The Right Way To Freeze Egg Whites

Though many people consider freezers to be short-term storage solutions for ice cream and burritos, the reality is your freezer is a secret weapon. Consider it a second pantry for cold storing extra meat, vegetables, backup dinners, and much more. Effectively using available freezer space saves money and effort, stretching your dollar and reducing food waste.

Perhaps not surprisingly, many people don't think about freezing eggs, but really should. Hard-boiled egg yolks freeze up nicely, though the whites do not. If you're looking to freeze raw eggs, yolks require a bit of finessing before freezing, but it turns out raw egg whites are actually the easiest to freeze. They're also arguably the most useful, particularly if you eat only egg whites, or bake a lot of merengue and angel food cakes. 

When it comes to freezing raw egg whites, the prep is pretty straightforward. The trick is to batch as many egg whites as you'd like in sturdy sealed freezer bags. Storing a few bags away means you can buy a large batch of eggs and avoid them growing stale or going bad.

You don't need to whisk egg whites, salt them, or anything else before freezing them; how you freeze the whites ensures you're preserving them properly and saving space efficiently. One method is to pour your egg whites into ice cube trays, roughly one egg white per cube. Freeze overnight, then pop them out (silicone trays work well here). Bag and seal as many fit easily in a heavy-duty freezer bag. That way you can store as many as you want and use one at a time.

Alternatively, place as many liquid whites as fit comfortably into a freezer bag (or as many as you might use for one recipe) and press out as much air as possible before sealing. Then, lay it flat on a baking sheet to freeze. This way, you can stack several bags in less space. Frozen egg whites are good for about six months before their quality begins to decline. 

Thaw your egg whites in the refrigerator (not on the counter) for a day or two before using. Roughly two tablespoons equal the white of one egg and you can use them the same way you would use fresh egg whites, including as a swap for baking soda in baked goods. Importantly, do not try to refreeze egg whites, as you're risking introducing harmful bacteria, and the quality will not be the same on a second use. Always wash your hands, surfaces, and utensils thoroughly when handling raw eggs.