What should I do with all of the eggs?
July 26, 2015 3:42 PM Subscribe
I have so many eggs at the moment that it's silly. Please tell me what to do.
I'm house sitting for my parents this week. They have lots of chickens, that lay lots of eggs. I've just arrived and there's already a backlog of two or three dozen, and I can expect at least another six in the morning. The eggs are fresh and delicious, and I don't want to waste them. I'm also on holiday and would be happy to embark on some egg related culinary adventures over the next few days. There are two of us in the house at the moment, and a couple of friends will be here towards the end of the week.
So, after the six egg omelette I'm planning on eating for breakfast, what should I do?
I'm house sitting for my parents this week. They have lots of chickens, that lay lots of eggs. I've just arrived and there's already a backlog of two or three dozen, and I can expect at least another six in the morning. The eggs are fresh and delicious, and I don't want to waste them. I'm also on holiday and would be happy to embark on some egg related culinary adventures over the next few days. There are two of us in the house at the moment, and a couple of friends will be here towards the end of the week.
So, after the six egg omelette I'm planning on eating for breakfast, what should I do?
Angel food cake takes gobs of eggs. Alton Brown's recipe uses a full dozen egg whites!
posted by mochapickle at 3:49 PM on July 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by mochapickle at 3:49 PM on July 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
If your guests eat eggs, send them home with a fresh dozen. They're such an improvement over store-bought eggs.
posted by kate blank at 3:49 PM on July 26, 2015 [10 favorites]
posted by kate blank at 3:49 PM on July 26, 2015 [10 favorites]
Pickled eggs, a dozen at a time.
Angel food cake (another dozen egg whites there).
posted by the Real Dan at 3:49 PM on July 26, 2015 [5 favorites]
Angel food cake (another dozen egg whites there).
posted by the Real Dan at 3:49 PM on July 26, 2015 [5 favorites]
Bread and Butter Pudding uses 9 eggs and is delicious.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:51 PM on July 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by DarlingBri at 3:51 PM on July 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
This is an eggs-cellent problem to have. (Sorry.) Deviled eggs!
posted by AugustWest at 3:53 PM on July 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by AugustWest at 3:53 PM on July 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ice cream recipes that include egg are a possibility. You'd also be making something frozen that you could keep for a while without it going bad.
posted by gimonca at 3:53 PM on July 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by gimonca at 3:53 PM on July 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
Egg nog is delicious and keeps! this is my favorite.
posted by Carillon at 3:54 PM on July 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Carillon at 3:54 PM on July 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
Alton Brown's vanilla ice cream will use up 8 of those egg yolks from the angel food cake!
posted by mumstheword at 4:01 PM on July 26, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by mumstheword at 4:01 PM on July 26, 2015 [7 favorites]
Egg whites freeze beautifully. Make sure to mark on the package how many egg whites are inside, or what the volume is, in cups or half cups. You'll have a yolk problem, though, since yolks freeze poorly. You can make something yolk-centric, like custard or lemon curd or mayonnaise, but with dozens of eggs this will quickly become unmanageable.
What do your parents do with so many eggs?
posted by citygirl at 4:03 PM on July 26, 2015
What do your parents do with so many eggs?
posted by citygirl at 4:03 PM on July 26, 2015
2nding pickle the eggs. Despite being icons of sketchy bar food (I blame The Simpsons), pickled eggs are wonderful.
posted by prize bull octorok at 4:03 PM on July 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by prize bull octorok at 4:03 PM on July 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
You could use 8 of them for flourless chocolate cake! Warning: it's very rich, and they aren't joking when they say it serves 20.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 4:05 PM on July 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 4:05 PM on July 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Make pound cake (this recipe calls for six eggs) and then make french toast with the pound cake.
posted by ndfine at 4:09 PM on July 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by ndfine at 4:09 PM on July 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Make shakshuka!
It's the shak-shiznit!
Also, my phone autocorrected shakshuka to "sharks hula."
Seriously, make it, it's amazing. I usually double the spices.
posted by Slinga at 4:10 PM on July 26, 2015 [16 favorites]
It's the shak-shiznit!
Also, my phone autocorrected shakshuka to "sharks hula."
Seriously, make it, it's amazing. I usually double the spices.
posted by Slinga at 4:10 PM on July 26, 2015 [16 favorites]
Best answer: Cumin and onion quiche
Tortilla de patatas
Pistachio (or hazelnut) Financiers
Chocolate mousse
Meyer lemon meringue pie
Nutella bread pudding
Pisco sours
(My house is a great place to eat :)
posted by Queen of Spreadable Fats at 4:12 PM on July 26, 2015 [5 favorites]
Tortilla de patatas
Pistachio (or hazelnut) Financiers
Chocolate mousse
Meyer lemon meringue pie
Nutella bread pudding
Pisco sours
(My house is a great place to eat :)
posted by Queen of Spreadable Fats at 4:12 PM on July 26, 2015 [5 favorites]
For the breakfast later in the week, challah makes excellent French toast.
posted by teremala at 4:18 PM on July 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by teremala at 4:18 PM on July 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Flan uses up lots of eggs.
Or, make tamagoyaki or chawanmushi.
posted by needled at 4:21 PM on July 26, 2015
Or, make tamagoyaki or chawanmushi.
posted by needled at 4:21 PM on July 26, 2015
Deviled eggs are a splendid appetizer for a house party, and what my flock-owning friend always brings.
posted by restless_nomad at 4:29 PM on July 26, 2015
posted by restless_nomad at 4:29 PM on July 26, 2015
Custard tarts / pasteis de nata. Egg pasta. Cornbread. And yes, pickle them.
posted by holgate at 4:29 PM on July 26, 2015
posted by holgate at 4:29 PM on July 26, 2015
Best answer: Meringues!
This tasty egg bread! (6 yolks!)
posted by betafilter at 4:32 PM on July 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
This tasty egg bread! (6 yolks!)
posted by betafilter at 4:32 PM on July 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
If you're looking for sweet dishes, I'd second the angel food cake, but save the yolks and make a pastry cream or custard or ice cream.
For savory dishes, add a beaten egg into stir fry, batter and fry stuff, or quiches? And if the surplus isn't likely to last forever, you can always freeze some for later.
posted by estelahe at 4:33 PM on July 26, 2015
For savory dishes, add a beaten egg into stir fry, batter and fry stuff, or quiches? And if the surplus isn't likely to last forever, you can always freeze some for later.
posted by estelahe at 4:33 PM on July 26, 2015
Soufflé!
posted by Perplexity at 4:44 PM on July 26, 2015
posted by Perplexity at 4:44 PM on July 26, 2015
When I make quiche, I usually use 6 eggs at a time. You can freeze quiche (either baked or unbaked) for later.
posted by belladonna at 4:52 PM on July 26, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by belladonna at 4:52 PM on July 26, 2015 [7 favorites]
How about donating some to a food bank/soup kitchen?
posted by drthom at 5:03 PM on July 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by drthom at 5:03 PM on July 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
Meringue cookies keep pretty well.
You can make yellow cake with leftover egg yolks.
posted by bq at 5:28 PM on July 26, 2015
You can make yellow cake with leftover egg yolks.
posted by bq at 5:28 PM on July 26, 2015
I just made a fantastic salt-crusted chicken (sorry! chickens!) roast by whipping up 4 egg whites and combining it with 7 cups of Kosher salt and covering it with the result.
Otherwise, custards with the yolks, many recipes online, Sabayon, or hollandaise, etc.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 5:32 PM on July 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Otherwise, custards with the yolks, many recipes online, Sabayon, or hollandaise, etc.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 5:32 PM on July 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Angel food cake takes gobs of eggs. Alton Brown's recipe uses a full dozen egg whites!
And you can make a custard-based ice cream with the egg yolks.
Also, souffles really are not as hard as everyone always thinks they are - they just have a bad reputation because you pull them out of the oven and they look all big and majestic and puffy but then unless you eat it right away (like, within the next few minutes right away) it will naturally deflate a little and everyone feels slightly disappointed. But if you're just making it for yourself - or you really don't care how puffy it is - then that doesn't matter, and they're easy and use about 2-3 eggs per person. (Seriously, it's easy - for a cheese souffle, you separate the eggs, thicken milk with flour over a stove, stir in cheese and then stir that into the yolks - then you beat the whites to death and fold that in, then stick all that in a baking dish and bake it. That's seriously it.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:50 PM on July 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
And you can make a custard-based ice cream with the egg yolks.
Also, souffles really are not as hard as everyone always thinks they are - they just have a bad reputation because you pull them out of the oven and they look all big and majestic and puffy but then unless you eat it right away (like, within the next few minutes right away) it will naturally deflate a little and everyone feels slightly disappointed. But if you're just making it for yourself - or you really don't care how puffy it is - then that doesn't matter, and they're easy and use about 2-3 eggs per person. (Seriously, it's easy - for a cheese souffle, you separate the eggs, thicken milk with flour over a stove, stir in cheese and then stir that into the yolks - then you beat the whites to death and fold that in, then stick all that in a baking dish and bake it. That's seriously it.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:50 PM on July 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Sell or give them to neighbors? Someone on my neighborhood listserv was selling eggs from their pet chickens recently and they ran out immediately. I'm mostly vegan but I would consider eating eggs from people I know who keep chickens as pets.
posted by Violet Hour at 6:03 PM on July 26, 2015
posted by Violet Hour at 6:03 PM on July 26, 2015
Ramen eggs!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:39 PM on July 26, 2015
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:39 PM on July 26, 2015
Breakfast burritos! Scramble the eggs, then put them along with some combination of cheese, potatoes, bell peppers, onions, salsa, and guacamole in a tortilla. Roll up, wrap in foil, and freeze. These were a godsend to have on hand when we brought our newborn home--if you know anyone else who could use a meal, these are perfect.
posted by timestep at 7:31 PM on July 26, 2015
posted by timestep at 7:31 PM on July 26, 2015
Best answer: I came to say quiche. Crustless Kale Quiche Is my favorite recipe. You could do a kale one and a quiche Lorraine and that's a dozen eggs right there.
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 9:51 PM on July 26, 2015
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 9:51 PM on July 26, 2015
Lemon or lime curd uses lots of yolks - you can make beautiful tarts with the whites whipped up for meringue.
posted by honey-barbara at 11:05 PM on July 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by honey-barbara at 11:05 PM on July 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
I had a similar issue when making party favors for my friend's wedding. 8 dozen chocolate filled eggs dyed in her wedding colors. It was so difficult to avoid breaking the shells and keep the yolks separated.
Add me to the lemon curd fan club. Absolutely delicious and if you have a nice canning setup it will keep practically forever. Curd makes a great gift! The whites can be frozen or used to make meringue cookies, angel food cake, sloe gin fizzes...
Any mistakes while you are dividing eggs can go into frozen quiches.
posted by domo at 8:53 AM on July 27, 2015
Add me to the lemon curd fan club. Absolutely delicious and if you have a nice canning setup it will keep practically forever. Curd makes a great gift! The whites can be frozen or used to make meringue cookies, angel food cake, sloe gin fizzes...
Any mistakes while you are dividing eggs can go into frozen quiches.
posted by domo at 8:53 AM on July 27, 2015
Vanilla parfait:
Whip 6 egg-yolks with three or four tablespoons of icing sugar and the corns from a vanilla bud til the combination is very light yellow/almost white.
Whip 1/2 liter of cream
Combine the two gently but thoroughly and pour the mixture into a aluminium or rubber form. Freeze till you want to eat it (at least two hours, but up to weeks).
You can add soft nougat or melted chocolate to this recipe to make nougat or chocolate parfait.
Use the whites for meringues. Or for clearing stock.
Clearing stock with egg-white: when you have made a stock of chicken or beef or a mix of meats, there will be impurities. Run the stock through a sieve into a clean pot. Whip the egg-whites into a thick foam, and pour them into the stock. Whip the egg-foam well into the stock, and let simmer for 60 minutes. Run the mixture through a sieve, and you will have a beautiful, clear consommé.
My favorite is to make a mixed stock, with vegetables and leftover bones from foul, pork and beef, sieve the stock, and then add a kilo of beet roots. Simmer it all for 1-2 hours, remove the beets, and clear with egg-white mixed with a couple of handfuls of chopped beef (or beef/pork mix). After clearing and purifying the stock, add the juice of one freshly pressed beetroot for color and fresh taste. Serve with croutons: borscht for emperors! (simplified from Larousse Gastronomique)
posted by mumimor at 9:59 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Whip 6 egg-yolks with three or four tablespoons of icing sugar and the corns from a vanilla bud til the combination is very light yellow/almost white.
Whip 1/2 liter of cream
Combine the two gently but thoroughly and pour the mixture into a aluminium or rubber form. Freeze till you want to eat it (at least two hours, but up to weeks).
You can add soft nougat or melted chocolate to this recipe to make nougat or chocolate parfait.
Use the whites for meringues. Or for clearing stock.
Clearing stock with egg-white: when you have made a stock of chicken or beef or a mix of meats, there will be impurities. Run the stock through a sieve into a clean pot. Whip the egg-whites into a thick foam, and pour them into the stock. Whip the egg-foam well into the stock, and let simmer for 60 minutes. Run the mixture through a sieve, and you will have a beautiful, clear consommé.
My favorite is to make a mixed stock, with vegetables and leftover bones from foul, pork and beef, sieve the stock, and then add a kilo of beet roots. Simmer it all for 1-2 hours, remove the beets, and clear with egg-white mixed with a couple of handfuls of chopped beef (or beef/pork mix). After clearing and purifying the stock, add the juice of one freshly pressed beetroot for color and fresh taste. Serve with croutons: borscht for emperors! (simplified from Larousse Gastronomique)
posted by mumimor at 9:59 AM on July 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Invite friends over for Indian egg curry! (Warning, involves peeling many eggs, which can be time consuming. Use the older eggs for hard boiling - they are easier to peel.)
Also: pasta carbonara. Cooks Illustrated had a great recipe a couple of months ago, but it's behind a paywall.
posted by scrambles at 10:26 AM on July 27, 2015
Also: pasta carbonara. Cooks Illustrated had a great recipe a couple of months ago, but it's behind a paywall.
posted by scrambles at 10:26 AM on July 27, 2015
Anne Burrell's Spaghetti Carbonara yummy! Recipe
8 egg yolks down in one fell swoop!
Then you can make a pavlova with the egg whites! This one is my favourite!
posted by JenThePro at 10:53 AM on July 27, 2015
8 egg yolks down in one fell swoop!
Then you can make a pavlova with the egg whites! This one is my favourite!
posted by JenThePro at 10:53 AM on July 27, 2015
Just a tip - steaming eggs does the same thing to the insides as hard boiling them but the steamed eggs are MUCH easier to peel!!! Google "steam eggs" for instructions.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 3:33 PM on July 27, 2015
posted by WalkerWestridge at 3:33 PM on July 27, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks for the ideas everyone, I marked as best answer the recipes I followed (to a greater or lesser degree), and they were all great. There are plenty of other things here I'll try at some point though.
In answer to the questions about what my parents do with them, and why don't I give them away: the story is that my parents are teachers who live in the middle of nowhere (well, really-rural North Oxfordshire). My dad runs an "eggs for asylum seekers" fundraiser for this charity that my mum's involved with. Which is all well and good in term time, but when they're on holiday and no one in the house has any transport, it means a lot of eggs need eating. Between quiches, sweetbread, custardy puddings and shakshuka though, I managed to stem the tide for a week. I couldn't have done it without you askme, if any of you happen to be in the area, let me know and I'll get you a box of eggs!
posted by Ned G at 4:53 PM on August 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
In answer to the questions about what my parents do with them, and why don't I give them away: the story is that my parents are teachers who live in the middle of nowhere (well, really-rural North Oxfordshire). My dad runs an "eggs for asylum seekers" fundraiser for this charity that my mum's involved with. Which is all well and good in term time, but when they're on holiday and no one in the house has any transport, it means a lot of eggs need eating. Between quiches, sweetbread, custardy puddings and shakshuka though, I managed to stem the tide for a week. I couldn't have done it without you askme, if any of you happen to be in the area, let me know and I'll get you a box of eggs!
posted by Ned G at 4:53 PM on August 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by slightlybewildered at 3:47 PM on July 26, 2015