Freeze dried/powdered eggs?!?

I have seen many pre-packaged breakfast meals that have "eggs" in them freeze dried or powdered. I was just wondering if those who have eaten these products could tell me just how close to real egg-taste and texture they are.

Being in the US Navy for a time, I have had my share of the fake eggs, but I just wanted to know how the products for the trail were (I surely hope they are better than those from Uncle Sam). I love my breakfast food but am scared to try some of the products out there for fear of the "nasty" egg.

D

The powdered ones are about as good as powdered milk. I find the freeze dried ones are pretty good if you actually fry them in a pan with butter, rather than just eat them from the bag, as is customary with Freeze dried stuff. The goodies you add make a huge difference.
Ed

I can't eat either variety (the ones I've tried) by themselves. I do like them with cheese, mushrooms, bell pepper, etc.

I hadn't thought of frying them in butter, that sounds like a good idea.

Your eggs may vary. (borrowed from someone else)

Add a bit of powdered milk to the eggs before frying 'em up. And yes, you definitely have to fry them to make them edible. I'm pretty sure they're not really supposed to be eaten without cooking them down a bit in a pan. The ones I've used were from MEC in Canada. (They don't sell 'em anymore. Bummer) They were actually very good cooked in a frying pan in a bit of powdered shortening (Still available at MEC.) Add a bit of sliced up SPAM Singles, (Fantastic bacon substitute) ...Or just add shelf stable bacon to the eggs... Mm! Mm! Mmmm! Yummy! Of course, with the shelf stable bacon you're kinda' obligated to eat the entire pouch. (Usually 1/3 to 1/2 of the 14 or 15 slices per box.) What? What did I just say? Obligated to eat Bacon? Silly me! Anyhoo, the powdered milk thing, it turns "OK" into "Damn, that's actually good!" To use: If the Scrambled eggs say use 1 cup of water, then you add enough powdered milk to make 1/8 of a cup of milk and NO extra water. If it says use two cups of water, add enough powdered milk to make a quarter cup of milk and no extra water. (And so-on-and-so-on-and...) The amount of water recommended for the freeze dried eggs is ALWAYS way too high. the powdered milk will use the extra water and will make the eggs lighter and fluffier. (Unlike the sodden mess you end up with if you follow the cooking instructions on the pouch.) Good cooking!

Later!

I actually recently tried the Mountain House scrambled eggs and bacon freeze dried meal and it was definitely sub par. As stated above, the amount of water they tell you to add was WAY too much and I ultimately had to drain about half a cup out leaving me with soggy eggs. The supposed "bacon" that was inside was no more than the equivalent of half a strip crumbled up and sprinkled around the eggs. The eggs themselves were somewhat rubbery and not very good. This is one meal I would definitely advise against trying if you are a lover of real eggs. I definitely think I will try some of the other ways too cook eggs though mentioned above!

I have tried them with spam, bacon and such and it does indeed make them much better. I have not tried them with powdered milk, that makes sense because there is too much water left over after making them.

One of my favorite breakfast / brunch meals is what they call 'Mixed Grill' here in the south. Traditionally made with smoked sausage, but on the trail you can use summer sausage, spam, bacon or whatever you like, and you add the eggs, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, cheese, etc.

Everyone makes it a different way.

I have not liked any of the packaged egg breakfast meals that I've tried. One we had was so bad my husband had to eat all of it. But, as others say above, adding other ingredients may make them tolerable, and who doesn't like butter or cheese?

Aaron mentioned the Mountain House Egg Breakfast w/Bacon, which is coincidental, because a user just posted the second sub-par review for that meal this week:

http://www.trailspace.com/gear/mountain-house/eggs-with-bacon-pre-cooked/

If any of you come across some decent ones (or ones to avoid), please, post a review:

http://www.trailspace.com/gear/mountain-house/food/

REI used to sell a brand of powdered eggs (Wakefiled?). The powdered eggs were fine to use id baked goods but I find them unedible for eating as an egg. Even drowning the eggs in salsa didn't alter the horrible taste. I'd rather eat the same oatmeal/granola mix every day than try the eggs again.

The one's that are in the MRE's I have had were very good. rehydrated with water and cooked they tasted like fresh eggs. 40 years ago I had some when I was in Boy Scouts and they tasted like powdered cardboard with egg flavor. I was in scouts on a Air Force Base in northern California and all of our camping food came from the military survival food. But that stuff has greatly improved since then.

Gary about the food you ate in the Scouts are you referring to the older C rations or the MCI rations?

When I was a kid a neighbor gave us a bunch of canned rations, we used to eat them when spending the night in our tree house.

I think they were the C rations. Everything was either in a little can or sealed in aluminum foil green packets.

Yep, sounds like the same stuff.

The MREs of today are like gourmet cooking compared to what they used to be. Nothing is dehydrated in them anymore. I miss the styrofoam fruit. :)

Well, thanks for the "egg" input everyone. After hearing what I have, I may give them a whirl after all. So I guess the important thing to take out of this is use less water than given in the directions to prevent slime...??? I guess if worse comes to worse, I can take a few fresh eggs and have them the first morning!

Speaking of MREs (I also miss the styrofoam fruit...it ROCKED!), does anyone know where to find the REAL military style MREs, not the "start your own miilitia, survival" type?

I just buy MRE's at my local army surplus store.

In the late 80's a friend gave me a couple MRE's, he laughed all the time after that because I ate the pineapples with re-hydrating them. It was kinda like a extra thick fruit roll up.

I found a great egg product: Ova Easy Egg Crystals. The only ingredient is egg, and they rehydrate and cook just like fresh eggs. You can find them at:

http://www.nutriomstore.com/

They are great for scrambling, omelets and making french toast.

trouthunter said:

I just buy MRE's at my local army surplus store.

In the late 80's a friend gave me a couple MRE's, he laughed all the time after that because I ate the pineapples with re-hydrating them. It was kinda like a extra thick fruit roll up.

I meant to say without re-hydrating them.

Welcome Northbynorthwest

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