Lutheran Church Basement Egg Coffee

Name: Lutheran Church Basement Egg Coffee
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: 6-8 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 egg; 1 cup cold water, divided; 1 cup regular grind coffee; 6 cups boiling water

Submitted by San Marcos Sunshine

"I'm a former Minnesota kid who grew up surrounded by "Lutheran Women Who Cook" (in the church basement) for showers, weddings and funerals. There's even a cookbook available with a similar title. This is the way I recall the ladies making coffee in huge enamel pots, and it's the clearest, most flavorful coffee you'll ever enjoy. I outgrew their 10,000 Jello and Miracle Whip recipes a long time ago, but I fondly remember the Lutheran Church Basement (aka Swedish) Egg Coffee."

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photo by Marcia D.

Ready In:: 12mins
Ingredients:: 4
Serves:: 6-8

ingredients

1 egg
1 cup cold water, divided
1 cup regular grind coffee
6 cups boiling water

directions

Use a graniteware (enamel) coffee pot.
Wash egg; break it into a small bowl, reserving shell, and beat slightly. Add 1/2 cup cold water, the 1 cup ground coffee and the reserved egg shell, crushed. Mix thoroughly. Turn into coffee pot; pour on boiling water, and stir. (I remember the ladies adding the coffee/egg mixture directly to the boiling water.) Optional: The spout of the pot can be stuffed with soft paper towel to prevent escape of the fragrant aroma. Place on front of range and boil 3 minutes. If not boiled, coffee is cloudy. If boiled too long, too much tannic acid is developed. Add remaining 1/2 cup cold water; which perfects clearing. Cold water, which is heavier than hot, sinks to the bottom and carries the grounds with it. After coffee has settled, serve at once.

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Reviews

Although I don't drink it, I loved the smell. My church camp (Evangelical Covenant) used to make all of their coffee this way; and we served groups of 100s+ at a time. I learned how to make it one summer while working there.

Kristine H.
Delicious coffee. I scaled it down to make just two cups and didn't use the shells, but loved it. My Aunt makes egg coffee pretty much this same way very often. Makes a very mild cup of coffee with no bitter taste. This is exactly the way our Lutheran Church makes coffee mostly because the water is so bad that this is the only way to make good coffee.

Connie Lea