Always wondered what to do with all of the eggshells you have left over from creating delicious meals? Here are 6 uses for eggshells.
Eggshells are a surprisingly useful material, which can be used for your garden, pet health, and even as a nutritional supplement. So next time you make a delicious frittata or bake something with eggs, don’t throw away the eggshells! Keep them to employ one of these genius hacks.
What are eggshells made of?
An eggshell is the hard outer covering that protects an egg. Chicken eggshells generally vary in colour from pale white to brown. Eggshells are primarily composed of calcium carbonate, along with other minerals such as strontium, fluoride, selenium and magnesium. Calcium carbonate makes up 95% of an eggshell’s composition and one eggshell contains more than your daily needed calcium intake.
What is Calcium?
The main component of eggshells, calcium, is a mineral that is critical for life and healthy development.
All living organisms, including humans, need calcium to survive. Calcium is responsible for building and maintaining strong bones, and 99% of your bodies’ calcium is found in your teeth and bones. Calcium is an important nutrient that human bodies need for many basic functions.
- Dietary supplement
Ever considered eating eggshells? For some people, eggshells represent an important source of dietary calcium and can alleviate calcium deficiencies. Proponents of this practice advise boiling your eggshells (once the eggs inside have been used), baking them at 100˚ Celsius for around 15 minutes before crushing them very finely. You can add the eggshell powder to soups, smoothies, juice etc. Consult your doctor to ensure that you do so in a healthy manner.
- Gardening
Eggshells are a very useful resource for your garden! Ground-up eggshells serve to add calcium to your soil, repel pests, reduce soil acidity and serve as a fertiliser. Eggshells are particularly beneficial for growing plants such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. You can also add clean eggshells to your compost. Eggshells are very useful for the garden and offer a myriad of great benefits.
- Reduce the bitterness of your coffee
This may sound odd, but a tiny bit of ground-up eggshells can reduce the bitterness of coffee. Follow the same steps as outlined in the dietary supplement guide to prepare the shells. You can add a small pinch of the eggshell mixture to your coffee, which will neutralize the acidity of the coffee due to the eggshells’ alkaline calcium carbonate.
- Planters
Eggshells can be used as planters for your seedlings. Simply preserve your eggshell halves and use them as tiny planters for seeds.
- Make chalk
Did you know you can make chalk with eggshells? All you will need is eggshells, food colouring, flour and hot water. Kids love this fun DIY and the chance to draw with their homemade chalk! For the full method, check it out here.
- Add calcium to your dog’s diet
Even our pets could do with a nutritional supplement now and then. Ground eggshells are a great way to add extra calcium and protein to your dog’s diet. To do so, simply bake your washed and crushed eggshells 100˚ Celsius for around 15 minutes and then crush them using a pestle and mortar or blender. Make sure the mixture is fine and that no large pieces remain. You can a small spoonful of the crushed powder to your dog’s food. Consult with your veterinarian to determine how often your dog needs additional calcium.
Eggs are a great resource for more than just the kitchen and can be used for a variety of functions and benefits.
For great egg-inspired recipes to ensure you have eggshells, head over to our recipes page!