Eggs are a delicious, versatile food that you can cook a hundred ways. It also helps that they aren’t difficult to store or keep.
However, if you’ve come upon a surplus of store-bought dozen eggs and want to know how to store eggs long term, then preserving them may be your best option.
Here are some methods for how to store eggs long term so you can enjoy them for several months and even years!
How Long Can Eggs Last
Most store-bought eggs are good for three to five weeks, but they can last up to 18 months and even years when properly preserved.
When you’re looking at how to store eggs long term, it’s essential to keep them in a cool, dry place — not on the countertop or in your refrigerator where moisture can accumulate.
The best place is usually your pantry or cabinet. You can also store them on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator as long as you cover the eggs with a lid or container so they don’t pick up odors from other foods.
How to Store Eggs Long term
If you’re looking for ways on how to store eggs long term, keep reading. We’ll fill you in on how to preserve fresh eggs for longer.
1. Dehydrating Eggs
There are many reasons why you might consider dehydrating eggs. While there is some controversy around the safety of this process, dehydrated eggs still have a place in emergency food storage and planning.
Dehydrating eggs entails whisking them well until the yolks and whites are thoroughly combined, scrambling them, and leaving them on a dehydrator sheet to bake. For three dozen eggs, you’ll need to bake eggs for 18 hours at 145 degrees Fahrenheit until they become dry and flaky.
Powdered eggs also make a great addition to homemade bread and are used as an egg substitute in baking. One of the reasons why people like using dried eggs is because they require less storage space.
For those looking for ways on how to store eggs long term, dried eggs last longer than raw eggs: ten years for dried vs. three to five weeks for fresh eggs.
2. Water Glassing Eggs
How to store eggs long term? Water glassing eggs for preservation is probably a process that homesteaders, gardeners, and backyard bird watchers are most familiar with.
For those who don’t know how to store eggs long term via water glassing, it’s a method for preserving eggs that entails leaving raw eggs submerged in pickling lime (calcium hydroxide) or sodium silicate.
Sodium silicate or pickling lime reacts with the calcium in the eggshell, causing it to harden and form a glass-like layer over the egg. This process prevents the eggs from absorbing odors or flavors so they can be safely stored until needed. It’s one of the more complicated egg preservation methods that require a certain type of egg to work.
Chicken eggs must be freshly laid, unwashed, and the bloom or the protective layer outside the shell must remain intact. Already, this means that most eggs in supermarkets can’t be used.
Those who are able to successfully pull off the water glassing technique, however, can enjoy edible eggs for up to a year and a half after preserving them. This makes water glassing a great method for how to store eggs long term.
3. Freeze Dry the Eggs
Freeze-drying eggs is another method for how to store eggs long term that’s used by many commercial producers.
Freeze-dried food means removing moisture from an item, resulting in a dried-out shell with all of its original nutrients intact. Freeze-drying is a standard method for fruits and vegetables that can also be applied to eggs. You can use a freeze-drying machine or dry ice to do it at home.
Freeze-dried scrambled eggs in a can will last for ten to 15 years.
4. Freezing Fresh Eggs
Buying food in bulk is a great way to save money, but you need to know how to store them properly to preserve their quality.
That’s why freezing farm-fresh eggs is a great way to keep your food fresh and ready for cooking.
When you freeze eggs, you should always use the freshest ones possible so they don’t end up tasting like cardboard when you cook them. You can freeze many eggs at once or just a few for later use. Here’s how to store eggs long term by leaving them in your freezer:
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
- Add a pinch of salt to the yolks and beat them with an electric mixer until they become thick and creamy. This will prevent them from becoming watery when you boil them later.
- Beat the whites until they are stiff, then fold them into the yolks.
- Fill a plastic freezer bag with the mixture, squeezing out as much air as possible before sealing it shut.
- Label your bag and place it in the freezer for up to three months.
Reasons to Preserve Eggs
Like most people, you probably haven’t thought of preserving fresh eggs for long term storage. But there are some great reasons why you should look at how to store eggs long term.
You can use them as an emergency food supply.
If you want to prepare for a natural disaster or other emergencies, keeping your fresh eggs at room temperature is a good idea. It doesn’t take much space in your pantry and will help ensure you have the nutrition to get through stressful times.
Eggs are delicious.
Maybe you don’t have an emergency on your hands, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some delicious hard-boiled eggs. Just sprinkle some salt on top, and you have a deliciously healthy meal that entailed minimal preparation!
Preserving eggs can be easy.
How to store eggs long term? There are many ways to preserve your fresh eggs, including freezing them in an ice cube tray. If you choose to dehydrate them, they’ll last longer than if you leave them on the countertop.
Never Have Eggs Go Bad On You Again
Most of us associate food preservation with emergency or doomsday scenarios but that’s hardly the case. There are many instances when we might have a larger supply of food, especially eggs, than we planned for.
When this happens, you don’t have to eat them all at once or risk that they’ll go bad. As you can see, there are many answers to, “how to store eggs long term?” You can dehydrate, freeze dry, water glass, or freeze your eggs, so you’ll have a ready and delicious source of sustenance for a year or even longer. If you want to learn more about survival food, check out our Food Preservation section.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.