Storing Leftover Eggs

All eggs will begin to deteriorate upon storage. The question and problem is how to minimize this.

Always store eggs in their carton and leave the shells unwashed; they contain a natural protective coating. Each eggshell contains 6,000–8,000 microscopic pores, and eggs pick up odors if stored uncovered. Place them round side up to keep the egg yolk centered in the white and away from the air pocket. 

LEFT-OVERS: In preparing recipes, you may have some left-over whole eggs, whites and/or yolks.

Store in Refrigerator: Store whole eggs from their shells for 2 - 3 days, covered tightly.

If the eggs are separated, you can refrigerate raw whites for up to 4 days and unbroken raw yolks, covered with water, for up to 2 days in a tightly sealed container. If you can’t use the yolks quickly enough, hard cook them just as you would cook whole eggs in the shell, drain them well and refrigerate them in a tightly sealed container for up to 4 or 5 days.

For longer storage, freeze raw whites, sugared or salted yolks and cooked yolks for up to 1 year.

Store in Freezer: It's best to freeze the yolks separately from the whites because they store better. But, if you store a whole egg, whisk it with a pinch of salt or a drop of corn syrup per egg to stabilize the egg proteins.

Egg whites: Keep 1 - 3 months. To freeze, place egg whites in a Pyrex custard cup, tightly covered. Some freeze one egg white per ice cube cavity in an ice cube tray, and then transfer them to a plastic, airtight bag. One large egg can be substituted for 2 large egg whites. The whites whip more easily and to a greater volume than fresh egg whites, because their surface tension is reduced through freezing and thawing, giving them greater foaming power.

Egg yolks: If you are separating all the eggs, you can save the yolks to use later in another recipe. If freezing alone, becomes gummy and not useable when thawed. So, per 1/4 cup egg yolks, about 3 - 4 (1 egg yolk = 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon), mix in 1/8 teaspoon salt, if eventually making a savory recipe or 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoon of sugar or corn syrup, if eventually making a sweet one. The salt or sugar protects the egg proteins.