How to Make Freeze Dried Eggs

Making Freeze dried eggs is one of the most sensible methods of preserving eggs. Home freeze drying raw and cooked eggs is very useful for the small flock chicken farmer. When your hens lay more eggs than you can use up, don’t let them get old. Freeze dry them.

Want some freeze dried scrambled eggs for the trail? Freeze dried scrambled eggs are so easy. Just scramble them slightly wet, fill your freeze dry trays, and set them in your freeze dryer. The machine will do the rest.

Freeze drying raw eggs and making them into powdered eggs preserves eggs WAY longer than other methods. And freeze drying will retain up to 97% of the eggs nutrients. With a nutrient dense food like eggs, you want to keep those vital nutrients.

It’s as simple as whirring eggs up in your blender and pouring them on trays. Into the freeze dryer they go, and viola! All done but the packaging. Simple.

Are Freeze Dried Eggs Any Good? Freeze dried raw egg reconstitutes very well and makes great scrambled eggs and baked goods.

If you are harvesting eggs from your own chickens, freeze drying your excess raw eggs makes a lot of sense. The Medium Sized Harvest Right Pro can freeze five dozen eggs at once.

You can also freeze dry cooked eggs and egg dishes, including scrambled eggs, frittatas, quiche or other egg dishes. You may or may not enjoy some of your egg dishes as much when freeze dried as you will when it’s made fresh.

However, if you want to make some MREs for hiking camping or just long term store it, try your favorite egg dishes and see how you like them.

You can easily and safely store garden products, raw and cooked eggs and leftovers. You can freeze dry most of what you have in your kitchen.

Freeze dried egg powder is handy to have on hand.

Freeze dried raw egg powder is a nice pantry staple to keep in long term storage. This powder works just like raw eggs once reconstituted with almost all of the nutrients retained.

• Lightweight and Portable: The freeze-drying process results in a moisture free, lightweight egg powder that is easy to transport. Take powdered eggs to your camping, hiking or fishing expeditions and make fresh scrambled eggs on site.
• Convenience: Freeze-dried eggs can be rehydrated quickly with water. These rehydrated eggs are convenient for cooking and baking, especially when you don’t have fresh eggs handy.
• No Refrigeration Required: Since the moisture has been removed, freeze-dried eggs do not require refrigeration. Just put a jar on your shelf and use as needed.

What is the Shelf Life of Freeze Dried Eggs? When properly freeze dried at home and made into freeze dried egg crumbles or powder, then stored in a mylar bag with an oxygen absorber, you can expect 10 years or more storage life from your eggs.

Eggs are high in fat and so they will tend to have a shorter shelf life than some other home freeze dried foods. But still plenty of years in storage to make this a useful method of home food preservation.

Buckets of emergency freeze dried food combinations often include egg powder. Commercially prepared emergency freeze dried powdered eggs can last up to 25 years. Look at the label to see the expiration date.

How to Make Freeze Dried Eggs:

Freeze-drying eggs at home is a straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to freeze-dry raw eggs using a Harvest Right freeze dryer:

Ingredients and Materials:

• Fresh raw eggs
• Blender
• Harvest Right freeze dryer
• Freeze-drying trays
• Airtight storage containers, mylar bags or mylar vacuum-sealed bags

Instructions:

• Prepare the Eggs: Collect the fresh eggs from your coop and fridge. Inspect them for cleanliness and cracks. Wipe off all visible dirt or debris with a dry or slightly damp cloth. It’s also ok to immerse the eggs you are going to freeze dry immediately in a bowl of water to clean them. If any eggs float in the bowl, discard them. They are too old. Dry the cleaned eggs off with a towel.
• Crack Eggs into a Blender: Crack eggs into your blender in batches of 12 eggs. Discard the shells.
• Blend the Eggs: Blend the eggs gently to create a smooth and uniform mixture. Avoid overmixing. Blend the eggs only a few seconds. You want to completely and evenly mix all the egg parts together into a smooth liquid but don’t over mix or you may damage the egg proteins and put too much air into the blend. You will get about 4 Cups of liquid for each 12 eggs. That should do one tray.

• Pre-Freeze the Mixture: Pre-freezing your filled trays is optional but ideal, since you’re saving quite a bit of freeze drying time. I use my chest freezer for this. I load the trays into the freezer baskets one at a time. Pour the blended egg mixture onto the freeze-drying tray. Spread the mixture into a thin and even layer. Cover the tray with a lid (I use Harvest Right lids available on their web site). Stack the trays onto the lid of the previously filled tray and repeat until your trays are filled and covered. This way you don’t have to carry the trays with liquid eggs in them. That’s pretty precarious. Pre-freeze the filled trays 12 to 24 hours. Whatever works best for your schedule.
• Load the Freeze Dryer: Once the egg mixture is solidly pre-frozen, start up your freeze dryer and transfer the trays to the freeze dryer as your freeze dryer instructs.
• Start the Freeze-Drying Process: Typically, the freeze-drying process takes 24 hours or more. The goal is to remove the moisture from the eggs completely. The freeze dryer will cheep when the process is complete.
• Check for Dryness: Be SURE that the freeze-dried eggs are completely dry, once the process is complete. The trays should be filled with a dry board that is crispy and cracks cleanly or crumbles when you break it. If there is any residual moisture, it can lead to spoilage during storage. So dry it another several hours if your eggs are at all damp or the eggs have cold spots. You cannot over dry your freeze dried foods.

How to Store Freeze Dried Eggs:

How Long Do Freeze-Dried Eggs Last In A Mason Jar? When Properly done, Freeze Dried Egg powder can last at least a year in a sealed Mason jar, if stored in a cool dry place away from light. Be sure to seal the jar with a jar sealer so it is air tight. Add an oxygen absorber to the jar, and set it in a cool dry place for up to 5 years of storage.

Remember you need to get ALL the moisture out of the eggs before packaging. Otherwise, the moisture in your egg powder will ruin it. Eggs will not last as long in a mason jar as when stored in Mylar bags.

Here’s The Process of Taking your dried raw egg powder from the freeze dryer to storage room.

• Before you take the eggs out of your freeze dryer set up your packaging station.
• Once the freeze-drying process is complete, remove the trays from the freeze dryer.
• Remove the dried egg from the tray and into a ziplock bag. Now you can crumble it by hand or use a rolling pin to crush the eggs into powder. Food processors and blenders also work great for powdering freeze dried eggs.
• Immediately Transfer the freeze-dried eggs to airtight storage containers or mylar bags.
• Put an Oxygen absorber into the bag or jar and seal.
• Proper packaging prevents moisture and contaminants from re-entering the eggs. Do NOT allow your freeze dried eggs to sit out in the air on the trays for long. They will suck up moisture from the air defeating the freeze drying process.
• Label and Date: Clearly label the storage containers or bags with the date of freeze-drying and indicate that the product is freeze-dried raw eggs. This is important so you know you have to cook or bake the eggs before eating them. Freeze drying does NOT sterilize. It’s just like a regular freezer in this way. Once rehydrated, bacteria will quickly grow.
• Store: Store the freeze-dried egg powder in a cool, dark place with stable temperature and humidity conditions to maximize their shelf life.

If you’re freeze drying cooked scrambled eggs or other egg dishes the process is very similar. Prepare the dish, cut it into sections that fit easily on the trays as needed, then either pre freeze the food or set it directly into your freeze dryer.

After the food is freeze dried, Set it into Mylar bags with an Oxygen absorber for long term storage or to make your own MRS style food pouches. Seal and store.

How to Tell If your Freeze Dried Egg Powder Is Still Good:

Freeze-dried raw egg powder, when stored properly, has a long shelf life, but over time, it may deteriorate in quality. This can happen if your mylar bag gets a hole in it (even a teeny one), your egg wasn’t completely dry when it was stored. Long term storage temperature and light conditions are more important for mason jars and also making sure your jars are well sealed.

Here are some signs to look for when checking freeze-dried egg powder to determine if it has gone bad:

1. Appearance: Look at the color and texture of the powder. If you notice any discoloration, clumping, or changes in texture (e.g., it becomes sticky or lumpy), it may indicate spoilage.
2. Off Odor: If the freeze-dried egg powder has developed an off or rancid odor, it may have gone bad. Properly stored egg powder should not have a foul smell.
3. Moisture Content: Check for any signs of moisture in the powder. If the powder feels moist or clumps together, it could have moisture in it either from improper freeze drying or improper storing methods. Or the bag has a hole in it and allowed moisture in.
4. Taste Test: If you are comfortable, you can conduct a taste test. If the freeze-dried egg powder has an unusual or off taste, it may indicate a problem.
5. Packaging Integrity: Examine the packaging for any signs of damage, such as tears, punctures, or leaks. Damaged packaging can allow moisture and contaminants to enter, affecting the quality of the product.
6. Expiration Date: Check the expiration date or “best by” date on the packaging. While freeze-dried products often have a long shelf life, it’s still essential to be aware of the recommended time for consumption.
7. Insects or Mold: Inspect the powder for any signs of insects or mold growth. If you notice small pests or the presence of mold, it is a clear indication that the product is no longer safe to consume.

Remember that the quality of freeze-dried egg powder may gradually decline over time, even if it doesn’t exhibit obvious signs of spoilage. So store freeze dried foods of all kinds in a cool, dry place. Be sure to use airtight packaging to maximize shelf life.

If you notice any signs that make you worry about the safety or quality of freeze-dried egg powder, it’s safer to err on the side of caution and not consume it. Always use your best judgment when assessing the condition of a freeze dried food that has been stored for years or you see indications of packaging problems.

How to Rehydrate Freeze Dried Eggs:

To Rehydrate freeze dried raw egg from powder add water in a one to one ratio. Stir the water into your bowl of egg powder and let it sit for five minutes before using. When you are baking, you can simply add the freeze dried egg powder into your dry ingredients and then add the water to your wet ingredients.

How Much Freeze-dried Egg Equals 1 Egg? Two Tablespoons of freeze dried egg powder and two Tablespoons of water to equal one fresh egg.

Now you’re Ready to make Freeze dried scrambled eggs, Quiche, frittata or omelets. Just reconstitute the egg powder and use a fresh eggs.

For baking: You can either reconstitute the eggs and than add them to the wet ingredients or add the dry egg powder to the dry ingredients and add water or other liquid in the recipe in equal part to the egg powder as you desire.

• The Complete Guide To Oxygen Absorbers
• Silica Gel Packets
• Mylar Bags: Best Storage Bags For Food
• Considering A Freeze Dryer for Home Use
• Essential Home Freeze Drying Equipment
• How Does Freeze Drying Work?