen eggs per tray, depending on how many eggs I have on hand.
- If you have room in your freezer, cover your filled trays with tray lids, then freeze before proceeding with this recipe. This will cut down on the freeze drying process.
- When packaging freeze dried eggs, don't let them sit too long prior to packaging because they will begin to absorb moisture from the air.
- To avoid spillage, don't fill your freeze dryer trays more than ⅔ full.
- Be sure to store your filled mylar pouches out of direct sunlight. Instead keep them in a cool, dry place.
Paula says
I had no idea! This is so interesting!!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Paula! It's been fun getting into freeze drying, especially with my huge garden and now having chickens and lots of eggs to freeze dry, well after winter that is.