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.
16 march 2019
I wonder if you could use powdered egg whites instead of whole eggs for an egg wash or in binding meat recipes? Years and years ago I would buy cans of powdered egg whites in the baking aisle of the grocery store, specifically to use to make royal frosting for gingerbread houses. It's amazing how much they appear like fresh egg whites and whip up just the same. I haven't looked in the grocery store for them recently, but they're easy (and relatively inexpensive to buy online since they're sold as some kind of a protein supplement.
ReplyDeleteAlso, even after opening, I've found that the powdered whites last for years. I imagine it's the fat in the yolks that breaks down the whole egg powder so quickly. I still keep some on hand--nice for being able to make a meringue or similar recipe if needed. And I'll have to try them as a wash and a binder and just see how they do.