Flax Eggs

Did you know that you can make eggs from flax seed?

No, it’s not a magic trick….

but it is a lifesaver in the kitchen…

Today I want to share with you a wonderful homestead kitchen secret!  An easy-peasy egg substitue that I have been using for years, it has saved my bacon over and over again, when either I have not realized that we have run out of eggs (for example a rouge teenager has decided to scramble himself up a dozen or so), or the hens are off the nest.

April and November are our off-seasons on eggs around here.  This is the time of the year that the hens decide that they need a break from laying our beautiful eggs and go on vacation.  No, not really, but can’t you just see them all, little suitcases tucked under wings and heading down the driveway…all kidding aside, the hens do stop laying or significantly cut back during these times of year.  This is the time when they need to regroup for the next season, they molt, which means they release old feathers and grow new ones in for the upcoming weather changes.  This is the time when the homesteader mama of hungry teenage boys runs out of eggs.

So whats a mama to do you may ask?????

Many of you understand the importance of the egg on the homestead and it’s underpinnings as a staple in a homestead diet.  It is a beautiful, simple protein that is all at once nourishing and deeply satisfying– especially if you have grown and gathered them yourself.  The absence of eggs is deeply felt.  I am so deeply committed to having beautiful holistic healthy eggs, in my homestead kitchen that I can no longer justify the compromise of buying commercially raised eggs.  There is no comparison, in both nutrition and flavor–I would rather go without.

YIKES!

Going without is a better option, especially when you have a delightful alternative of creating a flax egg! It’s super simple, and yields a wonderful result.  It is hubby and teenage boy approved around here, and these homegrown boys’ palettes are not to be underestimated.  They discern beautiful nourishing food, like a hound dawg bayin’ on a coon’s scent.  One whiff, and they will go to great lengths to get to it, you can’t call ’em off the trail!  That nose goes both ways, they also easily discern low-quality, nutritionally devastated food, so store bought, commercially raised eggs are off the table, literally.

Flax eggs are for baking, not for scrambling, just to be clear.  They do however allow you to create all your favorite baked goods with a consistent and pleasing result even when the hens are not laying.  In short, flax eggs are awesome.  Here’s how to make them up & use them in your favorite recipe.

Flax Eggs

To create one flax egg you will need:

• 1 T.  ground flax seed
• 3 T. tepid water

Mix ground flax seed and water together in a small dish.  Allow to stand 2-3 min. to firm up.  Use in your recipe where it calls for one egg.

If you need more than one egg for your recipe, you may mix together appropriate amounts of flax seed and water as it pertains to your recipe, (3T. water to 1T. ground flax seed per egg),  just grab a bigger bowl out of the cupboard for combining together.

I also would like to mention that I am a bit of a flax seed snob, I prefer golden flax seed over the brown flax seed.  I feel that it yields a much better texture and flavor than brown flax seed.

I have made everything from pancakes to cookies, muffins to cakes, pastry dough and the like using this simple flax egg recipe, and they turn out fantastic!  Even better yet, is that no one even notices that there are no actual eggs included in the recipe, the moisture content and consistency is divine.

So there you have it, a homestead mama’s secret to creating beautiful baked goods, even when the egg supply is low, without having to compromise taste, and nutrition.