Most of us see our eggshells as garbage. We simply crack open a few eggs, let the containments fall onto a pan, toss the eggshells into the garbage and go about our day. Little did you know, you can do so many things with those eggshells, as long as they are fresh and organic. If you plan to consume the shells or feed them to your animals, we would not recommend doing so with store-bought eggs, though ones fresh from the farm are fine, as long as the chickens they are coming from are healthy, of course. And believe it or not, there are dozens of ways you can put your old eggshells to good use. Here are our favorite ways to use eggshells!
Animals Eat Too
Do you have a farm or own chickens? Maybe you’re supplementing their calcium intake with some over-the-counter feed or supplements. It’s an even better idea to feed them crushed eggshells. Simply crush them fine enough for consumption and watch them grow strong. Here’s an article on exactly how you can start feeding eggshells to your chickens.
Eggshells are a major pest to small, soft-bodied creatures such as snails or slugs. It’s a burden for them to try and crawl over any eggshell pieces. They’re too sharp, edgy and pointy, so it’s not worth it for those critters. Even deer can’t stand the smell!
Amp Up Your Compost
Generously toss some eggshells into your compost pile to add some calcium into your homegrown soil. It’s an organic and easy way to amp up your compost pile and increase its fertilization.
Calcium Citrate
Make calcium citrate at home! Thoroughly rinse out one high-quality eggshell and place in a bowl. Crush the shell. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice. If using more eggshells, add one tablespoon of lemon juice per eggshell. The eggshell will be dissolved by the lemon juice, creating calcium citrate.
Got Seeds?
In case you didn’t know by now, eggshells are biodegradable. This makes them ideal for soil and seedlings. If you’ve got some small seedlings lying around, consider popping them into a few eggshells. Once your seedlings increase in size, they can easily be transported to a proper soil pile and garden. Be sure to poke a hole at the bottom of the eggshells for proper drainage.
Calcium-ize Your Soil
Even if you don’t have a compost pile or tumbler, you can still add some eggshells directly into your soil. All of the surrounding plants will receive a calcium boost. This is especially ideal for tomatoes to prevent rot caused by low calcium levels.
Water Soluble Calcium
Ideal organic gardens are created by balancing proper calcium levels. This can be made possible by making your own water soluble calcium with eggshells. Making this solution requires items you can find at home and is fairly easy to accomplish. Once you’ve made your batch, you can transport the contents into a spray bottle and spray away.
Eggshell Coffee
You can boil crushed eggshells into your coffee grounds. It may sound odd, but people have been doing it for a very long time. Before you brew your coffee, try adding eggshells into your coffee grounds pile and see what the outcome is. It typically helps reduce bitterness and sour tastes. If you’re not sure whether or not that sounds good, give it a try in your next cup.
Calcium Boost
If your body is lacking calcium, and you can’t stand the taste of eggs, consider consuming eggshells instead. You won’t actually be consuming the eggshells, but it’s nutrients instead. Allow your eggshells to sit in some water, then pop it into the fridge. After a week or so, the water should be rich with calcium. Add some lemon to the water once the eggshells have been drained to add some good flavor.
Vinegar, but better
Make calcium-infused vinegar that can be used as a salad dressing, on cooked greens, or anywhere else you typically use vinegar! Start with one bottle of quality apple cider vinegar, and add one high quality, cleaned eggshell, plus calcium-rich herbs (such as nettles). Allow the mixture to infuse for at least six weeks, then strain the vinegar for use and enjoy!
Stay Sharp
Store eggshells in the freezer, and whenever knives begin to dull, simply run the blades through the frozen shells and water a few times until sharp. The leftover shell and water mixture can be added to your compost pile. This method also works very well for maintenance of indoor garbage disposals, and will help to prevent foul odors, as well.
Sparkling Clean
Get your dishes sparkling clean – and make sure all food residue is scrubbed from any pots and pans – by using eggshells when scrubbing! The shells will break apart during the process, but that is okay, as they are biodegradable, and the tiny pieces will help to loosen the bits of stuck-on food particles.
Chirp, Chirp
So many of us take time out of our day to scrape up some food scraps around the house and feed the birds in our neighborhoods. Consider adding some crushed up eggshells to your bird food mix. If you have a bird feeder, pop some crushed eggshells into a dish adjacent to it to add diversity to your bird food. This is ideal for pregnant female birds that can benefit from a calcium boost.
Puppy “Prescription”
Crush the eggshells superfine using a coffee grinder and keep stored in the freezer. If your dog gets a bout of diarrhea, sprinkling a couple teaspoons of the eggshell powder on their food may help relieve symptoms.
Skin Healer
The membrane inside the shell of the egg can be used as a temporary bandage on small scrapes, or on torn hangnails, or ingrown toenails. This article explains how the membrane has a drying mechanism which helps to heal the skin quickly. It can also be used on boils, blackheads and pimples, splinters, or any area of the skin where healing needs to be promoted.