Just like excess produce, meat bought in bulk, and your leftover soup, extra eggs can also be frozen and used in later recipes! Reader Allison asks:
What can I do with an egg that's been frozen? I was thinking scrambled eggs, but I wonder if freezing will have spoiled the texture. Is it any good for use in baking?
Thanks for this question, Allison! Freezing eggs when you have extra or when you find them on sale is a great way to save money and prevent waste. Plus, knowing you have a few extra eggs in the freezer is a safety against that inevitable day when you're in the middle of a recipe and run out of fresh eggs!
You're right to wonder how freezing and thawing will affect the texture of eggs. Egg yolks frozen by themselves or with their whites don't freeze terribly well and will clump up into a thick paste when thawed. To prevent this, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of salt or 1 Tablespoon of sugar per 1 cup of yolks or blended whole eggs.
To freeze either whole eggs or yolks, crack them into a freezer-safe container and blend thoroughly with your sugar or salt. Try to incorporate as little air as possible while blending. Label the container with the date, the number of eggs or yolks, and how much salt or sugar was added.
Thawed in the refrigerator, whole eggs and egg yolks can theoretically be used as normal. We've found that we don't get quite the same leavening in baked goods with previously frozen eggs, so we tend to use them in recipes where this isn't an issue.
Whole eggs can be used, as you said, to make scrambled eggs, but also try them in frittatas, omelettes, casseroles, and pasta. Egg yolks by themselves can be used in custards, dessert sauces, ice cream, and mayonnaise.
Egg whites freeze incredibly well and require no special treatment. Once thawed, they have nearly same leavening power and are whipped just as easily as fresh. They can be used in meringue, cakes, souffles, and breakfast foods.
What's your experience working with frozen eggs? What do you use them for?
Related: What to do with Leftover Egg Whites
(Image: Flickr members miscellaneous chemistry and tarop licensed under Creative Commons)