Substitute your own egg substitute
Published 9:00 pm Sunday, August 14, 2005
If a recipe calls for eggs or egg whites, but a cook chooses not to use real eggs, what then?
Vicky Paulson of Lake Stevens writes, “For your reader Kay Wolfe, who wanted to make mint dazzle, but couldn’t find a safe egg substitute, there is a dried egg-white product that is salmonella free and pasteurized.
“It is called Just Whites, and I found it at Fred Meyer in Everett. I’ve also seen it at other supermarkets. Look in the baking goods aisle. It is often used to make royal icing, especially at Christmas, for gingerbread houses.”
Next, Patti Johnson of Bothell advises, “I’ve heard it is safe to use Egg Beaters (in the dairy case) as a substitute in noncooked recipes. Also, this Web site has info on using eggs in recipes: whatscooking america.net/Eggs/FAQ.htm.
“Scroll down to ‘what should I do about some of my favorite egg recipes that call for raw or lightly cooked eggs?’”
We hear from Carol Hurley up there in Index, “Most people think of egg substitute as exactly what is found – egg whites with added ingredients to make it look like beaten whole eggs.
“If you go to a health food or nutrition store, you can find a powdered egg substitute that is totally egg free. However, this may not work for certain types of recipes due to the texture. Using this powder, you must add the correct amount of water to account for the liquid of the egg – but it will not give the same consistency.”
Lynnwood cook Theresa Cogley tells us, “I am a longtime fan of your column, and think I may be able to help with the egg substitute problem from Kay Wolfe. Our youngest daughter is highly allergic to eggs, and we discovered a product called Ener G egg replacer many years ago. You can buy it at the health food department at Fred Meyer, or check out the Web site at www.ener-g.com for more information. This is a Seattle-based company, and I can attest to the fact that it is a great product and really works well. It comes in a powdered form and doesn’t need refrigeration. I hope this is helpful.”
Richard K. Wong also took the time and trouble to track down and send along the Web site for Ener G.
Last but not least, Monroe helper-outer Donna Sines says, “You probably have received a zillion answers about egg substitutes but, anyway, the one I use is called Egg Replacer and is carried by health food stores. I get mine from the nutritional department at Fred Meyer.
“It is made up of potato starch, tapioca flour, leavening and cellulose gum, and contains no eggs or animal protein.
“Also, just plain cornstarch can be used instead of eggs in many recipes. I enjoy your column, especially vegetarian or vegan recipes.”
But what if a cook flat out doesn’t want to buy ready-to-use egg substitutes, or liquid or powdered all-whites, or even whole, pasteurized eggs? Is there a way to construct a homemade version?
Make that an emphatic yes! And the how-to is thanks to Steve Lowry, who tells us, “I read the request for an egg substitute, and I have it! It comes from way back, from a very ancient sourdough cookbook that came with the sourdough starter I bought in Alaska.
“The book’s now so old, the cover has been lost, but I have actually used this recipe, and it does work. I used to live in Alaska and bake my own bread, so I know this will work. No sugar in it, so it might be used by diabetics.”
Ancient Alaskan egg substitute
1/2teaspoon potato starch
1/2teaspoon cornstarch
1/2teaspoon tapioca flour
5teaspoons water
1teaspoon oil
In small bowl, combine potato starch, cornstarch, tapioca flour, water and oil; whisk well before adding to a recipe. The oil is optional, but if you omit it, you must add 1 teaspoon additional water.
Bits and pieces: Here’s another helping of good news for me and my fellow fuddy-duddy types who want our chow mein the “real” way – with crunchy noodles. Shara Hall of Mountlake Terrace says, “The Three Kings in Mountlake Terrace will serve chow mein with crunchy noodles, if you ask for them.”
The next Forum will appear in Wednesday’s Food section.
