6 Creative Ways To Use Eggshells In The Kitchen

Eggshells get a bad rap. As a sometimes-tricky barrier to the delicious egg inside, they can be a point of frustration. Eggshell bits in the cake batter are dug out by exasperated fingers. Sticky shells crowd the garbage bin. Bits of egg white don't quite make it to the pan and drip on the stove. 

But eggshells deserve a lot more credit. Not only do they play the incredibly important role of protecting an egg's delicious insides, but they can be useful in their own right. With a little ingenuity, you can transform those empty shells into something worth saving. While eggshells may not be particularly tasty, that doesn't mean they don't have plenty of potential uses in the kitchen. They can clean, sharpen, or even give you (or your plants) a vitamin boost. They can go anywhere from your coffee pot to your blender. Brown or white, speckled or not, your eggshells can do a lot more for you than just sit at the bottom of your trash. 

When you have a dirty Dutch oven or sauté pan with hopelessly baked-on residue, the old "letting it soak" routine isn't going to cut it. While many products on the market can get the job done — in addition to good old-fashioned elbow grease — most people are throwing out a powerful scrubbing ingredient every morning with their breakfast. When pulverized, eggshells are abrasive enough to break down stubborn grime and stains, while being gentle enough to use on most cookware. 

To incorporate this secret weapon into your cleaning arsenal, first carry out a simple eggshell prep routine: Sterilize the shells by boiling them in hot water, dry them out in the oven at a low temperature, then place them in a food processor or spice grinder. Then, combine it with a spoonful of powdered detergent and baking soda. The mixture forms a remarkably effective scrubbing agent that you can make at home again and again. 

Just keep in mind that the abrasive quality of powdered eggshell that makes it so effective may damage some surfaces, like many traditional stain-removing cleaners. Basically, avoid using it on things like glass cookware.

Calcium is a crucial nutrient; it's what makes our bones strong and helps keep our hearts healthy. And while everyone needs calcium in their diets, it can be difficult to eat enough calcium-rich fruits and foods. But pulverized eggshells are an incredible, bioavailable, natural source of calcium.

It's a cinch to make your DIY calcium powder. Boil them to sterilize, then bake, and grind up your shells into a fine powder to add to your meal. One gram of eggshell powder has around 380 milligrams of calcium, plus it's free and provides other really good-for-you stuff like zinc and magnesium. Your new calcium powder can be stored in an airtight container, so once it's been made, it'll take just a few seconds to boost your daily calcium intake. You can add them to juice, smoothies, bread, pasta, or even just water. Now, eating eggshells doesn't have to mean you accidentally left a piece in your scrambled eggs.

It's no secret that coffee is inherently acidic. While coffee can generally be good for your health, dentists and gastroenterologists alike bemoan the effects coffee can have on our bodies because of its acidity. In fact, coffee has two types of acid in it. Some acidity is good; it balances out some of the other flavors present in coffee and provides a pleasant fruitiness. But if your gut or teeth are suffering, eggshells are an incredibly easy and effective solution. That's because they are made up almost entirely of calcium carbonate, which is a strong alkaline. That means it can balance out the high acidity of coffee.

You don't need to turn your eggshells into powder to banish acidity from your brew. Simply clean them, crush them a bit, and mix them in with your coffee grounds. Brew as usual, and voila: Your coffee will be noticeably less acidic with zero effect on the flavor. This works with almost any coffee brewing method; even if you make your coffee by adding the grounds directly to the hot water, the egg shell will sink with the grounds and stay out of your way.

What else can you do with eggshells? Make eggs. Well, egg-shaped things. Once those pesky innards of the eggshell are ousted, it makes a cheap and perfectly accurate mold for egg-shaped culinary creations. 

Admittedly, this hack is a little more involved than the others. It requires you to plan ahead, as you can't just use any cracked eggshell you were about to toss in the trash. And there's a bit of finesse; you need to make a relatively small hole at the base of the eggshell. But once you've gotten the egg out (and hopefully used it for something else!), it's back to the familiar sanitize/bake to dry routine. 

Now you can add a dab of oil to the inside of each egg to prevent sticking and get to work. Make a chocolate egg by adding a thin layer of melted chocolate for a hollow chocolate egg, or really go for it and fill the whole thing up. You could make gelatin inside the shell or create egg-shaped ice. You do you.

If you are an avid composter, there's a good chance you are already tossing your empty eggshells in the bin, since it's organic waste. But eggshells are more than just acceptable additions to your compost — they are exceptional ones. Compost is meant to enrich soil and support growing plants, and eggshells are a big help in both categories. 

For one thing, the content of eggshells isn't just good for people, it's good for plants, too. They improve plant growth by providing nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Their alkalinity also balances the pH of overly acidic soil; it can play the same role as traditional soil additives like lime or chalk. They can even absorb pesticides in soil, as their porous nature allows them to effectively remove insecticides. 

The best part is this gardening superfood doesn't involve you buying anything new, or really any effort at all; just make sure that your eggshells land in the compost bin instead of the trash.

Most people don't think too much about the blades in their blender, except for when they get a nasty cut while trying to clean them. But like any other kind of blade, they need proper maintenance in order to stay sharp. And staying sharp is kind of the most important part of their job. After all, if a blender can't properly chop and puree, it can't really blend. But there's no need to take a whetstone to the blades to give your blender a second life. 

The mildly abrasive quality of eggshells can sharpen them up. After saving up a few days' worth of eggshells in the freezer, toss them into your blender. Add enough water to cover the shells and flip on your blender to the highest setting. Wait until the eggshells are completely ground up, and you're done! But don't toss the resulting egg slurry down the drain, as it can cause clogs. Throw it in the trash (or compost). Wash your newly refreshed blender and enjoy.