What It Means When Your Egg Yolk Has A Jelly-Like Consistency

Eggs last a decently long time in the fridge; a carton of eggs can last for about five weeks on average before spoiling. So, if you're all stocked up on eggs or you know you might be holding onto them for a while, you may be tempted to stick extra eggs in the freezer instead. This isn't a bad idea at all, so long as you're careful. The danger lies with the egg yolk, which can become syrupy and jelly-like if it's frozen for too long.

If you've ever cracked open an egg to reveal a goopy, thick yolk inside, it likely means this egg has been frozen and defrosted in the past. An egg yolk can permanently lose its runny quality after sitting in the freezer, and it won't go back to normal after you warm it back up. Thankfully, even though you can't fix a frozen yolk, you can take a few extra steps to prevent any major egg mistakes and stop your yolk from gelling before you plop it into the freezer. You'll mostly need a little salt.

The best way to stop an egg yolk from turning gelatinous is to mix a few yolks with salt and either sugar or corn syrup. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that you mix four egg yolks with a pinch of salt (about 1/8 of a teaspoon) and one and a half teaspoons of either sugar or corn syrup. This way, once you finally defrost the eggs, you'll still be able to poach them or add them into cake batter without a rough, gelatinous texture that doesn't mix with the other ingredients.

On the other hand, egg whites do perfectly fine in the freezer, and frozen egg whites can even be great choices for making meringue dishes. So, if you're freezing eggs, it helps to separate the yolks and egg whites and then freeze them separately. If you do freeze the eggs without separating them, it's still better to crack the eggs and add in the salt and sugar while whisking them. This way, they can be safely frozen for about a year, if stored properly, although some prefer to use them within a few months while they're still (mostly) fresh.

So what's the best way to store your eggs in the freezer? A resealable bag works perfectly well, especially because you can take a sharpie and write out how many eggs are in the bag (your future self will probably be grateful that you left notes). You can also crack an egg into each compartment of an ice cube tray, before whisking each egg with a fork while adding in your salt and sugar. This way, you'll know exactly how much is in each compartment.

Once you've properly frozen your yolks, defrosting them is fairly simple. You can move the yolks to the refrigerator and let them thaw in there overnight. Running them under cold water can also help speed up the defrosting process. It's best to use them straight away after they dethaw, rather than using some and refreezing the rest, because there will be a gradual loss in quality each time you refreeze.