Most people consider dried eggs to be a bit of a mystery. Many people do not know what to make of this powdered form of eggs that promises the same benefits as normal eggs. You might think this type of egg product is not natural. The truth is dried eggs are natural, but you might be wondering how this egg product evolved.

How Did Dried Eggs Come About?

Dried eggs were first produced in the United States and sent to Europe in 1942. During those times fresh eggs were scarce throughout Europe, and a ration policy on fresh eggs was put in place. The shortage was so bad that each person was expected to only eat three eggs per week. It is easy to understand why this rationing policy frustrated people, but it was one of the outcomes of the war.

The Ministry of Food attempted to push the use of dried eggs on the people, though most people did not buy into the idea easily. The people were weary of using dried eggs, which came in a tin can. Each can had the equivalent of 12 eggs and could be used to make scrambled eggs or used in baking. The people of Europe finally came around and started using the product, but it did take a lot of convincing.

How Are Dried Eggs Made?

In simple terms, dried eggs are eggs that have been dehydrated and turned into powdered form. Nothing is taken out of the eggs, except for the moisture and the shells. The eggs still contain all the nutrients that you expect them to have–they are simply dehydrated. The benefit is these types of eggs can be taken on a road or camping trip without the need of refrigeration.

Preparing the eggs is relatively easy because all you need to do is add water. One cup of powdered eggs needs about one and one-half cup of water to reconstitute the eggs, though you can add a few extras like cheese or other ingredients. Milk will definitely make the eggs a little more frothy. Keep in mind that the color of dehydrated eggs is going to look orange-like, but the color will return to normal as the mixture is cooked. Of course, you can only really use this powdered substance to make scrambled eggs.

Now, it is important that you understand each step in more detail to fully understand the process of making this type of egg product.

Cooking the Eggs On a Pan Before Drying

What you should understand is that these eggs are cooked before they are dehydrated. There are a few ways that they are cooked before the moisture is pulled out. The first is by simply cracking them in a cooking pan without the use of any ingredients. Oil, lard, and other types of cooking liquids will cause the eggs to go bad quickly. The eggs are cooked until hard and broken apart before they are dehydrated.

Boil the Eggs Before Drying

The second way they are cooked, which is the method most commercial companies use, is by boiling them. The eggs are hardboiled for about 12 minutes or so before they are cracked open and chopped up. The eggs are dehydrated after they are chopped up.

Separating the Egg Whites and Yolks Before Dehydration

It is important to remember that some companies separate the whites from the yolk. This process is done in two different ways depending on how the eggs are cooked. The egg whites and yolk are separated after the eggs are hard boiled, which is the simplest way. The second way of separating the egg whites and the yolk is to do it before cooking the eggs on a cooking pan. The whites and the egg yolks are cooked separately. Both of these are dehydrated separately.

Steps to Dehydrate the Eggs

The last step is to dehydrate the eggs, which can be done in numerous ways. The first and the most used way is to chop them up in small chunks and dehydrate in a regular dehydrator. The eggs chunks are placed in one single layer to ensure that they dry evenly. The eggs are dehydrated until they are crispy throughout and then processed in a food processor. When they reach powdered form, the eggs are packaged.

The eggs can also be dehydrated in a much more traditional way, which is by solar dehydration. Solar dehydrators do have trays that you can lay the chopped eggs on. The eggs should dehydrate for about 12 hours. The chunks are added to a food processor and made into powder when they reach a crispy consistency. This way of dehydrating is used by people who want to dehydrate their own eggs. It is smarter to use eggs that were just purchased from the store or from a farm. Fresh eggs work better because they have the most amount of nutrients. Understand that eggs that are sourced from free-ranged hens that are fed organically are healthier than eggs sourced otherwise.

That is how easy it is to make powdered eggs or dried eggs as they are more commonly known. The price for powdered eggs is definitely a lot more affordable than fresh eggs, not to mention the fact that they could be used in an emergency or added to your emergency kit.