Everything is better with fresh eggs, we all know that.
But what about coffee? Yup, even coffee.
If you have never tried Swedish Egg Coffee (also called Norwegian Egg Coffee, Lutheran Church Egg Coffee, or Cowboy or Campfire Coffee), you don't know what you're missing!
Being Scandinavian myself, I had been meaning to try Swedish Egg Coffee for some time. My grandmother used to make this - she was a HUGE coffee drinker - and I definitely inherited those genes from her.
I was too young to drink any of the coffee she used to brew on the stove top in an old metal coffeepot sort of like this, but I was dying to try it now that I'm a grown-up.
The History of Swedish Egg Coffee
Supposedly popular in Sweden and Norway before the turn of the last century, Swedish Egg Coffee migrated to this country with the Scandinavian immigrants and is now a staple at Lutheran Church socials and functions in the American Midwest.
It literally involves crushing a whole egg, shell and all, into coffee grounds and then brewing your coffee.
The Benefits of Swedish Egg Coffee
According to what I've read, the egg white clarifies the coffee grounds, pulling out the impurities, and reducing the bitterness, and then binds the brewed coffee grounds to each other (no filter is used), while the eggshell, which is made of alkaline calcium carbonate, reduces the acidity of the coffee grounds, resulting in a cup of extremely smooth, mellow coffee.
In addition, the lack of filter allows the coffee essential oils to remain in the pot of brewed coffee which makes for a very rich coffee with maximum caffeine.
Adding ice cubes or cold water at the end of the brewing process causes the grounds to sink to the bottom, so you can ladle the brewed coffee into your mugs.
The entire process intrigued me and I finally decided that this morning was the morning to give Egg Coffee at try. So I read a few recipes online, realized they are all pretty much the same, and got started.
If I tell you this coffee was nothing short of amazing, I would not be exaggerating. It's so easy too. I am sold on this method, and I'm thinking our Mr. Coffee might just end up in the pile to be donated to charity.
So, are you brave enough to try making some Swedish Egg Coffee? It's also a great trick to keep in mind for camping when you don't have your fancy coffee machine with you. It's like a DIY French press!
Swedish Egg Coffee
Bring the water to a rolling boil in a stove top coffee pot or saucepan. Meanwhile, with a fork stir the egg into the coffee grounds, crushing the shell in as well.
The mixture should look like moist potting soil. Add the egg mixture to the water and boil for a minute or two and then cover and remove from the heat.
Let stand five minutes, then pour in the ice water (or add the ice cubes) and let stand for another minute or so to allow the grounds to sink to the bottom.
Strain through a strainer or just ladle the coffee off the top into coffee cups. Add cream, milk, sugar or whatever you normally add to your morning coffee.
**Don't forget the eggy grounds make a wonderful addition to your compost pile or garden.
