Egg Crisis in Illinois: Why Stores Are Limiting Purchases and How to Stock Up Smartly

If you've gone grocery shopping lately, you've probably seen a purchase limit sign posted by the egg selection, which leads me to one big question...why are people hoarding eggs?

Egg Problems in Illinois

I will admit my family does eat eggs regularly, but normally I will have a dozen in our fridge for recipes that call for them. With egg prices nearing $10 a dozen though, I'm rethinking what meals I make right now. Why isn't everyone else doing the same?

We all know bird flu is a HUGE problem in the United States and beyond right now. It's the number one reason egg prices are skyrocketing, but have you ever looked up what happens when a chicken farm falls victim to bird flu? I did today, and I absolutely regret it.

All I am going to say is this; when bird flu hits a farm, thousands, sometimes millions, of chickens need to be euthanized quickly, and it's horrible no matter how humane they try to do it.

Since I no longer care to think about these tragic circumstances, let's focus on the other situation...why egg purchase limits have been executed by so many stores.

Why Are People Hoarding Eggs?

The extreme egg hoarding situation started making sense when Mary sent us an app message that said;

You can freeze eggs to keep them longer.

Seriously? You can freeze eggs? How have I not heard about this before? (Yes, I know how ignorant this makes me sound).

According to The Incredible Egg;

According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), you can freeze eggs for up to one year.

But...there's one important thing you have to do before you throw eggs in the freezer.

How to Freeze Eggs

It turns out there are several way your can safely freeze eggs, but all of them have one major thing in common; you have to remove the shell first.

Here are some of the ways you can freeze eggs according to incredibleegg.org:

• Whites - Break the eggs and separate the yolks. Pour the egg whites into freezer-safe storage containers. If you want the egg whites to be portioned and easier to thaw, pour them in an ice cube tray to freeze first, then transfer all of them to a freezer-safe container.
• Yolks - Egg yolks alone will freeze into very gelatinous balls. To prevent this, beat in either 1/8 teaspoon salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar or corn syrup per 4 egg yolks, then place them in the freezer.
• Whole Eggs - Crack the egg and pour the contents into a bowl. Then use a beater to mix the egg white and yolk together and piace in a freezer-safe container.
• Hard Boiled Eggs - Freezing hard-boiled whole eggs or whites are not recommended because they get watery and nasty, but hard boiled egg yolks can be frozen. Here's what you need to do before freezing according to The Incredible Egg;

Place yolks in a single layer in a saucepan and add enough water to come at least 1 inch above the yolks. Cover and quickly bring just to boiling. Remove the pan from the heat and let the yolks stand, covered, in the hot water about 12 minutes. Remove the yolks with a slotted spoon, drain them well and package them for freezing.

I'm still not sure I want to spend today's egg prices, but it sure is good to know I can make my money last longer if I do!