How to Freeze Dry Eggs at Home (with YouTube Video!)

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Learn how to freeze dry eggs so you can stock your pantry with long-lasting ingredients. Perfect for suburban homesteads or small storage spaces.

I live on 1/8 of an acre in a typical suburban neighborhood. Truth be told, not only does the HOA prohibit me from having chickens, but I also don’t want chickens.

In the fairytales of my mind, having chickens seems like a great idea. But the reality is I don’t really have the time, energy, or desire to take care of flock of tiny dinosaurs (aka backyard chickens).

However, I do prefer to cook and bake with farm fresh eggs. I purchase eggs from my “egg dealer” (aka Micala). She drops them off on my porch, and I Venmo her $5/dozen. It’s a win-win for both of us.

During the winter months, her chickens lay fewer eggs. And of course, I don’t have my own chickens. So, to ensure that I can have farm-fresh eggs all year when egg production is low, I rely on my Harvest Right freeze dryer to freeze-dry eggs.

What are freeze-dried eggs?

Unlike a food dehydrator that cooks the food, a freeze dryer removes the water from the food without cooking it or changing the nutritional composition. If you want to learn more about the science behind freeze drying food, check out this article.

Freeze-dried eggs are, essentially, dried eggs that, once reconstituted with water, return to their original, raw state and retain their nutritional value. It’s kind of magical.

Watch How to Freeze Dry Eggs

Tips

• Use farm-fresh or store-bought eggs. I prefer to freeze dry farm-fresh eggs so that I can have them all year long. Any time my “egg dealer” has a few dozen eggs, I buy them and freeze dry them. However, if you find a great deal on organic eggs at the store, buy them! You can freeze dry any egg.
• Plan ahead for short- or long-term storage. For me, pantry space is an issue. I don’t have a cellar or a homestead pantry. So I have to determine how much preserved food I can actually keep. Decide if you want to keep your eggs for a period of short or long shelf life. For short-term, determine how many mason jars of freeze-dried eggs can fit in your pantry. If you want long term storage, decide how much you can store and where.
• Pre-freeze if possible. Pre-freezing your egg mixture isn’t necessary. But it will speed up the process once they are in the freeze dryer (and you can save a few bucks on electricity this way). Honestly though, I don’t often have the freezer space to do this, and my eggs turn out great every time. They just take a little longer in the freeze dryer.

Benefits for “suburban homesteads”

• They take up almost no space. Freeze-dried eggs are perfect for suburban homesteads or homes with limited storage space because they take up very little room. I am able to preserve 3 dozen eggs in a quart jar in my pantry. Not only would those eggs have gone bad in the fridge, they would take up a lot more space.
• Perfect if you can’t have or don’t want chickens. Not every home or personality is suited for raising a flock of hens. HOA restrictions, busy schedules, or just plain old lack of desire are a few valid reasons for not having chickens. Freeze-drying eggs offers the benefits of year-round farm fresh eggs without having to deal with raising chickens.
• They are convenient. Freezing drying eggs requires almost no hands-on time. Once they are done, you have fresh eggs at your fingertips. That’s much easier than running to the store or even go out to a chicken coop to collect eggs. They are clean, available, and ready to use at a moment’s notice.

FAQs

How long do freeze-dried eggs last?

If your eggs are completely dry and stored properly, they can last up to 20 years! This is great if you are looking for long-term storage. However, I am not really interested in long-term storage for my personal use, so I freeze-dry them and use them as needed. I try to keep enough on hand to get me through winter.

Are freeze-dried raw eggs safe?

Yes! Of course, they cannot be eaten raw. Remember: they are dried raw eggs. Once reconstituted with water, they can be cooked and eaten like any other egg. I like to label my jar with “raw” so that I remember not to eat the eggs without cooking them first.

Can you make scrambled eggs with freeze-dried eggs?

Yup! Before freezing, you will have to whisk or blend the eggs. As such, they are already pre-scrambled for you. To cook with them, add water and cook like normal. They taste slightly differently than fresh scrambled eggs because the egg whites and yolks are completely mixed. I like using them for omelets and baking over scrambled eggs. But they do work totally fine for scrambled eggs.

How do you store freeze-dried eggs?

If properly processed and stored, freeze-dried eggs can last up to 20 years. For long-term storage, it is generally recommended that they be stored in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers.

I’m not looking to store dry raw eggs that long, so I store them in a mason jar and vacuum seal the lid with a handheld sealer. Each time I open the jar, I re-seal vacuum seal it. I keep my eggs this way for a few months at a time, and they can last about year this way.

When packing your freeze dried eggs for short- or long-term storage, don’t dilly dally. The longer they sit out in the open, the more water they will absorb from the air. This happens faster than you’d imagine, so be prepared to get them in mason jars or bags quickly.

I get my glass jars, lids, bag, etc. prepared and ready to go before I take the eggs out of the freeze dryer. That way, I can reduce the amount of time they are exposed to the air.

How do you reconstitute freeze-dried eggs?

It’s as easy as just adding water. Mix 2 tablespoons of freeze-dried eggs and 2 tablespoons of water for one egg. Sometimes, I need to add a little more water to get the right consistency, but a 1:1 ratio is a good starting point.

Can you bake with freeze-dried eggs?

Yes! In fact, baking is my favorite way to use freeze-dried eggs. I use them for enriched breads and doughs like sourdough cinnamon rolls, chocolate babka, and more.

How to Powder Eggs

With a blender

Place the dried eggs in a completely dry blender. The eggs will absorb any moisture. If this happens, they will go bad. So just make sure even underneath your blade is dry. Blend until they turn into a powder. You can also use a food processor to powder your eggs.

With your hands (and a rolling pin)

You can most definitely powder eggs with your hands and a rolling pin. Working in small batches, put the dried eggs into a freezer bag. Crumble them with your hand and give them a little whack with a rolling pin (this is very therapeutic, btw).

Tools You Will Need

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• Harvest Right Freeze Dryer
• Mylar bags (for long-term storage)
• Oxygen absorbers (for long-term storage)
• Jars (for short-term storage)
• Food-safe funnel
• Handheld vacuum sealer (for short-term storage)

Ingredients

• Eggs (up to 8 dozen for a medium Harvest Right Home Pro freeze dryer)

How to Freeze Dry Eggs

Turn on your freeze dryer and follow the prompts. It will tell you to chill the vacuum chamber for 15 minutes before loading the freeze dryer trays with food. Be sure to close the valve (it should be perpendicular to the drain line).

If you just collected your eggs, wash them thoroughly. This shouldn’t be an issue for store-bought eggs.

Crack the eggs into a blender or a large bowl. Pulse until smooth in a blender. Whisk in small batches to thoroughly incorporate the yolks.

Fill the freeze-dryer trays using a container with a pour spout until they are full. The best way to prevent spills is to keep the tray in the machine, pull it out just a little, and fill it. This way, I don’t have to worry about carrying and spilling trays full of liquid.

Close and seal the freeze dryer door. Hit start.

Let the freezer dryer do its thing. The freeze-drying process depends on the number of eggs and the room temperature (if your freezer dryer is in a garage like mine, for example, it can take longer on hot days). It usually takes 18-36 hours.

Once the freeze dryer has completed the process, check the eggs to make sure they are completely dry. If there is any moisture at all, return all of the trays into the machine, and select “more dry time.”

When the eggs are completely dry, store them in a glass jar with an air-tight lid (short-term storage) or in mylar bags with an appropriately sized oxygen absorber (long-term storage up to 20+ years).

Note: When packing your freeze dried eggs, don’t dilly dally. The longer they sit out in the open, the more water they will absorb from the air. This happens faster than you’d imagine, so be prepared to get them in jars or bags quickly.

Where to purchase a freeze dryer

Most home food preservationists use a Harvest Right freezer dryer. You can buy one directly from Harvest Right or use my Harvest Right affiliate link.

If you choose to use my affiliate link, I will receive a commission at no expense to you. It’s a great way to help me provide more free content for you. Thank you for supporting my content!

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