were able to get by just fine for the first nineteen years of our
marriage with just one dog or one cat at a time. Then we
moved to a small town in Missouri for my husband’s job and decided we
needed chickens. The girls and I sneaked in three chicks, but quickly
decided that three was far too few. I think we got up to a dozen that
first year and added another dozen the second year. And soon added
another dog and a cat. We moved back to Northern Nevada and the house
we bought came with chickens and a cat to go with the two dogs and cat
we brought with us. And then we somehow acquired rabbits, goats, and
sheep. And now the girls are begging for a calf. Because they’re so
cute. Never mind that we have absolutely no pasture and the girls
already spend all their income supporting their sheep.
To make matters worse, most winters the hens go on holiday and stop
producing eggs. I hate buying eggs. For one, it just seems wrong now.
For another, the shells are so thin and the yolks so pale. If hens go
on vacation now when times are good, they’re also going to take a break
when things are dicey. So we need to have an alternative. One can make
an egg substitute for baking with unflavored gelatin and water. And
that’s not what this post is about, anyway.
Today we’re going to review powdered eggs–the cost, what works, what doesn’t, how to store, etc.
First off, you’re going to pay a pretty penny for powdered eggs,
probably about $30 per can. Do your research when you are ready to
purchase. Companies change the number of servings per can so frequently
that it’s hard to keep current. These are the prices as of 28 January
2019. Also, many of these companies have sales, so watch for those
instead of paying regular retail.
Vendor # of eggs/can Price/can Vit A Calcium Iron Cost per egg
Augason Farms 72 eggs 27.99 2% 4% 4% $0.38
Emergency Essentials 72 eggs 24.95 2 4 6 0.35
Honeyville 96 eggs 57.99 2 4 6 0.60
Legacy Food Storage 80 eggs 29.00 2 4 4 0.36
Thrive 103 eggs 76.49 6 2 6 0.73
I’ve used powdered eggs for about ten years now, I’d say. When the
chickens quit laying, the can gets opened. When they start producing,
the dried egg powder sits in the Tupperware container I transferred them
to, waiting for the next laying vacation or baking frenzy where demand
outstrips supply. I normally finish off a can about a year after I open
it, but the dried eggs sitting in my cabinet now have to be at least
two years old. I guess we had plenty of chickens, and I know I’ve done
less baking. The children have complained about the short supply of
cookies and brownies in recent months.
Of interest to some is the fact that Augason Farms and Legacy Food
Storage pasteurize their eggs. So there’s no concern about eating the
cookie dough or licking the bowl.
The last two mega-batches of cookie dough that I made have been flops.
For the first batch, I figured I’d done something wrong–totally messed
up on grinding the flour. The cookies were rather grainy–like the
wheat flour was coarse, and they didn’t spread out like cookie dough
should on a pan. The dough just sat in lumps. However, the second bad
batch made me think that perhaps the eggs were to blame. Indeed, the
label says that the powdered eggs should be used within one year of
opening, and that they have a shelf life of ten years. So not only had
this can of eggs been opened more than a year ago, but we’re also now
pushing the ten-year mark. Not good. The next time I open a can of
eggs, some of the powder will go into a Tupperware container and the
rest will get vac-sealed in canning jars. That should work to extend
their shelf-life after opening.
Until this problem with the cookie dough, I’ve never experienced any
problem with the taste or outcome of any recipe in which I used powdered
eggs–wheat sandwich bread, white sandwich bread, cornbread, all kinds
of cookies, brownies, pancakes. However, scrambled eggs made from
powdered eggs just look kinda yucky. They’ve got a rather grayish tint
to them. And the family naturally prefers the appearance and texture of
fresh over powdered. Of course, it doesn’t help that we’re going
straight from farm fresh, orange-yolk eggs to powdered. We also use
them for making Chinese fried rice, and the color isn’t quite right but
the taste is fine. But when it comes to baking, there’s absolutely no
problem. And if you’re halving a recipe and only need half an egg,
powdered eggs are the best. No more wasted half of an egg!
Using the eggs is pretty straightforward. At least, that’s what all the
cans say. But you’re going to have to make a decision here. When I
first started using powdered eggs ten years ago, the recommended ratio
on the can was 1 tablespoon of egg powdered to 2 tablespoons of water.
Then about two years ago I read it was supposed to be two tablespoons of
powder to two tablespoons of water. I figured I’d messed up and been
doing it wrong all this time (even though everything tasted fine). Now I
read that we are supposed to reconstitute 2 1/2 tablespoons of powdered
egg with 2 1/2 tablespoons water to make the equivalent of one egg. So
you need to decide how much egg you really need. Also, the directions
also tell you if you’re using the egg powder in recipes with other dry
ingredients, you don’t have to reconstitute the egg first. Simply mix
the egg powder with the dry ingredients and the water with the wet
ingredients.
Those are the directions, in general. Now, if you are making
cakes, you may want to tweak things a bit. If you are making a cake
that will be dusted or glazed, substituting 1 tablespoon of egg powder
plus 2 tablespoons of water for 1 egg will work just fine. But if you
are frosting the cake, you will want 2 tablespoons of egg powder plus
1/4 cup of water for each egg. (Otherwise, your cake will be crumbly
and will not take to being frosted well.)
If you are making cookies, your results will be better if you mix the
egg powder and the water (1 tablespoon of egg powder plus 2 tablespoons
of water per fresh egg) in with the sugar, and then mix in the butter.
And then make your cookies according to directions.
For quick breads use the 1:2 ratio and mix the egg powder with the dry ingredients and the water with the wet ingredients.
For yeast breads, just mix the egg powder with the dry ingredients, using 1 tablespoon of powder per fresh egg.
For putting a wash on breads, just don’t do it. The wash doesn’t look
that good, and you can somehow taste the powdered egg. The same goes
by using for binding meat like meatballs or meatloaf: just don’t do
it. You might be able to taste the powdered egg here as well, and that
would be a tragic waste of meat.
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