Tip for traveling with fresh eggs

Wife and I couldn't stop thinking about it last night, so we had to try it today for breakfast. Absolutlely great! I'm sure will work great for the group. everyone gets to eat at the same time. and gets what they want.
good job Leon!

I've seen this one make it's rounds on the internet so I wanted to warn everyone that this Ziploc Omelet is not safe and Ziploc does not recommend anyone boiling food in their bags.

I did some research to see if my hunch was correct. I always knew about not using plastic in microwaves and figured the same would apply if heating plastic any other way where food had direct contact with it.



Ziploc says do not boil food in the bags:
http://camping.about.com/od/campingr...locbaggies.htm
Sorry to spoil such a fun thing... but I'd rather you all be safe than sorry.

Brigitte

Originally Posted by Texas_Camper

Here's a neat idea for eggs....
ZIPLOC OMELET

(This works great !!! The best part is that no one has to wait for their special omelet !!!)
Have guests write their name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker.
Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them.
Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc.
Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.
Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.
Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.
Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the process and a great conversation piece.
Imagine having these ready the night before, and putting the bag in boiling water while you get ready. And in 13 minutes, you got a nice omlette for a quick breakfast!!!

I used tomatoes, ham, green onions, cheddar cheese and mushrooms in this one! MMMMMMMM . . .MMMMMMM good!!!

[Bill]

Good morning, everyone -

Interesting topic. I'm no expert, but I try to get my info directly from the experts, rather than from "send this to everyone you know" Internet messages.

If you go to www.ziploc.com and rummage around, you find three things.

1. There is no mention anywhere of boiling food in ziploc bags - good or bad.

2. There are lots of questions about whether ziplocs contain hazardous substances like dioxins or BPA that could be released by heat. In each case, ziploc says "No", and specifically asks you not to believe the "send this to everyone you know" Internet messages.

3. In several places, it is said that microwaving food in a ziploc bag is perfectly fine, and is recommended.

Why is this last point significant? As you know, the temperature of anything immersed in boiling cannot get any hotter than the water itself, and the temperature of boiling water is 212 degrees - never hotter.

On the other hand, the temperature inside a microwave oven can get LOTS hotter than 212 degree. How do I know? Popcorn won't pop at 212 degrees, for instance, and a turkey won't roast at 212 degrees - but microwaves do both things quite nicely.

Of course you don't do popcorn or turkeys in ziploc bags - but the point is that a microwave oven can heat up anything you put inside it to temps much higher than 212 degrees.

And although most people don't use it, most larger microwaves come with a plug-in temperature probe that let you set temps up to 450 degrees, just like a regular oven.

So anyway, I'm having trouble with the idea that a ziploc can be hazardous at 212 degrees, but is OK at 450 degrees or more.

Just my 2cents.

Bill

Good morning, Bill. If you look at their Canadian website, you'll find their response about boiling in bags, which they do not recommend. Oddly, they don't mention anything about "boiling" on the US site. Could it be that the bags are manufactured differently in the US than in Canada? Or, perhaps the molecules break down differently when the bags are boiled rather than microwaved? I guess the best way to find out would be to write the Ziploc US company.

Can I boil in Ziploc® Brand bags?
No. Ziploc® Brand bags are not designed to withstand the extreme heat of boiling.

It also says, not to be used in microwave ovens:

Can Ziploc® Brand bags be used in the microwave?
Ziploc® Brand Sandwich Bags and Snack Bags are not designed to be used in the microwave. Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags may be used for microwave reheating; Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bags may be used for microwave heating and defrosting. (Don't use Ziploc® Brand Freezer or Storage Bags to microwave food on high.) When defrosting or reheating, always open the zipper 2.5 cm to vent. Be careful when reheating foods that are high in fat or sugar content (bacon, pastries), because these foods reheat very quickly and may exceed the softening point of the bags.

http://www.ziploc.ca/ziploc_questions.asp

P.S. The info about not boiling in bags which I posted originally did not come from a "Send this to everyone you know" email message. I am very aware of the potential for misinformation in these emails. I actually searched for the information when I became personally concerned after seeing this Ziploc Omelet recipe being posted on several other Forums. The information came from www.about.com, which I thought was pretty reliable. There are other places on the web that have this information too - namely, Ziploc Canada FAQ's.

[tucsoncarol]

OK, it is not recommended to boil the Ziploc bags. Am I missing a key element here? After reading the recommendations all I see is that the bags may melt (then make your omelet another way) or release plastic compounds into your food that MAY be carcinogenic. I drink diet soft drinks, eat my eggs over easy, breathe the air in the city where I live. All these things and more are very likely not good for me. I cannot readily bring to mind a thing that is not listed somewhere as possibly bad for me. I'm not trying to make light of this issue. I know some people won't even eat with plastic flatware in fear of plastic leaching into their systems. I just think we all need to pick our fights and this isn't one I'm going to worry about. I have melted my share of plastic in the microwave and will again I'm sure. I also sometimes boil in Ziploc freezer bags.

You're right Carol, there are a lot of things in the world that can make us sick. Everyone should come to their own conclusion. I just thought it was important enough to mention the potential safety risk. Personally, there is enough out there that we can not avoid that can cause us cancer, why would I want to invite more problems into my life or my body? Some don't care, and drink and smoke, but some do care. So, take it for whatever you think it's worth to you and your family.

I don't always trust the so called "experts", especially when they are associated with big corporations with high paid attorneys to settle their cases. Look at the case with the microwavable popcorn bags? Weren't they the biggest thing ever when they came out? And now, I see on the news (no not via an "send this to all your friends email") that the bags are not safe to microwave in - that the chemicals in the bags leach out onto the popcorn. Just because it's out there, and deemed safe, don't assume it is. Consumer beware! The rest is up to you.

Anyways, enough said - sure don't want this to turn into a pointless debate.

Originally Posted by Texas_Camper

No man has ever been shot while doing dishes, but I aint so sure about while he's boiling sumthin' in a plastic bag.