We’re HUGE fans of eggs here at Our Kitchen Classroom! They are an incredibly versatile ingredient. In our travels, we’ve found that they tend to be relatively inexpensive n a variety of locations. And, they’re really fun to PLAY with, especially when we’re experimenting with new recipes or new-to-us local ingredients.
A dozen fresh eggs, and other delicious finds from a farmer’s market in Queensland, Australia
We’re in transition again, which means getting used to new equipment in the kitchen. One small apartment in which we recently resided had a little fridge with an old-fashioned icebox in the upper portion. It was the perfect size for storing a few of our favorite breakfast ingredients. Unfortunately, the refrigerator was not consistent in temperature from front to back. We woke one morning, excited to PLAY with a variation on some scrambled eggs we enjoy, only to discover that one of the eggs had frozen in its shell!
Now, I have seen cooking tips that suggest freezing egg whites for later use in recipes. But I’d never seen a whole egg frozen inside the shell before. It had such an interesting look and texture to it, that we just had to spend a few minutes ogling it, poking at it, and taking photos.
After PLAYING with our funny frozen egg for a bit, it was time to experiment. Would this little eggy ice cube still cook like the rest of the eggs in the pan? We were curious, and optimistic, since it was a simple scramble. It took a touch of chasing the frozen yolk around the pan a bit. Our Little Sous had fun trying to smash it, noting that it was a bit harder to mix into the rest of the emulsion.
Turns out, frozen eggs mix rather nicely into regular fresh eggs for a morning scramble!
Have you ever experienced a too-cold refrigerator that has frozen some of your produce? We’re curious, how did you handle it? Please tell us about it in the comments below.
Interested in seeing more of our PLAYFUL food experiments? Follow Our Kitchen Classroom on Facebook, and join our brand new online group–PLAY with Your Food! We’ll see you in the kitchen!!!
The timing for reading this is perfect!! But I’m having the opposite problem! We’re housesitting and the fridge has stopped working!! Freezer is still on the go, but definitely not at 100% efficiency! No frozen eggs here 🙂
Oh, dear! Hope you all don’t lose too much food while getting that fridge fixed, Karen! There are *always* adjustments to make when you are getting settled in a new place, aren’t there?! Fortunately, the biggest challenges usually make the most interesting stories later!
When we go out of town we put our milk into the freezer. The whole gallon carton (with whatever is left inside). It does expand so you can not freeze a whole gallon.
It takes a while to thaw. If you drink it before it’s fully thawed, you drink up more of the water content so the remaining milk is very thick. Thawed milk is slightly different in texture but we did it to avoid wasting it. And it does not last as long either.
I’m glad to know about the eggs. I experienced a frozen egg once but used the excuse to give a treat to my doggie.
We have frozen milk before but, as you said, the textural difference after thawing makes it taste a bit different. I’m sure that your dog appreciated the frozen egg treat!
Karen. — my website is listed correctly below. Accidentally hit enter too soon a minute ago.
During winter months, we have to go out to the hen house and bring in the eggs before they freeze. Mostly so the shells don’t crack. But fun fact: freshly laid eggs can stay fresh without refrigeration for weeks, even months if they are not washed. Nature has provided this amazing food with a protective barrier/coating, which should not be washed off until just prior to using. If you buy eggs in the U.S. they are already washed with a chemical solution, which is why they must be refrigerated. But we leave ours on the kitchen counter to look at!
Oh, I bet your counter looks just lovely with all those farm-fresh eggs on display, Sunny!