I am finding I am wasting a lot of yolks/whites depending on the recipe I am making (ie SMBC, lemon curd, cake). I have heard about putting the yolks in ice cube trays and freezing. Is there anything special that i need to do to them? What about whites? can you save them? How long do they last in the freezer? Do I just pop them into a bag after freezing? TIA
I don't know what a pro will say, but I have had no luck freezing yolks. One time when eggs were on sale, I tried a couple of different ways. I did yolks alone, whites alone, and both together. Now I didn't beat them at all so that may have been the difference. The whites were great. Couldn't tell the difference, whipped up perfectly. The yolks, on the other hand, looked like they had been boiled, and never softened up. I tried to beat them and had little flecks of yolk left in a pudding. I'll be interested to see if there is a way to make it work.
I found this online (whatscookingamerica.net). It sounds like the yolks probably need either salt or sugar depending on how they are going to be used. HTH.
It's best to freeze eggs in small quantities so you can thaw only what you need. An easy way to do this is to put them in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer container and label. As with any frozen food, it is best to thaw eggs in the refrigerator and use them as soon as they are thawed. Only use thawed eggs in dishes that will be thoroughly cooked.
Whole Eggs: To freeze whole eggs or yolks crack them into a bowl and gently stir to break up the yolk somewhat. Try not to incorporate air into the eggs. Label the container with the date and the number of eggs. They can be kept frozen for a year, and should be thawed in the refrigerator the day before you intend to use them.
Egg Yolks: To inhibit yolks from getting lumpy during storage, stir in a 1/2-teaspoon salt per 1-cup of egg or yolks. If using for desserts, use 1-tablespoon sugar or corn syrup per 1-cup yolks or whole eggs. Label the container with the date and the number of egg yolks. Use up extra egg yolks in recipes like sauces, custards, ice cream, yellow cakes, mayonnaise, scrambled eggs, and cooked puddings.
Egg Whites: Raw egg whites do not suffer from freezing (cooked egg whites are very rubbery). No salt or sugar is needed. Break and separate the eggs one at a time, making sure that no yolk gets into the whites. Pour into trays and freeze until firm. Label the container with the date and the number of egg whites. Use up extra egg whites in boiled frostings (i.e., 7-minute frosting), meringue cookies, angel food cake, white cakes, or meringue for pies.
I had heard that about salt/sugar. I wonder though how much to add for just two or so eggs? I guess just a dash? thanks for looking!
Yes, yolks freeze beautifully if you add the salt or sugar. As far as amounts go for one or two, I just put a pinch in and mix. You will know when you have enough, they get sort of 'grainy'. That's good, you didn't mess them up. I've kept them for 4 months and they were still good for baking. I use 6 thawed yolks (that had 1 Tablespoon sugar added before freezing) to a cake mix.
I actually tried freezing in the shell once, just to see what would happen. I don't recommend doing so. The whites were all right, (but the eggs were difficult to shell when frozen I tried before and after thawing) and after thawing the yolks were 'funny' like Dynee's were.
I must say the still-frozen eggs I shelled were extremely strange looking... good for a Halloween prank, I'm thinking.
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