Your freezer is a magical place. It's the home of fish fingers, emergency hash browns and that trusty bag of peas. It's also key when it comes to saving money on your weekly food shop, and cutting down on your food waste.
We've all been safely freezing cooked meals like curries, chilli con carne and the like for years, but the recent cost of living crisis has made us all re-evaluate our freezing habits, and asking ourselves if we can freeze things like bananas, avocados and mushrooms before they go off.
Now, with the news that egg prices are going up due to UK-wide shortages of the cupboard staple, we find ourselves asking...
Can you freeze eggs?
The good news is yes, you can freeze eggs! Eggs can technically be frozen for up to a year, but we recommend you use your frozen eggs within 4 months so they're nice and fresh.
Can you freeze eggs in the shell?
Nope. Eggs (and most food containing liquid) will expand as they freeze, so if you freeze them in the shell they will crack. To freeze eggs, you'll need to crack them into a container, beat and freeze without the shell on.
You could crack eggs into a bowl and beat them before tipping into a labelled plastic sandwich bag, small freezer-safe container or even an ice cube tray. Make sure you leave a little room for expansion and write the date you freeze the eggs on whatever type of packaging you're using, as well as how many eggs are in there for ultimate freezer organisation.
Can you freeze raw eggs?
Yes! Eggs can definitely be frozen raw. However, you must make sure they're in date before you freeze them. No-0ne wants an out of date, frozen and then thawed egg.
Can you freeze boiled or cooked eggs?
Freezing cooked eggs is a little tricker than freezing them raw, as the texture might change and make the eggs pretty unpleasant when they're defrosted.
You can't really freeze a whole boiled egg, as the whites will become rubbery. However, you can freeze cooked egg yolks to use for garnishes, extra-yolky egg sandwiches or devilled egg filling for up to 3 months.
Cooked eggs are easiest to freeze when they're folded into other, more easily-frozen ingredients. For example, eggs beaten with milk and cream in a quiche and then cooked in the oven can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Can you freeze egg whites?
Yes! You can definitely freeze egg whites for later use in meringues or chocolate mousse. Simply pour into a container or freezer bag and keep for up to a year.
Can you freeze egg yolks?
Again, yes! They can be frozen for up to a year. However, they can get very thick when frozen, so we recommend adding a pinch of salt or sugar (depending on whether you're planning to use them in a sweet or savoury dish later) to prevent this. Add half a teaspoon of salt or 1 – 1½ tablespoons of sugar for each 240ml of raw egg.
How to defrost frozen eggs
Your eggs must be fully thawed before you can eat them, and they can only be used in thoroughly cooked-through dishes. That means piping hot, people!
Ideally, you should be removing your eggs from the freezer the night before you need to use them, and defrosting them in the fridge. And no hanging about - make sure to use those eggs ASAP once they've thawed.
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Louella is our food and drink writer, covering everything from how to host the perfect pasta party to the latest research on fermented foods and gut health. She's worked in almost every part of the food and hospitality industry, from serving plates and pouring wine to recipe developing and cooking behind the scenes to create beautifully photographed food for magazines. Outside of the office, you can usually find Louella performing very badly in pub quizzes or shaking up a margarita or two.
