Egg prices break the budget

SAN ANTONIO. There is news quoting eggs, or at least hopeful. New data released on Thursday showed that food inflation did rise in December 2022, but at a much lower rate than we’ve seen before. However, last month egg prices rose the most.

Eggs are known for being a cheap source of protein—or were until they became unaffordable to some. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that egg prices rose from $1.79 in December 2021 to $4.25 a year later in December 2022. The main reason for the increase in cost is that bird flu has killed many birds.

“In 2022, we lost 44.3 million laying hens due to the outbreak,” said Maro Ibarburu, a research fellow at the Center for the Egg Industry at Iowa State University.

These days, it might seem like you’re paying for a dozen golden eggs. However, there are ways to save money.

Buy as many eggs as you can because overall you will pay less per egg. Don’t worry about spoiling, the eggs keep for three to five weeks after purchase.

“It’s worth noting the expiration date or expiration date, but that’s not necessarily true,” said Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst at Dealnews.com. “It is important to remember that these are not expiration dates. It’s literally like the product will be the freshest until that time, and then it probably won’t be as good. As long as they look good out of the shell, don’t smell weird or anything like that, and you cook them to temperature, you probably don’t have anything to worry about.”

Here’s how to properly store eggs so they stay fresh longer:

“Never store eggs on the refrigerator door, because there you have more temperature fluctuations when you open and close the door,” Ibarburu said. “So try to keep them in the refrigerator case. Consumers should ensure that their refrigerators are kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or less, just a little less. You don’t want to freeze your stuff.”

According to the USDA, another way to increase the shelf life of eggs is to freeze them out of the shell. Before freezing, it is better to separate the yolks and whites. Eggs can be frozen for up to a year.

Also, use real eggs when they are the main ingredient in a meal, but cut costs by using an alternative to baked eggs.

“You can find egg substitutes in the refrigerated aisles of grocery stores,” Ramhold said. “Obviously there are things like Just Egg that are plant-based alternatives, but you can also look at things like flax eggs or chia eggs.”

She said to be sure to check the portions when using an egg substitute.

“They don’t necessarily translate everything on a one-to-one scale,” Remhold said. “I wouldn’t try to get a box of cake mix and then try to add the equivalent of flax eggs to it. This can affect not only how it breaks down but also how it tastes, but if you’re looking for something that just needs a bit of thickener and binder, this might be a good alternative.”

Know that eggs are still one of the most affordable proteins, even at a premium compared to meat products.

“In addition, it is a very high quality protein,” Ibarburu said. “It’s full of amino acids. They are the building blocks for the human body. It is also a very important source of vitamin D and calcium.”

Now that the holiday baking season is over, the demand for eggs is declining and the stock is recovering, increasing the supply, it is expected that the price of eggs will become cheaper. It will take a few weeks, but prices will drop.