What Are Powdered Eggs?

Ah, the wonders of science! Space travel, atom splitting, artificial intelligence, and, of course, the practice of dehydrating an actual egg into a powder! That’s right, though it may not be at the top of everyone’s grocery list, powdered eggs are a very real thing that you can purchase and enjoy. Powdered eggs are helpful to have around the pantry for a myriad of reasons: They have a longer shelf life than regular eggs, they take up much less space, and they don’t require refrigeration. They can also be used in baking (without rehydrating, even), and can be rehydrated to make dishes such as scrambled eggs and omelets. Today, we’ll talk all about the mystery of the powdered egg. Oh, and try to hold your sneezes in while we do, we don’t want dehydrated yolk going every which way!

What are powdered eggs made of?

Well, believe it or not, powdered eggs are made from…eggs! Dehydrated eggs are 100% eggs that have been turned into a yellow powder. Just add water, and, presto, you’ve got breakfast!

Wait, are powdered eggs real eggs?

Powdered eggs are real eggs. Weird, right? Powdered eggs deliver the same nutritional benefits as non-powdered eggs (also known as eggs). Just be sure to rehydrate them before making your bacon egg and cheese sandwich, unless you want a strange, potentially cough-inducing experience!

How are powdered eggs made?

To make powdered eggs, you start with standard chicken eggs (you could use ostrich or emu eggs, sure, but who has the time?). Most powdered eggs are made via “spray drying,” which is also how powdered milk is made. Basically, you rapidly heat the eggs, then spray them into a super-hot drying chamber, which turns them into a powder. (There’s a bit more to it than that and if you’re actually interested you can read about the full process on ScienceDirect.)

Do powdered eggs have protein?

Absolutely. Like fresh eggs, powdered eggs are protein-rich.

How long do powdered eggs last?

Powdered eggs have a storage life of 5–10 years, which is obviously a huge jump from the storage life of a regular egg. The shelf life can further be extended by placing powdered eggs in air tight containers and storing them somewhere cool (as in cool temperature, not cool as in hip). Unlike liquid egg whites, powdered eggs require no refrigeration, and can be kept at room temperature in a cupboard or pantry. 

Even though they aren’t good for chucking at your principal’s house in revenge for holding you back a grade, powdered eggs are definitely a healthy equivalent to the standard hen-fruit we know and love.


About the Author

Joe Rumrill

Joe Rumrill is a fictional one-eyed spinach-loving sailor created in 1929 by E.C Se- Wait, no, that's not right... Joe Rumrill is a stand up comedian and writer currently based in Los Angeles. His favorite thing about food is a close tie between the taste and the nutrients one gets from it. His least favorite thing about it is the "gritty, dirt-like quality some food has", but he's most likely referring to the time in third grade he was dared to eat playground sand.

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