08/19/2024
How to Preserve Eggs for Long-term Storage
The primary reason for raising poultry is the ability to consume farm fresh eggs. Eggs which were laid by humanely raised chickens, chickens who are allowed to live their best lives.
It is hard to imagine that during the peak egg laying season, March through early September, we take for granted having fresh eggs on hand. It is the arrival of molting season and the decline of daylight hours which quickly reminds us that fresh eggs need to be preserved, and quickly.
The easiest way to squirrel away eggs is to reserve 1/4 of the weekly egg production. This amount may shock many, but in truth it really is not that much to set aside, considering your flock can very well go 7 months without laying an egg. Because of this it is best to preserve eggs for baking, cooking, or directly from the shell to make homemade egg noodles or eggs for breakfast.
Learn about freezing fresh eggs, dehydrating, freeze drying and water glassing eggs, then choose the best method for you and your property.
Storing Farm Fresh Eggs
Before we jump to preserving eggs let’s talk quickly about how to store freshly laid eggs. The most commonly asked question from new chicken keepers is, do eggs need to be refrigerated?
This is a very legitimate question considering eggs purchased from the supermarket are refrigerated. In truth, eggs from the market must be refrigerated, if not they run the risk of becoming rotten quite quickly.
Eggs are laid with a protective covering called the bloom or cuticle. This covering seals the pores of the shell, preventing bacteria from entering the egg. The bloom will remain on the egg until it is washed off. It is the bloom which allows eggs to be stored at room temperature and not require refrigeration.
The second most commonly asked question comes in 2 folds:
How long will unwashed eggs keep on the counter?
How long will unwashed eggs keep in the refrigerator?
For best practices it is best to package eggs for refrigeration after one week of being on the counter. On our homestead eggs are packaged every Sunday for the refrigerator. With that said, we have left eggs in the egg basket for up to a month before packaging them to be placed in the fridge. Keep in mind, eggs are freshest up to two weeks.
Clean, unwashed eggs can last up to 6 months in the refrigerator. However, they will not be in their prime and often runny in texture.
