Whether you have an abundance of farm-fresh eggs or you bought eggs on sale, you can freeze-dry eggs at home and store them for later use. Freeze-drying is a great way to preserve food while maintaining the freshest quality, most nutrition, and best appearance. Read my thoughts on my Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer to see the comparison between other food preservation methods.
Eggs are one of those foods that cannot be safely stored for long periods of time. Many people will argue that eggs are cheap and readily available so why would you need to store them? Those people have probably not been ready to prepare a recipe that called for eggs only to find that they don’t have any in the refrigerator. We don’t live in town and before we had chickens there were many times that I realized that I needed eggs and was not thrilled to have to drive to the store to get them.
What To Do With Extra Eggs
Our 8 chickens are currently producing 5-8 eggs per day. That is a lot more than we can use each day. I currently have 7 dozen eggs in the refrigerator. Egg production tends to go down as the temperature drops so I anticipate having fewer eggs as the winter approaches. As you know, eggs have an expiration date. So for those reasons, we need to safely store them now so that we have enough eggs to get us through winter. My favorite method to store eggs is to freeze-dry them.
Another option is to sell extra eggs. When we had 24 chickens we were getting close to 2 dozen eggs every day. The winter was mild that year so our egg production didn’t go down much at all. The best option for us at that time was to sell our extra eggs. This is a great option and one that helps offset the cost of feed.
This year we had to start over with a brand new flock after we lost our others to dogs. We decided to start over small and only bought 10 chicks. They were all supposed to be hens but we had 2 surprise roosters. The relationship with the roosters hasn’t always been great but I’m optimistic that it will all work out in the long run. You can read about the rooster attack to get the full story.
How To Freeze Dry Eggs
Freeze-dried food is very lightweight and takes up little space. I freeze-dry 8 dozen eggs at a time. This last batch of eggs I stored in Ball Mason Jars because I will use them over the next 12-18 months. The last time I stored the freeze-dried eggs in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers so that they would have a longer shelf life (5-10 years). I will walk you through the process of using our Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer to store 8 dozen eggs.
How To Freeze-Dry Raw Eggs
You can have fresh eggs any time you need them if you use a Harvest Right Home Freeze-Dryer to safely store your eggs. Freeze-dried eggs have all of the nutrients, taste, and look of fresh eggs.
- Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer
- Ice Cube Trays (optional)
- Sandwich Bags (optional)
- Food Processor (optional)
- Mylar Bags or Mason Jars and Oxygen Absorbers
Line the trays with parchment paper. (optional)
Fill the trays with a single layer of eggs or freeze in a container.
Freeze the trays.
Put the trays into the freeze dryer.
Powder the dried eggs.
Seal the eggs into mylar bags or jars and add oxygen absorbers.
Line The Trays With Parchment Paper
I always line my trays with parchment paper but it’s completely optional. Most food will slide right off of the tray once the freeze-drying process is complete. I line the trays to keep them looking nice and it makes clean up easy. I like the Reynolds Kitchens Unbleached Parchment Paper because it is compostable and works great for cooking all types of food as well as freeze-drying.
Fill The Trays With Raw Scrambled Eggs
It is important to note that freeze-drying the whole egg produces the best result, however, you can separate the whites from the yolk if you need to. I scramble 2 dozen eggs at a time in my blender. Each of my trays holds 2 dozen eggs so I work with 2 dozen at a time to make sure that each tray holds an even amount.
I have tried two of the three methods that I am going to share with you. The next batch of eggs that I freeze-dry I will try the third option and will share pictures of the results.
Freeze Eggs in Ice Cube Trays
The first time I freeze-dried eggs I put them in ice cube trays. Unfortunately, I used hard plastic trays and they were VERY hard to get the eggs out. I do not recommend the hard plastic trays pictured below. Since then I have been using these silicone trays and they work much better because you can easily push the food out of the trays. Fill the ice cube trays and freeze overnight.
I really like using the ice cube trays because they stack easily in the freezer and the cubes are easy to take off of the freeze-dryer tray to blend into a powder.
Freeze Eggs in Sandwich Bags
The last time I did freeze-dried eggs I tried this method. I was able to fit three bags per tray by putting about 1 1/4 cups of egg per bag. I got as much air as I could out of each bag and then sealed it. Then I laid each bag on a freeze-dryer tray and put them in the freezer overnight. To save space I had to stack the trays on top of each other and it caused the plastic from the bags to crease into the egg in a few places. If you run into this when you are ready to peel the bag away from the egg you can easily get any plastic out of the egg with a sharp knife.
This method was quick and easy but I did run into the problem with the creases. I have purchased these pizza box stands and that has eliminated the need to stack the trays directly onto each other and would prevent creasing in the future. The blocks of egg were easy to break apart once they were dried and ready to be turned into a powder. The other problem I see with this method is that it used 12 plastic sandwich bags and that seems like an unnecessary waste.
Freeze Eggs Directly In The Freeze-Dryer Trays
Most of my fellow freeze-dryers use this method to freeze-dry their eggs. Pour your scrambled eggs directly into the freeze-dryer trays so that when you are ready to put them into the freeze-dryer you don’t have any extra steps to take. The reason that I have been reluctant to do it this way because I’m a little clumsy and I’m worried that I’m going to make a mess getting the egg into the tray.
My plan is to put the tray into the freezer and THEN pour the egg into the tray. I know there is no way I could carry a tray full of liquid eggs across my house and get it into the freezer without spilling any. Next, I will put 4 of the pizza box stands on the corners of the tray and put a tray on top and fill it. Repeat with the remaining trays. Other people have skipped pre-freezing and filled the trays inside of the freeze-dryer. I’ve seen too many egg explosion pictures to try it this way so I will stick to pre-freezing my eggs.
Getting The Eggs Into The Freeze Dryer
When you are ready to get the eggs into the freeze-dryer you have a few options depending on the method that you chose to freeze your eggs. The main objective is to have your eggs, freeze-dryer trays, and freeze-dryer cold or frozen before you start the process of freeze-drying.
Ice Cube Trays
If you used ice cube trays then you will want to put your freeze-dryer trays into the freeze-dryer and turn it on for 30-60 minutes. This will ensure that your eggs will stay frozen when you put them on your trays. After your trays and freeze-dryer are cold, pop the eggs out of the ice cube trays and put them on the freeze-dryer trays.
Sandwich Bags
If you used sandwich bags on the freeze-dryer trays then you need to turn your freeze-dryer on for 30-60 minutes to get it cold. After your freeze-dryer is cold, take the trays out of your freezer and peel the sandwich bags off of your eggs. My bags peeled off easily except for those few creases where the plastic got stuck inside. I just took a sharp knife and ran it into the crease and the little bit of plastic came right out.
Freeze-Dryer Trays
Putting the eggs right into the freeze-dryer trays is going to be the quickest method because you’ve already done all the hard work. Again you will need to turn your freeze-dryer on for 30-60 minutes to get it cold. Then you just take the trays out of the freezer and put them into the freeze-dryer and you are ready to go. This is the method that I use with everything but liquid because it is the quickest and easiest.
Freeze-Dryer Settings
I have one of the original freeze-dryers so chances are that my settings will be different than yours. I set my freeze time to 9 hours and my dry time to 12 hours but the machine will keep cycling through until the food is completely dry. Follow your user’s manual to run your freeze-dryer. Any of the Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryers are very user-friendly so you probably have to push a few buttons and walk away. The process will take about 40 hours to complete. The number of eggs you put on each tray, the temperature and humidity of your room, and the type of machine and pump you have will all contribute to the time that the process will take.
When the process is complete always check each tray to make sure that the food is completely dry. Break apart the thickest areas or spot check several of the cubes if you used ice cube trays. If anything is cold or wet then you need to put everything back in a run the drying cycle for a couple more hours.
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How To Powder Your Freeze-Dried Eggs
There are several ways that you can powder your eggs and it doesn’t have to be complicated. The fastest and easiest is to break the dried egg up with a spoon or even your hands (gloved would be best). The egg kind of looks like yellow crystals this way.
My favorite method is to put chunks of the dried egg into a blender or food processor. This will give you a fine powder that is the best way to ensure that you get the right amount to re-hydrate.
I have a Blendtec Professional-Grade Blender with 6 Pre-Programmed Cycles and 10-Speeds.
Store Your Powdered Eggs
While your freeze-dryer is running you will want to decide how you are going to use your freeze-dried eggs. You can store each batch in a number of different ways. Eggs are so versatile and that is what makes them such a great option for freeze-drying.
- Scrambled Eggs
- Baking – When baking with powdered eggs add your egg powder to the dry ingredients and the water to the wet ingredients.
- Camping/Hiking Ready Meals – recipes coming soon
- Jar Meals – recipes coming soon
Mylar Bags
Mylar Bags are a great way to store any of your freeze-dried food. They come in a variety of sizes so you can store individual servings or store the entire amount from each batch that you freeze-dry. Storing your food in mylar bags keeps light, air, and moisture out if sealed properly. I like to add oxygen absorbers to make sure that any trapped air gets eliminated. I get my supplies from Discount Mylar Bags but you can also get them from Amazon. The best part is that they are in packs of 10 because once you open the package you have to get them into your bag and seal them quickly before they start to absorb the oxygen from the room and lose their effectiveness inside the bag. If you do have some leftover you can store them in a mason jar.
I have two different machines to seal my bags. I either use an Impulse Sealer or a Food Saver Vacuum Sealer. The Food Saver that I have is not available as new anymore, but here is the newer model.
Glass Jars
Another great option for storing freeze-dried food is in glass jars. The appeal of jars is that you can see the food inside. The downside of jars is that they are harder to store than mylar bags and they are not as lightweight and portable. An added feature of the Harvest Right Freeze-Dryer is that you can vacuum seal jars in it. The downside to using the machine to seal your jars is that you have to wait until it defrosts before you can use it as a vacuum sealer. Because of that, I prefer to use a Jar Sealer attachment for my Food Saver System. You can add an oxygen absorber to the jar if you don’t have any way to seal it or if you don’t want to re-seal it every time you open it.
I like to have a combination of jars and mylar bags. Food that I am planning on using within a year of freeze-drying goes into jars. Food that I want to last for up to 25 years I store in mylar bags.
Freeze-Dried Scrambled Eggs
The best way to enjoy your freeze-dried eggs is to re-hydrate and cook. No frills necessary but add in whatever you like to make them extra yummy.
- 4 tbsp Freeze-Dried Egg Powder
- 4 tbsp Water
- Cooking Spray, Butter, or a Good Nonstick Egg Pan.
- Optional – Shredded Cheese, Pepper, Onions, Mushrooms, Salt, Pepper.
This recipe is for 2 eggs. (1 Egg=2 tbsp Egg Powder+2 tbsp Water)
Mix your egg powder and water together in a bowl with a fork or whisk.
Heat your pan on medium heat.
Add your cooking oil or butter if you choose. I use a copper skillet that doesn't require any oil be added to my eggs.
Add in any ingredients or seasoning (except for cheese).
Pour your eggs into the hot pan. After about 30 seconds start to move your eggs from the outside of the pan to the center with a wooden or silicone spoon/spatula. Keep moving your eggs continuously to avoid burning. Cook until the eggs are no longer runny but avoid overcooking.
Add in cheese when eggs are about half-way cooked to allow time to melt but not burn.
Remove from pan and serve. Eggs will continue to cook if left in the hot pan so transfer them to a plate or serving dish when they are done to avoid overcooking.160
25 Year Shelf Life
Food that is freeze-dried and stored properly has a 25-year shelf life. By investing in a Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer now you are giving yourself peace of mind in the future. As I’m writing this, most of the country is under stay at home orders because of COVID-19. When everyone was running out to buy food, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper, we were taking inventory of our food storage. I am so incredibly thankful for the truck drivers, warehouse workers, grocery store employees, farmers, and everyone else who continues to work so that the food supply isn’t interrupted. I am also thankful that my family has been storing food so that if there is a disruption in the food supply we will not have to fight the crowds to get to food.
Enjoy Your Freeze-Dried Eggs
When you are ready to enjoy your freeze-dried eggs they are simple to re-hydrate.
2 tbsp Egg Powder + 2 tbsp Water = 1 Large Egg
For cooking or baking in recipes – Add powdered egg to the dry ingredients and water to the wet ingredients. There is no need to re-hydrate the egg before adding it to a recipe.
Add freeze-dried egg powder, freeze-dried onions and peppers, freeze-dried milk, freeze-dried diced potatoes, salt and pepper together in a mylar bag. Seal and label for a ready to go camping breakfast.
Purchase Your Own Freeze-Dryer
I do need to disclose that I am an affiliate partner with Harvest Right. That means that if you purchase a home freezer by clicking on a link from my website I will be compensated. It won’t cost you more and you will be helping me. However, I would recommend the Harvest Right Home Freeze Dryer even if I wasn’t being compensated. My husband and I have been sharing our love of this freeze dryer, as well as freeze-dried goodies, with our friends and family for years. We bought our freeze-dryer before they offered different colors or sizes!
Click on the banner below and check it out for yourself.
Ready to Get Started Freeze Drying?
Freeze dry your favorite recipes, foods, snacks, and desserts at home. I have included some great information including what foods you can freeze dry, how to choose the best sized freeze dryer, and all the items you need to be successful in my FREE guide How to Get Started Freeze Drying. In addition to access to this amazing guide, you will be added to my mailing list where I will continue to give you some great information about freeze drying.
I have a Harvest Right freeze dryer and have been freeze drying scrambled eggs often. We cook them in a skillet until done, let them cool for a bit, load them onto the trays and freeze them before moving them into the freeze dryer. They turn out great. I have a question though. Can I put them in the blender and make powdered eggs to use in recipes after storing them in a mylar bag with an oxygen absorber?
That’s amazing that you are having success with cooking your eggs first. If you plan to use your eggs in recipes you need to freeze dry them raw. Just make sure you mark the mylar bag “raw egg powder” and yes you should add an oxygen absorber. If you cook them first and then blend them into a powder they are not going to work if you use them in a recipe.
You mention Mylar and oxygen absorbers. I do it that way but I saw a video where the lady said you also need to vacuum package the Mylar to get the nitrogen out as well or else you are creating an environment for botulism. I’ve never done that and I have fun 18 dozen eggs through my Harvest Right in the last few weeks. Just wondering if I need to throw them all out and start using the OA and vacuum sealing too.
What kind of freeze dryer do you have?
Please also consider storing the FD eggs in a #10 can by using a semi-automatic #10 can sealer.
Text or call Paul Jacobson to obtain a #10 semi-automatic can sealer at 817-727-6529.
Ron Clark Manti, Utah 480-229-1722