The girls were too young last summer to do us much good at the farmer's market, but, once they started laying, boy did they! We are gathering about three dozen eggs a day right now! What is one to do with so many eggs?
Omelets, egg salad, potato salad, fritattas, stuffed eggs, pound cakes, meringue cookies, breads, cakes, ice cream... You see how it goes... and you can see why I have a smaller lap when I sit.. anyhow.
One of my favorite cook books is from 1963: Freezing and Canning Cookbook from the editors of Farm Journal. There are so many wonderful ideas in this treasure that I wonder if it is possible to even use them all! However, one of my favorites is how to freeze eggs.
Our grandmothers saved eggs by dropping them in barrels of waterglass to preserve them. However, today we have freezers and our thriftiness is aided by such a wonderful appliance! To preserve your egg surplus (from your hens or a great sale at the grocer's) just:
Break a cup of eggs into a glass bowl.
Add, depending on the intended use:
1/2 t. salt (for scrambled eggs or other egg dishes) OR
1 T. sugar (for baking or custards)
STIR to break the yolks. Do not beat!
That's it. Freeze for up to six months.
What I have done is measure out what I use for my favorite receipts -- cakes, cookies, and so forth -- and frozen according to those uses.
Here is one good use for your surplus eggs:
3/4 c. butter (or margarine -- but why bother?)
1 1/2 c. confectioners sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 c. chopped pecans
3/4 t. vanilla
3 3/4 c. vanilla wafer crumbs
Cream butter and sugar; add eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in nuts and vanilla and add 2 3/4 c. crumbs. Mix.
Spread remaining crumbs over bottom of buttered dish (8" square). Spread creamed mixture evenly over crumbs. Makes 16 squares. Freeze. Serve without thawing.
You can make this ahead of time and store for up to one month. Yummers.
Thanks for the tip Matty, I have always wondered whether or not it was okay to freeze eggs. Have you tried making angle food cake? It uses about 12 egg whites and the cake is fat free. My husband loves it, sometimes I will add 1/3 cup of cocoa to the recipe. Also pudding takes quite a few eggs as well, or custard. How about quiche? I have a neat recipe that I got years ago that doesn't have too many calories. Instead of using heavy cream, the filling is made with 4 or 5 beaten eggs, about 1 cup of cottage cheese, a cup of monterey jack cheese and about 1/2cup. chopped green onions. The crust is made out of 1/2 cup. bread crumbs and 8oz chopped mushrooms which are sauteed first in 1 T butter. You mix the mushrooms and bread crumbs together and then press it in the bottom of a pie dish, add the egg cheese mixture and bake at 350 until knife comes out clean. It is really good for breakfast. Have a nice weekend! Delisa :)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds yummy, Delisa! Thanks for sharing all the good tips! I had forgotten angel food cake, quiche, puddings, and custard! The idea of cocoa is super delicious!
ReplyDeleteI need to make an angel food cake.. But I am afraid if I did I would never stop making them! I love having to many eggs!Lol I give them away to family members and friends mostly. some insist on buying them but they really dotn eat much especially in the spring,summer and fall.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you could freeze eggs! Since I only use about 2 dozen a year, maybe I could buy them during Easter (when they are their cheapest) and freeze them. My son just started raising chickens. I'll have to pass this information along to him.
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