That's what I said... BUT, imagine being unable to buy food and having no eggs at all! Powdered eggs would certainly be better than none, so I figured it might be a good idea to learn how to use them. (BTW: The brand I've been experimenting with is Morning Moo's, whole eggs- I'm sure they were on sale and Macey's when I got them to try.) Here's what I've found
The cheapest brand appears to be Thrive at about $1.18 per dozen eggs (for a #10 can). They happen to be having a sale right now too! (Not sure how much shipping is...)
Dehydrated eggs are great because they last 5-10 years packaged in a can, they take up less space than a comparable number of eggs, you never have to worry about fishing out egg shells in your food or getting salmonella if they're undercooked. (bring on the raw cookie dough!)
Note: I have not tried the dried egg whites, and so have no comments about being able to whip it into merengue, which I'm curious about, though I have read online that it works! Anyone else tried that?
Great used for:
Pretty much any baked goods:
-dinner rolls (I have a reeeeallly good one to share)
-cookies
-cakes (from scratch or boxed ones)
-muffins
-pancakes
-making your own pre-made mixes (for cakes, cornbread, pancakes, etc)
My family and I can't tell any difference, at all- the one exception being when I made these black bean brownies, subbing in powdered eggs, they didn't stay together as well as usual.
I haven't tried yet, but I have read online that they can be used to thicken puddings, make mayonaise, and even eggnog!
Meh used for:
French Toast- Honestly, it wasn't bad. It tasted exactly the same (probably because I always use lots of cinnamon) but it did soak into the bread more (since they don't have the same slimey texture fresh eggs have) and so it was slightly mushier. However, if I was eating like that in an emergency, I would not complain one little bit.
Scrambled eggs- I was scared. But I did it! I made and ate scrambled eggs using the dehydrated egg powder. I was really surprised... they actually looked like scrambled eggs! The texture was very similar, but not quite as rubbery. They didn't taste exactly the same, but it wasn't bad, exactly. BUT I normally cook scrambled eggs with a little milk and lots of cheese, and I just cooked these straight up with a little salt and pepper. (So I could taste them "pure" and because I'm off dairy right now for Hazel.) I probably won't make them for breakfast for the family outside of an emergency, but I could see myself sneaking in one powdered egg for several regular ones and getting away with it. After tasting the scrambled eggs plain, I put them in a tortilla with salsa and green onion (mmm, avocado would have been great) and it tasted just like a regular breakfast burrito! Obviously, cheese and sour cream would be great too.
Don't use for:
Browning egg wash- it's not terrible, and the bread/pie will still brown, but it gives it a bit of a funny taste, and I'm going for invisibility here...
Where do I get them?
I just bought my Morning Moo's eggs at Macey's (our local grocery store) but I can't find those online anywhere. I have found these online sources, though (not sure about shipping costs):
shelfreliance.com- right now on sale for $21.39 for 216 eggs (best deal)
beprepared.com - $21.95 for 94 eggs
augusonfarms.com - $21.15 for 71 eggs. (+ 4.99 shipping for <$50 merch.)
I have no idea why they are all sold in a #10 can, yet they have a different number of eggs. I do know that some brands have 1 T = 1 egg, and some brands have 2 T = 1 egg, so maybe some brands whip air into the powder to help it dissolve better (as is with instant vs. non instant powdered milk)
A cool note about storing fresh eggs:
So fresh eggs, straight from the hen, don't need to be refrigerated. Did you know that? The only reason we much refrigerated is because they are thoroughly washed before we get them, removing the protective coating that allows them to spoil. If you coat your eggs in mineral oil, they will last quite a long time outside your fridge. I haven't tried it personally, but my neighbor does it all the time. I'm not sure how long they last... an experiment for another time. :)
Once I blog about the staples, I plan to share some recipes I've made with powdered eggs.
Are you sold?
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