I have done my due diligence and reviewed the previous threads on powdered eggs...including some of my own threads from years ago. My previous research left me preferring Adventure Eggs. Now I read they are out of business. Others have recommended the Egg Store but I find the links to be dead...are they out of business too? Honeyville doesn't get very high marks in the old threads...

Where to get good powdered eggs?

Good question Rob. I really like Ova Easy eggs and ordered through REI last year. But, I don't think REI carries them any longer.

Last year when I ordered from the egg store, they said that they were closing up shop and thanked for all the previous orders.

+1 for the OVA Easy brand eggs. We got ours I think at Pack it gourmet. It still shows REI has them on line.

Ova Easy is available on Amazon, too. Based on the positive reviews, it sounds like I need to try these!

quote caribouluvr: "Ova Easy is available on Amazon, too. Based on the positive reviews, it sounds like I need to try these!"

I wouldn't buy anything else at this point. Last time, I bought a six package lot. Pricey, but worth it for tripping.

+1 for Ova easy.

Another vote for OvaEasy. I saw them at REI (Bloomington, MN) about a month ago and can also order them on Amazon as others have mentioned.

OvaEasy may be hard to find due to a Recall of salmonella tainted eggs. Might want to check the website and see if you have a bad batch.

quote Saberboys: "OvaEasy may be hard to find due to a Recall of salmonella tainted eggs. Might want to check the website and see if you have a bad batch. "

That's a bummer AND scary even if the recall is over.

Note that the recall reads "may" and that no illness has been reported.
I have a half a bag of Ova Easy that was recalled and did not get sick and will probably use the other half next week.

Purchased a gallon (?) of Honeyville 2 winters ago and still have half of it. It has kept very well but we could never cook them so they were to our enjoyment for scrambled eggs. We have found other uses for it requiring eggs in the recipe. My wife and I are fond of rice pudding and this really helps when making from scratch.

LGD

I have never used powdered eggs. How do they work? Add water, whisk, and scamble? Are the consistency and taste pretty similar? How about dehydrating your own eggs?

quote strom2127: "I have never used powdered eggs. How do they work? Add water, whisk, and scamble? Are the consistency and taste pretty similar? How about dehydrating your own eggs?"

First... DO NOT dehydrate your own eggs! I am sure someone will say they do, but don't.

Powdered eggs are Dehydrated raw egg.

There is the mountain house stuff for scrambled eggs in a fry pan, they have added ingredients. There are freeze dried scrambled eggs if you are brave, but that is not what we are talking about either.

Read descriptions before you order. Get just plain egg. You add a couple tablespoons water to a tablespoon of powder to make one egg. If I open a can, I use it all that season. My best source are the "survivalist" sites that want to sell you a years worth for your bomb shelter.

I've never had a powdered egg that tasted good, or even decent. Why not just bring fresh eggs? If you buy then direct from a farmer before they are refridgerated, they will keep for weeks. And with just a little care, weve never broken one.

quote BearDown: "I've never had a powdered egg that tasted good, or even decent. Why not just bring fresh eggs? If you buy then direct from a farmer before they are refridgerated, they will keep for weeks. And with just a little care, weve never broken one."

+1 Sunny side up and fresh bacon in the woods - hard to beat! In addition to fresh, mediums are "stronger" and I find the pressed paper versus the expanded plastic cartons afford better protection. Spartan tapes them to the bottom of the canoe seat and I just wrap bubble wrap around the carton with a bungy deely bob and set on top of food pack. Never lost even one.

I will say the Adventure Eggs were pretty good and would suffice for many recipes - too bad they didn't last in small packages. (You can buy a 50 pound package still or at least when I finally reached the manufacturer a year or two ago - hundreds of eggs worth.)

My vote is for fresh eggs. After getting to the campsite, keep them out of the sunlight. It's cool enough at night that they will keep for a few days. I've never had a problem with keeping eggs for the week-long trip. With egg carriers, we've never had one break. I know they add more weight than powdered but that is one item, in my opinion, that is worth the extra weight.

Terry

So I've heard varying opinions on the safety of fresh eggs being left out. I've looked at the USDA's egg website which states that eggs should never be left out. Is the key to get farm eggs that haven't been refrigerated? I would love to have fresh eggs in camp, but it scares the crap out of me!

The absolute safest way is to get farm eggs before they are washed or refriderated. When an egg is washed or refriderated it looses its topmost protective layer. You would likely have to specially order these or know someone with chickens. The other way would be to have a insulated pack. We also do this with our meat and ciscos, and it stays below 40 ussually into the 5th day. Of course, ymmv and if you do not follow official US health rules there is a risk, however slight, that you may get sick.

We've taken regular eggs from the store, bought as close to the trip as possible, and never had a problem. Even in 100+ degree July heat waves.

quote mirth: "We've taken regular eggs from the store, bought as close to the trip as possible, and never had a problem. Even in 100+ degree July heat waves."

I'm with mirth. I usually plan to buy at Zups who usually have mediums in cardboard. The worry over eggs and raw eggs in eggnog, BPA, cooking in aluminum, and it seems like everything else has just become too much to take seriously.

Even though I'm a fan of powdered on the trail (I might suggest if you are not then perhaps you just got the wrong powdered eggs)...

On food safety...

In general, the contamination occurs when the egg is cracked. There are exceptions.

These numbers are entirely made up for the sake of example... Say 1% of eggs have some contamination. Under refridgeration, chances are 1in a million that you will have any problem after eating them. UNrefridgerated that goes quickly to one in a thousand, then one in five hundred and so on day by day. Is that after one day or ten? Don't know. Chances I will take at home with my warm bed and convenient medical care, I would not dream of on the trail...

Take a food safety course. Learn why a rare steak is "safe" while rare hamburger is not.