The egg. A kitchen staple and family favourite. A powerhouse of nutrition packed into a small shell and a good source of high-quality protein, healthy fats and a variety of vitamins and minerals. But once you’ve cracked and cooked your eggs, don’t throw away the shell. It has many clever uses … we share three ways to repurpose eggshells.
Keep the birds chirpy
Offer your garden birds a little extra calcium by recycling used egg shells. First, rise your eggshells under warm water and then place them on a baking tray and bake on 200 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Alternatively boil in water for 10 minutes. Once dry, crush them into small pieces (around the size of a sunflower seed) using a rolling pin Scatter the pieces on your lawn or place in a birdfeeder .
Keep the kids crafty
For a fun activity for your little ones, combine eggshells, hot water, flour and colouring and you have yourself homemade chalk.
First, rinse your eggshells under warm water. Boil for 5 minutes and leave to dry. Once dry, grind the eggshells until they’ve formed a powder and set aside. In a bowl, add 1 tsp of flour and 2 tsps of hot water to form a paste. Add 1 Tbsp of the crushed eggshells and 2 to 4 drops of food colouring of your choice to the eggshell paste. You can also use natural pigment like turmeric, paprika, beet root powder and cocoa by mixing 1 tsp of natural pigment with 2 tsps of hot water and add to the eggshell paste.
Once combined well, use your hands to roll the paste into the shape of a ‘chalk stick’. Wrap the chalk in baking paper and leave in the sun for up to 3 days until dry. To speed up the process, bake at 150 degrees for 90 minutes and leave out to dry for one day. Your homemade chalk is now ready for your kids to create their masterpiece on the pavement outside.
Keep your green fingers
The shells of an egg cracked in half makes the perfect planters for garden seedlings.
Rinse your eggshells under warm water and allow to dry. Arrange the eggshells in an egg carton. Fill each eggshell with seed starter mix, add seeds and leave them on a warm windowsill to receive sunlight. Check on them daily and using a spray bottle, keep them moist while you wait for the seeds to sprout. You can then transfer them – shell and all – to your garden or a pot. Just remove a few shards at the bottom of the eggshell so roots can form. The rest of the eggshell will decompose in the soil, and nourish your seedling with extra nutrients.
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