The egg is rich in many minerals, including protein. According to nutritionists, the egg is versatile and nutritious no matter how you decide to prepare it. Meanwhile, not many people have taken notice of the possible use of the egg shells. The eggshell is a waste to most people, but surprisingly, it offers several uses.
The eggshell is rich in calcium carbonate and other minerals that can boost the soil quality of your garden. In other words, instead of throwing the eggshell into your garbage, dispose of it in your garden or farm. Let’s check out the amazing uses of eggshells and other components, such as liquid egg yolk.
Eggshells can reduce the bitter taste of your coffee
Coffee lovers will find it strange to hear that eggshells can reduce the bitter taste of coffee. Interestingly, studies have shown that boiling eggshells in a bitter-tasting coffee can improve the taste. The eggshells can act as alkaline, neutralizing acids. Add the crushed eggshells to ground coffee before brewing, and this will remove the bitterness. You don’t need many eggshells to achieve this. Shells from one egg are enough to make four cups of bitter coffee taste better.
Add eggshells to food for more calcium
It sounds strange to add eggshells to your food because it contains calcium. According to the University of Florida, one eggshell contains 2.2 grams of calcium. On average, an adult needs just one gram of calcium every day. Therefore, you can add eggshells to your food to improve your calcium consumption. Meanwhile, the eggshells you should add to your food should be organic or free-range chickens. These eggshells will not contain pathogens like those from factory farms. Before you crush the shells to fine powder, clean and boil them for at least 10 minutes.
Use eggshells to clean dirty pots and kettles
Aside from the nutritious values that the eggshell offers, you can use them to make your house chores easier. Not everyone fancy the idea of consuming an eggshell, so you can use it to clean instead. You can use eggshells as abrasives to clean your dirty pots, kettles, pans, etc. Crush the eggshells, add them to your sponge, and use it to clean the dirty pot. The shells will help you remove stubborn stains from dirty pots or pans. Before using eggshells to clean your expensive pot, try the experiment on a small part. You can use it to clean the entire pot if it offers the desired result.
Use to make plant fertilizer
In the introduction, a slight mention of how effective eggshells were was made. To help your garden thrive, you can pour the eggshells into your garden because they contain fertilizer. To yield more results, crush the shells into pieces and sprinkle them around the base of all the plants in your garden. This action will supercharge the plants and boost them to grow and bear more fruits. Also, plants like tomatoes will need eggshells to treat blossom end rot. Moreover, blossom end rot is caused by a lack of calcium.
It deters pest
One of the things that deter the growth of your garden plants is pests. Aside from using eggshells to fertilize your garden, they are a deterrent to common garden pests. Insects such as slugs and snails don’t like eggshells. Remember, eggshells are sharp, and they would not let crawling insects or pests thrive in your garden. To protect your homegrown veggies, pour eggshells into your garden. As a matter of fact, don’t crush them to be smooth for effective protection against crawling pests or insects.
Grow plant seedlings
Eggshells come in various sizes, and some may not be suitable for planting seedlings. However, to use eggshells to plant seedlings, go for bigger shells. The shell contains a lot of nutrients, which will help the seedlings grow faster and healthier. Fill the shell with soil and place the seed in it. Put the eggshells back on the cartoon and keep them in a cool, dry place that is lit. The seedlings will start growing within a week. When the plants grow and are large enough, you can transfer them to your farm with the shell. Not to mention, you don’t need to remove the shell before planting them in your garden or farm.
Products made from eggshells
Eggshells are used to create several products, including some of the expensive fashion accessories you wear. Below are some of the products made from eggshells.
- Floor tiles ;
- Cement ;
- Inkjet printers ;
- Batteries ;
- Bags and shoes ;
- Fertilizer ;
- Hats.
Eggshells have become a major ingredient in several plant-based fertilizers. Climate-friendly companies like Igrave are currently exploring the use of eggshells to create various sustainable items.
Uses of other components of the egg
Aside from the egg, other components of the egg are also useful. Other components of the egg are:
Egg yolk
The egg yolk contains several nutrients that are good for the body. It is also used to produce cream, body lotion, etc. Some people rub the raw egg yolk on their bodies. Nowadays, you can buy a liquid egg product.
Abulmen
The white part of the egg is called the abulmen, and it has several functions. The best part is that albumen contains a lot of protein. In addition, albumen is used to produce medicine.
Risk of eating eggshell
Even though eating eggshells has amazing benefits, you need to know the risks, too. However, if the eggshell is prepared correctly, it offers a lot of nutrients. Below are the risks attached to eating eggshells you should know.
- Don’t swallow large fragments : you must crush the egg shells to pieces before you eat them. Swallowing large fragments will injure your throat ;
- Contaminated with bacteria : before eating an eggshell, you should clean it and boil it for at least 10 minutes. Eating the eggshell without cleaning and boiling it in water is not good ;
- Too much calcium : you need to eat eggshells in moderation because they may contain too many metals and calcium.
If you clean and boil the eggshell properly, you will not have any problems. Moreover, you must grind the eggshell to pieces before you eat. Also, eat only organic eggshells to avoid because they are healthier.
Conclusion
Eggshells have been used for several purposes for ages. Not to mention, they have become one of the best ingredients for fertilizers. Now that you know the importance and use of eggshells, start putting them to good use. Finally, companies that are environmentally friendly make eggshells an important part of their ingredient in producing organic fertilizer.
