Take a crack at using eggshells

[Gabe]

Keep or toss? You make this decision many times each week with a wide variety of items. Clearly, you can’t and shouldn’t save everything simply because it can be reused sometime later. A handful of bread bag twist-ties neatly contained with an intended purpose? Good. Dozens of plastic milk jugs shoved in the garage and saved without any specific purpose? A fine hoarding mess.

It can be helpful to both your wallet and the environment to reduce waste. For example, during the holiday season, you probably bake and cook more with eggs. How often have you simply thrown away the eggshells? While some people add the shells to their compost, others will discard them without a second thought. Save some and put them to good use around your home.
Here are a few eggs-cellent ways to use them:

Clarify stock:

You save leftover meat, poultry and vegetables to make soup; why not save eggshells for your stock, too? Visit www.soupsong.com/bstock.html for instructions.

In the garden:

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Crushed eggshells are great to add to compost, but they also deter snails and slugs when scattered onto the soil. One reader, Carol from Pennsylvania, shares: “My neighbor used to soak the eggshells in a jar of water for three weeks and then use it to water her plants. She had all kinds of beautiful, huge plants everywhere in her house.” You can plant seeds in eggshells, too. You’ll have to carefully crack the eggs near the top to reuse the shells. Use a spoon to fill the eggshell with soil, then add seeds. Keep the shells upright in an egg carton, and when you’re ready to plant your seedlings, you can plant them eggshell and all. Use eggshells to grow small houseplants, such as tiny succulents or mini African violets, too.

Eggshell chalk:

The only ingredients you need are ground eggshells (you can crush them with a rock or spoon, or by using a mortar and pestle), flour, hot water and a paper towel. Add tempera paint or food coloring if you want colored chalk. For instructions, visit www.k12.wa.us/reading/pubdocs/Functional3rdEggshellChalk3-2010.pdf.

Eggshell candles:

You can make candles with hollowed-out eggshells. Place a birthday candle upright inside the eggshell, then fill with wax beads or sand until the candle doesn’t lean. Place the eggshell candle in an egg cup to keep it upright. Visit lightlyenchanted.blogspot.com/2011/03/egg-shell-candles.html for complete instructions.

For animals:

Eggshells are a wonderful calcium supplement for animals. Dry eggshells in the oven at 250 F for 30 minutes. Crush the shells and add to pet food. Another reader, Donna from California, shares: “One cheap way of adding calcium to backyard chickens’ diet is to save their eggshells and then boil them, crush them and add them back into the birds’ diet.” You can add it to their feed or offer it separately.

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[nodmicks]

I throw mine out for the chickens daily

[Libby]

I throw mine out for the chickens daily

That just sounds wrong to me but I'm sure they'd eat it.

We have been saving our eggshells for grinding up ourselves and will mix into our soil come spring/summer in the garden. We've been saving since September and we barely have a small bucket of crushed shells. We do go through a lot of eggs but once the shell is crumbled, we're left stunned at the sheer amount we're going to have to eat to get our desired amount

[nodmicks]

That just sounds wrong to me but I'm sure they'd eat it.

We have been saving our eggshells for grinding up ourselves and will mix into our soil come spring/summer in the garden. We've been saving since September and we barely have a small bucket of crushed shells. We do go through a lot of eggs but once the shell is crumbled, we're left stunned at the sheer amount we're going to have to eat to get our desired amount

LOL it does doesn't it? It gives them extra calcium. I've never tried them in soil but I'm sure it works great

[frugalfranny]

I save all my egg shells all year long.

Just toss them in a groc. bag that hangs in my garage. The garage stays cool enough that they have never had a smell as I don't even wash them.

Use them all in my garden come spring. Crush them up, toss them on the soil, stir some of them in and if my quail get the rest of them........so be it.

I don't add this item to my compost as I need all the extra calcium I can get for my tomatoes. Saves me from buying calcium (oyster shells) at the feed store too.

[josantoro]

we save ours for garden plants (tomatos). When we had chickens, we would give them the shells HOWEVER if you just throw them out for the chickens, the chickens will get the taste for eating eggs. Very frustrating having to deal with egg-eating chickens.
Dry them, grind them up and add to their mash.

[pinetree]

I saved some up two years ago, crushed them up and scattered them around the green pepper plants..

The next day all the plants were dug up and laying on top of the ground. I will Not try the egg shells again.. No one told me that skunks Love them! (Remember the skunk we had living under the shed?) She dug everything up that egg shells were around. I'll buy the calcium pills!! lol

[nodmicks]

we save ours for garden plants (tomatos). When we had chickens, we would give them the shells HOWEVER if you just throw them out for the chickens, the chickens will get the taste for eating eggs. Very frustrating having to deal with egg-eating chickens.
Dry them, grind them up and add to their mash.

Never had that problem. However I have a dog with the taste for eggs big time! She swipes them right out of the nests.

[Dave'sGirl]

I'm saving mine and mixing them with my banana peels. My tomatoes have been very sad the last couple years and I've been told calcium and potassium would help, so I saved a bag of leaves and I put the egg shells and banana peels just in that pile. Who knows, it might work...