Product review: Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer
WHAT: Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer
ALLERGY SAFE FOR: Egg. Contains soy, corn syrup and wheat gluten. Also carries a “manufactured in a facility” warning for tree nuts, milk and eggs. Now isn’t that a kick in the pants?
THE APPEAL: It has less of a chemical smell than Ener-G Egg Replacer, which uses a combination of baking-power like-ingredients to mimic egg’s leavening and binding properties. Plus, it’s available at some local grocery stores, while Ener-G Egg Replacer is becoming hard to find except online.
THE DOWN SIDE: Bob’s costs $8.60 a pound, which will substitute for 64 eggs. A pound of Ener-G Egg Replacer, which equals 100 eggs, costs $6.29.
PERFORMANCE: I’ve tried it so far in scones, whole wheat pancakes and banana pound cake. Results seem similar to what I saw with Ener-G Egg Replacer, though the Bob’s pancakes were far superior. They were fluffier and without the slight chemical taste I occasionally notice in Ener-G Egg Replacer.
I have not, however, tried Bob’s in a delicate cake or cookies. I also haven’t tried to substitute it for more than two eggs — that seemed to be the limit for successful baking with Ener-G Egg Replacer. I plan to take it out on further test drives, though, and I’ll post results.
And, of course, the egg-free cake didn’t rise as much as its eggy counterpart. But I have that same issue with Ener-G Egg Replacer.
PRODUCT INSTRUCTIONS: There really aren’t any on the packaging, beyond mix 1 tablespoon of replacer with 3 tablespoons of water. I used warm water, which immediately caused the replacer to clump together on the side of the bowl as if it were hydrophobic. And, literally, it might well be.
I then beat the replacer and water until most of the lumps disappeared, proceeding according to regular recipe directions after that. I think beating is an essential step, because even with egg-based baking, many recipes need the air the beating adds to rise properly.
REMINDER: The average egg equals four tablespoons of liquid (a quarter cup) and the Bob’s instructions still leave your recipe a tablespoon shy. So add a tablespoon of another liquid (or more water) to compensate. I usually boost whatever fat is in the recipe — butter, sour cream or milk, for example — to try to give the leavening an extra bump.
VERDICT: It’s a bit pricier than Ener-G Egg Replacer, but I’ll probably switch to Bob’s as my mainstay because it’s readily available in Central California in the natural foods section at Raley’s and at some larger SaveMart stores.
Copyright 2008 Debra Legg. All rights reserved.
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You might try pectin containing citrus fiber as an egg replacer. 2.2 gms of this wondorous material will replace one egg. The cost is 1.3 cents for 2.2 gms. It will bind and leven as well as eggs. It is derived from citrus and has vitrually no cholesterol. It is 83% fiber (30% soluble and 70% insoluble. It works great in cakes breads, muffins, etc. I’ve not tried it in pancakes, but I think it would work, Because it is hydroscopic, you must add additional liquid to the formulation to maintain the proper viscosity. The product should be “hydrated” before being added to the other dry ingredients, because it is so hydroscopic it can “steal” moisture from the other dry ingredients as they are hydrated.
Thanks so much for the tip! Sounds like something I definitely need to check into, once I figure out where to buy it. I’ve googled around a bit and see a few places online, but do you have any suggestions?
Not worried about it working in pancakes at all. I have a griddle cake recipe I used to use before I found egg replacers. I just haven’t gotten around to posting it yet.
The citrus fiber pectin product is manufactured through a patent pending process by our company. We have focused on the baking industry and have just begun evaluation of the “egg replacement” specifications. We have successfully prepared an egg free cake using our product and have been very pleased with the results. We currently do not have our product packaged for retail but would be happy to send you a sample for your evaluation.
I’d love to give it a try, not only out of personal interest but because I’d be happy to participate in any effort that makes life easier for food allergy sufferers. Plus, I check out your Web site and I like your company’s mission.
If there are any particular criteria you’d like me to report back on, please let me know. I’d also be happy to try it in a number of different types of foods.
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