POWDERED EGGS

    I recently (June 2011) received an email from a food storage company which stated “Powdered Whole Eggs….are a staple of any food storage plan.” That statement implies powdered eggs are necessary for a good food storage plan. That implication is absolutely false. Powdered eggs are not essential to a good food storage plan. You can bake breads, cookies, cakes and other desserts without eggs; you can make ground meat entrees; and you can have wholesome filling breakfasts without eggs.
    In spite of claims by food storage companies that powdered eggs have a shelf life of 5 to 10 years, recent research at Brigham Young University indicates a shelf life of 1 year.¹ That short shelf life necessitates rotation and use of powdered eggs on a fairly regular basis. Three popular food storage websites² sell powdered eggs for a range of prices that, when converted to price per dozen, are $2.37/dozen to $3.98/dozen before shipping. Fresh eggs range in price well below those prices in most areas of the mainland United States. Grocery store prices range from .77/dozen to $1.90/dozen with most under $1.50/dozen. Only farm fresh or organic eggs consistently compare at $2 to $5/dozen. Conclusion: It is expensive to store and rotate powdered eggs unless you normally purchase farm fresh or organic eggs and even those can be less.
    Learn to bake and cook without eggs so that eggs aren’t a necessary part of your diet should they become unavailable. It’s easy, the results are great and you can still eat a variety of foods (including brownies!) without storing powdered eggs.

1 http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/archive/2005/sharing_stations/pdf/52a.pdf

2 Emergency Essentials, MREdepot, and Honeyville Grain as of June 2011. When comparing brands of powdered eggs you will find that some egg counts are extra large eggs, some are large eggs and some are small eggs. Remember, the most a #10 can will hold is 204 tablespoons (not 236 like one site claims) which is 17 dozen small eggs. Recipes assume you are using large eggs so you will need to adjust accordingly. A conversion chart can be found on this site http://www.sizes.com/food/chicken_eggs.htm

Request a copy of Without Eggs: Cooking and Baking Recipes from Pantry Cooking: Unlocking Your Pantry's Potential and Pantry Cooking II by Cheryl Driggs.