Do You Have Extra Eggs in the Spring?
Hens naturally start laying extra eggs in the spring so they can raise a clutch of chicks. Since most hens don’t go broody and hatch their eggs, it’s up to us to collect these extra eggs for our table. Do you have too many eggs this spring? Are you looking for ways to use, store, or sell all of those extra eggs? Here are some ideas in case you have too many eggs stashed in your refrigerator.
I sell some of my extra eggs to friends who are happy with these little homestead treasures. You’ll want to know if you need to have a license, new egg cartons, wash the eggs, only sell from your home, no deliveries…any rules put in place by your local health department should be researched. Make sure you do that before you start selling eggs so you know what your responsibilities are.
Use Those Extra Eggs!
Maybe selling isn’t going to work out, or you don’t want to be bothered with the details. Here are some ideas to help you use those eggs or store them for later.
- Freeze your extra eggs – crack the fresh eggs into a bowl and gently scramble. Mix in 1/8 tsp salt or 1.5 tsp sugar for every 4 eggs to keep the yolks from getting gummy in texture. You can pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze, then transfer to freezer bags for longer storage (vacuum seal bags are great for preventing freezer burn). Label the bag and use the eggs within a year. Thaw the egg mixture for 24 hours before using. Use 2 cubes for a large egg. If you would normally use half a dozen for breakfast, you might find it more convenient to freeze 6 eggs lightly beaten in a pint-sized freezer container.
- Make egg noodles in large batches and freeze or dry for later. Check out my post How to Make Egg Noodles.
- Have eggs for dinner. You can make scrambled eggs or a quiche with fresh veggies (try asparagus, spinach, kale, spring onions, or peas fresh from the garden). We like to make a pancake and egg breakfast at dinner time occasionally.
- Hard boil the eggs that are a couple of weeks old and use them for deviled eggs and egg salad sandwiches. Slice them on your salad or take whole, peeled eggs to work for lunch. Boiled eggs may also be frozen for a month or so. The whites get a bit rubbery, but they’re not bad.
- For a quick breakfast or lunch, try this Easy Microwave Egg Scramble. You can also check for ideas on The Incredible Edible Egg.
- Make custard pies, bread pudding, Homemade Chocolate Pudding, meringues, or even a souffle’ if you are feeling adventurous. Try a Rhubarb Custard Pie with your homegrown rhubarb!
- Trade them with friends and family for babysitting, homemade cookies, or whatever works for both of you.
- Coat with mineral oil and store them in a carton with the large end up, in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 months…just about the time your hens start to slow down.
Do You Still Have Extra Eggs?
So you’ve eaten as many eggs as you can, put a bunch in the freezer, and are so tired of them that you don’t know what to do…but the hens keep on laying. Maybe you’ve heard of old-fashioned methods for preserving eggs in waterglass or packed in sand? Or you may have read that unwashed eggs keep better than washed. Is it possible to keep extra eggs on hand without freezing? I found Dark Brown Eggs’ post ‘Wash egg or not for storage?’ and thought the information was pretty interesting. They experimented with keeping extra eggs in different storage situations for up to 7 months and give a detailed account of how well they lasted. It makes me wonder if my compulsion to wash eggs is something I need to overcome.
*Note: I decided to try keeping unwashed extra eggs at room temperature to see how long they would last. I was able to use them for 3 months.
Unfortunately, with 50 laying hens who think they all need to use the same 3 nesting boxes, I have pretty dirty eggs sometimes. The basket full below was in definite need of a good washing. If you must wash the eggs, use warm (not hot) water. If necessary, I will use a tiny bit of all-natural dish detergent on particularly poopy eggs. For better storage qualities, rub a small amount of mineral oil over the exterior of washed eggs.
Not sure if those stored eggs are good or bad? You may have seen the videos and instructions that show eggs floating that are bad. I’ve done this, then cracked the floating eggs. I found most of them to still be usable. They were fine for use in baking and, in some cases, for scrambled eggs. But make sure they don’t smell funny or have really runny yolks. Use your best judgment. If in doubt, throw them out…in the chicken yard where your flock will happily consume them.
Do you have suggestions for chicken keepers overrun with eggs in the spring? How do you store the eggs from your hens? And do you wash your eggs or keep them natural with the bloom intact?
More Ideas for Those Extra Eggs in Spring!
- Donate them to a local food pantry, if allowed.
- Hatch out fertile eggs for your next flock or for chicks to sell.
- Sell fertile eggs to enthusiasts looking for eggs to hatch.
- Set up an incubator with fertile eggs for a classroom at your local elementary school or nursing home. They will have a great time watching the chicks hatch!
- I saw an ad on Craigslist that read something like…”Fertile eggs available for $3 per dozen. You hatch out for your classroom and then I will take the chicks back. No need to find homes for them.”
- If you run out of ideas, scramble the eggs and feed them to your pets or back to the chickens. They will love the extra protein.
If you feel a little overwhelmed by all the extra eggs right now, don’t worry! Before you know it, you’ll need to read my article How to Get More Eggs from Your Hens!
Carolyn of Homesteading Family water glasses them. That’s what I plan on doing when we finally have chickens someday.
I have seen articles and videos… I’ve thought about trying it.
Oh my gracious — I have FAR too many eggs! I’ve tried selling them but in my area, EVERYONE has their own chickens. . .which is great (more homesteading!) but horrible for getting rid of my overflowing eggs!
I may try hatching them out to see if I can sell the chicks but I have a horrible fear that I won’t be able to sell the chicks and my flock will continue to grow!
Hi Aryn,
It’s great that you have a lot of fellow chicken keepers around 🙂
If you find that there aren’t enough eggs in the winter, you could freeze some eggs to use up then.
I do enjoy hatching chicks, but I can see how that could be a problem! Have you tried looking on Craigslist to see if there are a lot of chicks for sale? Maybe you could put an ad on Craigslist offering pre-ordered chicks. If you charge a down payment, then hatch for them…it would help to alleviate your concerns.
Best wishes!
It’s also worthwhile to mention you can coat washed or unwashed eggs in mineral oil or coconut oil and they’ll last 6+ months.
I plan on doing this with my extras this time of year and hopefully have enough to get us through the winter.
Thanks for sharing, Jess! I have kept eggs unwashed and unrefrigerated for up to 3 months, but found that the flavor got a little strong for me after that. I have thought about trying the mineral oil, but never seem to have many lulls in production.
I hope your plan keeps you in eggs for the winter!
if you have really dirty eggs you can wash them and rub the eggs completely in mineral oil to a create artificial bloom and keep as you would the dirty eggs at room temperature and they will keep for 3-9 months
Yep! I’ve done that too. Although I like the flavor better when I keep them in the fridge…possibly all in my head 😉 Thanks for sharing!
I have seen videos about dehydrating eggs powdering them and storing them in vacuum sealed mason jars
Hi Paul and Jan…I have read that dehydrating eggs at home isn’t safe, but I haven’t tried it or heard exactly why, but I suppose that there is too much time while the moist eggs are open to bacteria.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I store my eggs unwashed on the kitchen counter in a cute chicken wire basket. As it gets warmer, I will keep the stored eggs in the fridge. I have a long rectangular plastic container that fits well on a shelf in the refrigerator. It holds a few more than 2 dozen eggs. I wash the eggs before filling this container. So far with about 5 eggs a day I am able to use them and occasionally supply my 3 children with eggs. I am interested in dehydrating eggs…anyone have instructions?
Also to have eggs over winter, I add a few pullets to my flock each spring as they will lay well over their first winter. I do not heat or light the chicken house. My husband call them my “sport chickens” as they will never pay for themselves!
Lisa,
here is a source to purchase ramps bulbs and seed from. Dan
https://www.rampfarm.com/catalog.htm
I don’t wash my eggs until I am ready to use them. I only have 3 nest boxes, also, and mine all want to use the same one. My eggs are definitely dirty. They keep much longer unwashed. In many European countries, it is illegal to sell washed eggs. We seem to be the only ones that require washed eggs. I just wash them before I crack them, or set them to boil. I just need to get on the ball and make better use of what I have. My 7 girls are back up to full production now, and the eggs are backing up on me! Now if the ducks will just start laying again…
Hi Deb,
I tried putting the eggs in the fridge and washing them just before using…hubby protested too much. Since I started washing them, I haven’t noticed that they aren’t lasting long enough for us to use them up before they go bad or anything.
My ducks have been laying all winter, an egg almost every day! The chickens, not so much. I think it all has to do with their ages. A lot of my hens are going into their first molt, and the ducks are 10 months old.
Best wishes for more duck eggs!
Since spring is when we need some help on our farm we invite friends and family over for a few work days that end with a meal and bonfire. When they leave they are told to take a dozen eggs with them. This is a great way to give them the taste of farm and a nice way to say thanks for helping.
What a great idea, Stacy! I bet they have a wonderful time helping out on the farm. 🙂
Hi Deb,
Have fun with your little chickies! It’s so entertaining to watch them grow up. 🙂
Do you have instructions for dehydrating eggs? I read somewhere that it is difficult to do in a home dehydrator, because of the growth of bacteria. But I haven’t done any extensive research into the topic.
That site that I linked to, Dark Brown Eggs, said that they kept unwashed eggs in the fridge for up to 7 months. I’d be rather suspicious of using eggs that old, myself. But it might be another option for a couple of months. Maybe fill cartons with the cleanest eggs you gather and stick them in the bottom of the fridge.
I also haven’t had many times when I was completely without eggs, since I have a light on in the coop over the winter. There have been times when I didn’t have enough to sell.
Best wishes with your new flock!
Since I just got chicks Wed. this week I don’t have experience with extra eggs. I don’t know all the how-tos on selling eggs and don’t plan to worry about it. I’ll just sell to friends and family under the radar as i don’t want all the expense. Do like mom used to, reuse cartons and wash right before selling to neighbors. I do however plan to dehydrate for storing when I have extra for times of molt, over winter, etc. Freezing is fine but would like to use less of it. Haven’t decided on the light for winter yet. Can see pros and cans about it. Guess it would matter if none lay or just a couple so we still have some. Good post. Thanks.
A friend with hens always tell me not to wash them until right before using(?)
Another friend hard boils them as treats for her dogs….they love them and it’s a healthy snack.
I like your idea of trading them to friends and neighbors…or just give some away to make someone’s day!
Hi Kristin,
They do keep longer if you wash them just before using. But we never seem to have any around long enough to go bad. I tried giving hard boiled eggs to Shadow, but he didn’t like them very well. The one time he did eat one, he had stinky poots!
Thanks for stopping by!
LOL. Hard-boiled eggs do tend to give dogs (and some humans) the “stinky poots”. (I giggled again after typing that.) So be careful. But the eggs do help to keep their coats shiny. The dogs, that is. Not the humans. 🙂
😉 Gee, I was hoping to have a shiny coat…guess I’ll have to toss it in the washer! I’ve been giving Shadow raw eggs and he loves those…and there aren’t any smelly side effects either. 🙂
As far as boiled eggs for humans, if they have that effect on you, you might want to avoid eating them the day before you go on an all day bus trip with your travel group, or a conference for work, or inviting the ladies from the flower club over for tea. 😉
Great post! May I share it?
Oh for pete’s sake. I forgot to put my name on that last post.
Lol! Hi Meredith!
You are welcome to share my post…thanks!
I don’t freeze my eggs as we’re trying to become less dependent on the freezers but we do pickle them! And a lot of the other things you mentioned. Right now it’s scrambled eggs with ramps as it’s that time of year. 😀 I also have a nice cool cellar to store extras so I only have to keep a couple dozen in the fridge.
Hi ourlittleacres!
I hear you about being less dependent on freezers. I’m way to dependent on them right now and need to do more canning, etc.It’s great that you have a cool cellar for storage! That’s great that you have ramps…are they foraged from your property? I’ve often wondered if they could be cultivated. I used to gather them as a girl on the farm. But we don’t have them on our little once acre property now.
Thanks for sharing!
I replied yesterday but something happened between writing and sending! We have a couple of small patches of ramps we’ve found so far and they can be cultivated but it takes a few years to have a sustainable patch. I was reading, I think it was over at Chickens in the Road, about something we’ll be trying the next time we harvest some. When you cut the root leave some of the bulb. It looks like about 1/2″. Replant about 2″ deep and they’ll grow! I can’t wait to try this. We usually find them on north-facing slopes because it’s cooler. They also like moisture. One patch is below our spring. I hope you can start a patch of your own!
I wonder if they are available anywhere for sale as seeds or bulbs? I don’t know if we even have any wild stands in our area, and I would hate to put them in any more danger if their habitat is being destroyed. (Which it probably is, we have a lot of development going on around here)
I’ve been planting green onions and leeks for a similar flavor, but maybe someday we’ll move back to NY where I grew up and I’ll go looking for them in the woods again.
Do you have a recipe for pickling them? That sounds tasty.
I found a couple that look good online…
https://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pickled-Eggs/
https://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pickled-Eggs
I’m happy to announce that my hen house is on its way home! Can’t wait to have hens im my garden and fresh egg on the counter. 🙂
Congrats, Regula! I look forward to you posts all about your new chickens! Thanks for sharing. 🙂