Happiness belongs to the self-sufficient.

Aristotle

So you’ve decided to add a small flock to your growing homestead. Then they start laying…. SO many eggs! What do you do with them? It makes no sense to go through the trouble of managing your flock to let the eggs go bad, so I’m going to share with you some ways we keep up with our egg laying ladies around here.

Get Some Customers

You may be surprised how many people would gladly buy some eggs from you. We only have 4 hens and they lay on average an egg a day. Every once in a while one of them will skip a day, but Rhode Island Reds are pretty predictable for their one egg each day. 4 eggs may not seem like a lot, but they do pile up, and because we are looking to add a few more ladies to our flock, I’ve started slowly putting the word out that we will occasionally have fresh eggs for sale. I made a social media post and sold 5 dozen right away! Our oldest daughter barrel races so I told her if she helped collect and sell the eggs, the money from them could go in her piggy bank to help pay for barrel races and she was completely on board. She started peddling her eggs to everyone around us and was beyond excited to even get some tips.

It is important to note that you will not get rich selling eggs. Once you factor in the cost of feed, your time in caring for you birds, time and gas to deliver eggs if you choose to offer that, and any other extras like treats, supplements, etc. that you feed your birds, plus the egg cartons, you will be lucky to break even. I enjoy having fresh eggs for my family, and we love our hens, so I just think of it as supplementing back a little to the hen fund (or barrel racing fund, so long as Ada holds up her end of the bargain).

Preserve

On the path to self sufficiency, preservation plays a major role. I think so many people think of preserving their garden hauls, and often don’t think of preserving eggs. We are fairly early in our chicken adventure, so full disclaimer- I haven’t preserved any eggs yet myself! Well, not with these methods, but more on how I did preserve my eggs later.

Let’s talk about freezing eggs. Freezing is a great way to preserve your eggs without fancy equipment. All you need is a set of silicone ice cube trays, and of course a freezer. I would freeze one egg per tray, but depending on the size of your ice cube trays you could freeze 2 per well. A lot of recipes call for 2 eggs, but I would rather thaw out 2 cubes for 2 eggs than have to cut a cube in half. It’s all personal preference.

Instructions- Place one egg (or 2 if you will be freezing 2 eggs in each well) into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Pour into the silicone ice cube tray well and repeat until the tray is full. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and freeze until solid. Once the cubes are frozen solid, remove them from the tray and place in either a ziploc freezer bag or a vacuum sealed bag and keep in the freezer. When you need to use them, simply take out the appropriate amount of egg cubes and place in a bowl to thaw.

Eggs can also be dehydrated. I have never dehydrated eggs, but it is on my list for this summer! I use my Deluxe Air Fryer to dehydrate, but there are many dehydrators on the market. Simply whisk the eggs together until thoroughly combined and pour onto the drying trays. Follow your dehydrator manufacturer’s recommendations, but eggs can take 12-18 hours to dehydrate. Once your eggs are fully dehydrated place them in a blender or food processor and blend into a powder. You will want to store them in a glass canning jar with oxygen absorbers to keep them fresh. You can also vacuum seal the jar to lengthen their shelf life. When you are ready to use your egg powder, simple add 2 tablespoons of powdered egg to 6 tablespoons of water and you are set!

Another wonderful way to preserve eggs is to freeze dry them. I will most definitely be adding a freeze dryer to our home in the coming years. They are expensive, but as an investment on a homestead they are vital. When using freeze drying as a method of preservation, keep in mind that you will need to reconstitute your freeze dried goods before using them.

Preserving Through Food Prep

I have been preserving my egg surplus so far through food prep and stocking up my freezer. My favorite way to use up eggs and stock my freezer is by making pasta using this Easy Homemade Pasta recipe. This recipe freezes well and ensures that you always have pasta on hand when dinner sneaks up on you!

We have also been making a lot of quiche and breakfast casseroles. We are a fairly small family, so I make the full batch of a casserole and bake half, then put half in the freezer for a quick breakfast on another day.

Of course there is always egg salad and deviled eggs. I love egg salad right out of the bowl, but sandwiches are yummy too! Fresh eggs can be hard to peel, but boiling them in a pressure cooker makes the task SO much easier. The Pampered Chef Multi Cooker is a top notch pressure cooker with many other functions as well to help meal time go off without a hitch every time. One thing I always do when boiling eggs is to put them in an ice bath for at least 5 minutes as soon as I remove them from the heat. This helps the shells just fall off, saving your egg and your sanity.

We have also been eating a lot of egg bites! You know… the ones that cost an arm and a leg at your favorite coffee spot? They are so easy to make at home with the Silicone Egg Bite Mold for the Multi Cooker, and for a fraction of the price. Egg bites are also a great way to clean veggies out of your freezer. I like to make a batch and store them in the fridge in an air tight container. When a busy morning hits, I pop a couple in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds and have breakfast on the go!

Happy egg season friends! Leave a comment below if you have another way that you love to preserve your eggs. I want to try them all.

~Tara