A how-to artcle in Backwoods Home magazine on dehydrating eggs.

My excalibur only goes to 155, so it won't work for me without buying additional equipment.

it a good article.
My dehydrator also tops out at around 140f. I have a dehydrate feature I use on our oven for higher temperatures. For some reason I don't trust myself to dry certain foods, eggs are one of them. Not sure why. I would have liked to have seen some evidence that the technique provided did limit the pathogens. a before and after bacteria count , or something similar. I guess I still need a little more convincing before I jump into eggs, fish, or chicken . maybe as I read some others personal experience it will help convince its safe.

The article dealt with fresh un-pasteurized eggs. Wonder if store bought pasteurized eggs need 165 degree drying temperature?

butthead

I guess I don't understand the need to heat them to 165 at all. Even the FDA recommendation for eggs doesn't go that far and ultimately you're going to cook them again anyway.

Also I would think that the change to the proteins in the egg from heating them that much would mean they wouldn't work quite the same way either once rehydrated.

quote butthead: "The article dealt with fresh un-pasteurized eggs. Wonder if store bought pasteurized eggs need 165 degree drying temperature?


butthead"

hhmmm. I didn't make that connection. Now I wonder why I couldn't do pasteurized eggs at a lower temp.

Here's another approach to dehydrated eggs which is supposed to yield eggs that can be eaten plain (as opposed to used for cooking). Anyone try this? I chickened out and bought Ova Easy, but one of these days I'll try these.

This recipe is from the book "Recipes for Adventure". I'll give the book a plug to assuage my guilt for posting copyrighted material. Excellent book if you are into camping and dehydrating.

"Scrambled Eggs & Polenta
Dehydrated scrambled eggs by themselves do not rehydrate
well. They stay hard. The trick to making scrambled eggs that
rehydrate well is to precook them with polenta (yellow grits)
and then dehydrate them. Polenta’s ability to absorb water
helps the eggs return to a fluffiness very close to the scrambled
eggs you cook at home. The yellow color, mild flavor, and soft
texture make polenta the perfect ingredient to mix with eggs.
Another benefit of mixing polenta with eggs is that you don’t
have to carry a spatula, use butter or oil, or make a mess in a fry
pan on the trail. Cook the same as any other dehydrated meal:
Add water, soak for five minutes, bring to a boil for one minute,
let sit for ten minutes and enjoy.
How to Cook & Dehydrate Scrambled Eggs & Polenta
Ingredients:
• 3/4 cup Polenta (use fine ground if possible)
• 8 Eggs
• 3 cups Water
• 1/2 tsp Salt & Pepper to taste
Combine polenta with water and salt in pot and bring to boil for
one minute. Remove from heat and set aside with lid on. Wait
at least ten minutes before you remove the lid and allow the
polenta to cool.
In a separate bowl, beat eight eggs together until yolks and
whites are well blended.
After polenta has cooled and all water has been absorbed,
combine the polenta and eggs and blend well with a whisk.
Pour egg mixture into glass baking dish lined with
parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, stirring twice.
Below: After scrambled eggs cool, break into similar sized pieces
and spread on dehydrator trays. Dry at 145° for approx. 4 hours.
Scrambled Eggs & Polenta (continued)
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Pour polenta-egg mixture into a glass baking dish lined with
parchment paper.
Bake for 15 minutes and then stir the mixture with a whisk,
moving the firmer parts from the outer edges towards the
center.
Continue baking another 15 minutes and stir again.
If all liquid has firmed, remove from oven and let cool. If not,
return to oven for another five minutes or so until entire
mixture if firm.
After mixture has cooled, scoop out in scrambled egg size pieces
and place in a single layer on dehydrator trays covered with
non-stick sheets, parchment paper or the fruit leather inserts
that came with your dehydrator. Try to keep the pieces about
the same size so they dry evenly.
Dehydrate at 145° for approximately 4 hours or until completely
dry and hard. Break any large clumps that are drying slower
than the rest in half.
Yield: Above recipe yields 3 cups dried."

I have tried to dehydrate eggs multiple times and they just never really seem to turn out, so I have changed over to Ova-easy eggs, they taste good and easy to pack

marsonite,
That is a really interesting way to dehydrate eggs, and conceptionally it makes sense to me. It is very similar to how I dehydrate ground beef with bread crumbs. The crumbs absorb the water better then the beef by itself, thus rehydrating the beef better.

Thanks for the info. I may have to try this.

Thanks for the recipe(s). Something to try while I'm battling cabin fever.

Slightly off topic question, but somewhat related: How long do hard-boiled eggs last out of the fridge in typical BWCA temps in the summer? I've used them early in the year when it's quite cool, and I usually eat all of them before too long, so I've never really had to consider how long they'd be safe for.

quote carmike: "Slightly off topic question, but somewhat related: How long do hard-boiled eggs last out of the fridge in typical BWCA temps in the summer? I've used them early in the year when it's quite cool, and I usually eat all of them before too long, so I've never really had to consider how long they'd be safe for. "

According to the FDA , two hours.