What to Substitute for Eggs

After our country's most recent industrial farming scare, I was reminded that, especially when baking, eggs are not always necessary. I get eye rolls when people find out how much I pay for ethically produced eggs. It's really not that much more, but it does add up. As a result, I generally save them for eating and rarely use them for baking. The reality is, baking can easily be done without eggs. Baking your favorite goodies with an egg alternative will eliminate using higher priced eggs. Choosing local ingredients for the egg alternative, will also keep things sustainable, which will, as I always stress, only save you money over the long run.

You can make most of these options sustainable by purchasing the ingredients in bulk and buying locally whenever possible.

When eggs are listed as part of a recipe, they are there for one of three reasons: to add moistness, to bind the ingredients together or as a leavener. To determine what the eggs are used for in your recipe, see where they fall in the list of ingredients.

• Eggs are used to add moistness to a recipe if they are listed as the principal liquid.
• Eggs are used as a binder if one is listed along with a good amount of baking soda or powder and no other binding ingredients are included such as bread crumbs or nuts.
• Finally, eggs are the leavening ingredient if no other leaveners, such as baking powder, baking soda, yeast or sourdough are part of the recipe.

There are a few options when it comes to vegan egg replacers. If you check your local health food store or Whole Foods, you will find a few of these powdered options to choose from. Personally, I use Ener-G Egg Replacer, but OrgraN No Egg Natural Egg Replacer and Bob's Red Mill All Natural Egg Replacer are two other quality options. The price may seem a bit high, but I usually have a box last me about a year before I have to replace it. Of course, I bake about twice a month, if you bake more often you will obviously go through the egg replacer quicker.

Simply follow the instructions on the box. By mixing 1 1/2 teaspoons of egg replacer with with 2 Tablespoons of warm water the need for a traditional egg is eliminated. Just be sure to whisk the water and powder together very well before adding to the rest of the ingredients. Vegan egg replacers are great for moistening, binding and leavening any recipe.

I am always in favor of finding ways to add flax to my recipes. Flax is a good source of omega three and six fatty acids, which are great for your heart and reversing or preventing arthritis. Flax is even touted as a means to reverse cancer and diabetes.

Be sure the flax will compliment your recipe. Flax has a nutty flavor and can be quite strong, so don't experiment with the brownies you plan to sell at your next bake sale without trying it first.

Flax seeds can be purchased at your local health food store and are now also available at most grocery stores. You will be making a meal out of the seeds, so if you want to save time, you can also purchase flax meal by the bag as well. To keep this option more sustainable, I also purchase flax in bulk at my local food co-op.

• For each egg, place one tablespoon of flax seed into a blender.
• Blend the seeds until they become a fine meal.
• Place the meal in a small bowl and add three tablespoons of warm water for each tablespoon of flax.
• Let the mixture stand until it thickens to the consistency of an egg.
• Add to your recipe to moisten or bind.

As with flax, when adding fruit as a moistener or binder, be sure the taste will compliment your recipe. By substituting 1/4 cup of apple sauce or one mashed banana, the need for an egg is eliminated.

1/4 cup of applesauce will equal one egg. One mashed banana will equal two eggs.

Once you get the hang of it you can experiment with other textured fruits to see how they work as binders and moisteners in your favorite recipes.

Baking with tofu is a very healthy option. The variety of baked goods I have seen made with tofu is amazing. What's even better, it is impossible to tell that tofu has been substituted. I have had vegan cheesecakes, pumpkin and sweet potato pies, cookies, the list is endless. I highly recommend checking a vegan cookbook out of the library, or simply doing an Internet search to find recipes and start experimenting.

Of course, the easiest way to get started is to simply substitute silken tofu for eggs as a binder or moistener in any recipe.

For one egg, blend 2 oz. of silken tofu (or soft tofu) and add to your recipe.

The only drawback to using tofu for eggs is if you are only using tofu as an egg substitute. Once the package is opened, it needs to be consumed within a couple of days. If you don't use tofu for any other dishes, this option could be wasteful.

Tofu can be purchased almost everywhere now. To keep it sustainable, see if there is a local option available at a food co-op or health food store.