At times, you might only need egg whites in a recipe. Perhaps you are making meringues, cake frosting, or a healthy egg white omelet. However, there are plenty of uses for leftover egg yolks. For example, use them in creme brulee, custard, eggnog, or carbonara sauce.
If you have a lot of egg yolks, you might not want to use them immediately, so how do you preserve them for future use? You can put them in the fridge but they only last for a maximum of two days. The other alternative is to freeze them.
The good news is that they freeze well, and in this article, we will tell you how to freeze egg yolks and how to defrost them. However, you do need to follow the instructions closely otherwise they can become inedible.
How To Freeze Egg Yolks
1. Beat the egg yolks until smooth.
It is important to beat the eggs for a few minutes. If you freeze them as they are, they will become glutinous and thick and won’t be useable.
2. Add salt.
This helps to avoid graininess.
3. Put the egg yolks in a freezer bag.
If you have a lot of egg yolks, you can divide them up into meal-size portions and freeze them in separate freezer bags. Squeeze out all the air so that freezer burn doesn’t occur. Freezer burn will destroy the taste and texture of your egg yolks. Don’t fill the bags right up to the top, as the egg yolks may expand while in the freezer and the bag might split, making a mess in your freezer. Make sure that the bags are strong as again they could split. Alternatively, use airtight containers. Put labels on the bags or containers with the date and the contents. It is a good idea to write down how many egg yolks are in each bag or container so that you use the right amount in your recipes.
4. Freeze.
Tips For Freezing Egg Yolks
- Squeeze out all the air from the freezer bags so that freezer burn doesn’t occur.
- If you are making a sweet dish with egg yolks, you can add sugar or corn syrup instead of salt. They also stop the egg yolks from becoming grainy. In addition, all of these ingredients stop the egg yolks from thickening.
- Don’t freeze eggs in their shells as the insides will expand causing the shells to crack. You will end up with a mess in your freezer.
- Only keep egg yolks in the fridge for up to 48 hours. After this time, they will go bad quickly and you will risk food poisoning. It is best to freeze the egg yolks instead of putting them in the fridge.
For How Long Can You Freeze Egg Yolks?
The good news is that you can freeze egg yolks for up to six months. After this time, they will lose taste and texture and may even spoil. It’s a good idea to freeze them as soon as you have cracked the shells. This will help to preserve their freshness.
How Do You Defrost Egg Yolks?
It is very important to defrost your egg yolks slowly and steadily to prevent bacteria from forming and giving you food poisoning. You should never defrost egg yolks at room temperature as this will easily cause them to spoil. Instead, put them in the fridge and defrost them for about five to six hours. The length of time will depend on how many egg yolks you have frozen.
Can You Refreeze Egg Yolks?
No, you should never refreeze egg yolks. This is because ice crystals form when you freeze items of food. While you can get away with this with one freezing, freezing egg yolks a second time will cause them to lose their taste and texture. They will probably become thick and unusable. Refreezing can also cause the egg yolks to spoil and you could get food poisoning. Instead, to avoid having to throw any away, freeze in meal-size portions so that you only defrost as much as you need for one sitting.
Is It A Good Idea To Freeze Egg Yolks?
If you beat or whisk the egg yolks before you freeze them, they will freeze well. If you freeze them as they are, they won’t, and they will be unusable. If you freeze them in the right way, they will last for up to six months in the freezer so freezing is a great way to avoid wastage and to have egg yolks whenever you need them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, you now know all there is about freezing egg yolks but in case you are still curious about egg yolks or eggs in general, we have answered a few questions here.
Yes, you can. The best way to do this is by using the ice cube method. Pour the egg whites into the slots of an ice cube tray and flash freeze. Don’t fill the slots right up to the top as the egg whites will expand when put in the freezer. Once the egg whites are frozen, put the cubes in a freezer bag, squeezing out all the air to stop freezer burn from occurring.
Yes, you can freeze whole eggs but you need to lightly beat them first. This is because the egg yolks will become glutinous if they aren’t beaten or whisked. The best way to freeze whole eggs is by using the ice cube method. You can alternatively put them in a muffin tray if you need more eggs for each meal. Never freeze whole eggs in their shells as the eggs will expand and the shells will crack making a mess in your freezer.
There is so much that you can make with egg yolks that you will be spoiled for choice. Try making a 12-yolk pound cake or chocolate chip cookies. Neither needs egg whites. Custard tarts are delicious as is flan. Use egg yolks to make brioche, a lovely bread to have for breakfast, or to make a bread and butter pudding out of. If you are looking for something savory, add egg yolks to mashed or Duchesse potatoes. They will make the potatoes very creamy. Finally, don’t forget egg yolks make ice cream very creamy and delicious.
