Eggs in the backcountry

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tree rattt
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Eggs in the backcountry

Post by tree rattt »

My daughter loves her eggs for breakfast.We routinely carry fresh eggs,but they are a bit heavy.I know from my hobby farm fresh eggs will keep for a week with no problems. Especially in may when I am going.Has anyone tried the various brands of powdered eggs? Any luck with them? I know they are a lot lighter and aren' t breakable plus no shells to pack out.They have many advantages.I personally cant choke down an egg of any kind, so I have no reference to know what is good and what is not.

Thanks in advance
Jason

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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by drobarge »

Don't farm fresh, unwashed eggs have something called a "bloom" on them that helps to keep them fresh?
I find freeze dried eggs to be more to my liking than powdered.
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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by tree rattt »

Yup, I personally only like to trust back country eggs strait from the tap:grin:

I didn' t think of that...freeze dried eggs would be easier to prepare! I could just divide it up into smaller portions.
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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by hooky »

You can dehydrate scrambled eggs. Just scramble them in a non-stick pan, light on any oil. They taste better than freeze dried and powdered, but while not as good as fresh, they're a lot lighter.
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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by tree rattt »

hooky wrote:You can dehydrate scrambled eggs. Just scramble them in a non-stick pan, light on any oil. They taste better than freeze dried and powdered, but while not as good as fresh, they're a lot lighter.

What do you do to get them ready to eat? Boil or soak?
How do you pack them ....food saver or zip bag?
She liked the mountain house...but I am a little on the cheap side!
I would rather put $$$ on gear then food!
After all, may as well bust out that dehydrator ,instead of it collecting dust!

Thanks, jason

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hooky
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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by hooky »

I put them in a quart sized ziploc freezer bag. Boil water and then add enough to just cover them, seal the bag and give it a shake. Let them rehydrate for 10 or 15 minutes. I put the bag in a knit cap I take along as a coozie when it's warm and as a sleeping hat when it's cold. I usually give them a shot of hot sauce before I eat them. My son adds dehydrated hash browns and turkey sausage to his bags.
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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by tree rattt »

Thanks for the tips Hookey......I will see what she thinks of them.she loves ham or sausage in her eggs .so good ideas! Nice to know these things work .It is always a little scary to experiment .:-)

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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by hooky »

The joke among family and friends is that I'm the only guy on the trip that gains weight. I discovered that you can dehydrate just about anything.

This is the site that got me started...http://www.backpackingchef.com/index.html
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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by tree rattt »

I guess the long and short of it is that we all have become victims to what we are told by the media and such.To quote master Yoda "we must unlearn what we have learned."it looks like time to cook! LETS EAT!!
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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by DonNewcomb »

Personally, I've given up on eggs while backpacking. Too much trouble and the fresh ones weigh too much. Canoe camping would be a different matter. Farm eggs would be best. They are fresh and have hard shells. Most grocery store eggs will crack if you just look at them hard. I've read of dipping eggs in a paraffin coating to prolong their shelf life but I've never done it.
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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by tree rattt »

Thanks for the input! I finally decided on the mountain house, she gets 2 breakfast out of a pouch ....and she likes them.I couldn' t find time to play with anything else.

Fresh eggs, yup too heavy and fragile for the isle.... at least for me. :)

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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by tree rattt »

Does anyone have any experience repacking Mountain House meals? I know the advantage is to add water and not have much cleanup.It is a serving size issue.I was thinking about the freezer bag cooking thing.

Any tips appreciated....thanks!
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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by Midwest Ed »

Mountain House freeze dried food (or dehyrated foods) are also sold in #10 sealed cans (like a large coffee can), each holding approximately 10 "servings". They can be resealed with a plastic lid for a few weeks to a few months depending on the contents and storage conditions. What all this means is that, yes you can repackage the contents of the foil pouches but once done the shelf life is drastically reduced. In the original packaging the pouches are rated for 10 years and #10 cans for 25 years.

Then there is the convenience factor of the free standing boiling bag built into the pouches. You should not use a simple freezer bag to reconstitute the food with boiling water as most are not able to withstand the high temperatures. Either use a reusable container or buy some look-alike boiler bags. They are available.

Here is one source
http://www.packitgourmet.com/CookIn-Bags.html
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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by tree rattt »

Thanks Midwest Ed, good tips there.sounds loke 4 days wont be a problem.
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Re: Eggs in the backcountry

Post by hooky »

Not to be a contrarian, but I reconstitute dehydrated food in freezer bags all the time. I've never had an issue with boiling water and the ziploc brand freezer bags.
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