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Do you have way too many eggs? If you are like most chicken farmers. You get a surplus of eggs in the summer and not so many in the winter. And as we all know farm fresh eggs are gold. Many people including myself have had to buy eggs from the store in the winter because of low supply. I am still trying to come up with a way to get my chickens to lay just as good in the winter but have not found the perfect solution yet. But Don't worry I will share it when I do! Anyway, when It comes to preserving eggs we can fit a few dozens in the fridge but then have to get creative after that. Also, when stored in the fridge they can only last so long. Not nearly 9 months! I actually had no clue that you could keep eggs up to 9 months without going bad in general... But you can! And one of the ways is keeping them in your pantry! Say what?! I know! That's what I thought. Eggs in the pantry? But it's true! And I will teach you how to do it so you will no longer have to buy eggs from the store during those months of slower production... 1. Preserve with mineral oil The first way I am going to share with you in how to preserve your farm fresh eggs in mineral oil...that will last in your pantry for 9 months!! I know it seems crazy that you don't have to refrigerate them...But I promise this works! Preserving eggs in Mineral oil What you will need Eggs Mineral oil Gloves ( You want to make sure not to touch the oil) Recipe for 1 dozen Warm 1/4 cup of oil in the microwave Dry eggs and carton put your gloves on coat eggs in oil ( make sure they are completely coated! ) Now place the eggs into your carton small end facing down. You can store these eggs in a cool dark place for up to 9 months! It is recommended that you carefully flip the carton upside down to make sure the yolks are not settling. You can do this whenever you remember! There is no exact time that this needs to be done. Just try to do it at least once a month. To me this is the coolest way to preserve eggs! Super easy and takes no room in the fridge or freezer. But I am sure the idea of storing your eggs in the pantry is still freaking you out.And you are wondering if this works or not... You are probably thinking I am some crazy lady. How do you tell if your eggs have gone bad?...Smell them! You will know! Rotten eggs are probably one of the worst smells. And if you are worried that this will not work...test it! Do it now and see how it works. Than when you have a surplus of eggs you will know! 2. Freeze This is super simple! Just take your eggs and crack them into a bowl. Mix them together and put into a seal-able container. Make sure that you label it so that you know what you have in a couple months! I am lazy and will forget to label something and than have no clue what it is. If you can also label how many cups you have. It is really nice down the road to pull it out for scrambled eggs or to use for recipes! 3. Make egg muffins So technically this goes along with freezing, but I thought that is was important enough to count as an item on the list. This is not only awesome for using excess eggs, but is also food prepping at the same time. I try to get in as much protein as I can and this also an awesome easy way to do that. Ready for whenever I have a need for some good healthy protein. How to make eggs muffins 1 cup Ham 1/2 cup Baby spinach 1/4 tsp Garlic powder 2 tbsp Onion 1/4 cup Red bell pepper (Or any other yummy veggie) 12 Eggs 1 Pepper 1/2 tsp Seasoned salt 1 cup Cheddar cheese Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and put into oiled muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 Degrees! Once they are done and completely cooled put them in a large gallon zip-lock bag and freeze. Again, don't forget to label! You will be so happy to have these on hand for crazy mornings or even a snack! What are the benefits of preserving eggs? Well as I mentioned above if you are raising chickens you know how much work goes into taking care of them and feeding them. So you know how valuable those eggs are! Why let them go to waste if you can keep them for the rest of the year? And it will save you from having to buy eggs from the store. Yes, eggs are cheap. But you are also probably getting a very cheap quality egg. Why would you want to buy eggs when you can have your own year round? I am a huge advocate in growing and making everything myself. So then I know exactly how it was taken care of and what that animal was fed etc... But I am well aware that not everyone can raise their own chickens and get farm fresh eggs so that leads into the next question... Can you preserve store bought eggs? The answer is yes. Again, I love that I can raise my own chickens and preserve the eggs. But I completely understand that everyone cannot do that. So if that is you than preserving store-bought eggs is a great way to save money! Next time you see eggs on sale pick them up and preserve them. Why would I want all those eggs? So you may be asking why you would want to have so many eggs. Well, believe me, I am sure if you are anything like my family you will have no problem using them up. BUT on top of that, it is great to have food on hand just in case anything happens. Now don't get me wrong I am not a crazy prepper preparing for the zombie apocalypse, but I believe it is smart to always have food on hand. You never know when you might lose power for a few days or maybe just not be able to make it to the grocery store for whatever reason. And I mean hey if the zombie apocalypse ever does happen you will be all set. ;) My husband likes to plan for crazy prepping situations, so I like to make good fun of him for prepping for the Zombie Apocalypse. More uses for eggs I am personally a huge egg eater. I am in the phase of life where I am pretty much always nursing or pregnant. And eggs are a great way for me to get in protein! Eggs are a great source of protein as I have mentioned BUT also awesome for nursing and pregnant moms as it helps tremendously with babies brain development. But of course, it is great for everyone not just those of us growing babies. Anyway, here are my top 3 ways to get in lots of eggs! Pancakes Sounds crazy, but its true! I have a hard time getting in enough protein so I try my best to get in as much as possible early in the day. Here is my go-to pancake recipe. Forget those calorie sugar laden babies and try these! I know you won't be sorry! 2 cups Oat Flour 2 cups cottage cheese 2 cups eggs 4 TBSP. Stevia 4 Tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. vanilla Extract Fruit We like to add bananas, blueberries etc. Whip all the ingredients in the blender and make them like your normal pancakes! We usually add the fruit when they are cooking! 2. Muffins Chocolate protein muffins 4 Bananas, very ripe 8 Eggs 4 cups Oats 1 tbsp Baking powder 1 tsp Baking soda 1 c. sugar or 1//2 c. Stevia-based sweetener 1 tsp Salt, real 1 tbsp Vanilla extract 1 cup Yogurt, plain 3/4 cup Cocoa powder 3. Waffles 1 1/4 cup Almond milk 2 Eggs 1 scoop Vanilla protein powder 1 1/3 cup All-purpose flour 4 tsp Baking powder 1/2 cup Coconut oil In our home, we really don't eat much of the sugar-filled crap. I have found lots of yummy recipes to get in our protein in yummy ways. And really we like these recipes just as much! I hope this has been helpful and You can find a way to utilize all those yummy eggs! ~Courtney

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