Things to Do with Eggshells The Prairie Homestead. To the majority of people, eggshells are simply trash. But to homesteader, eggshells are a surprisingly useful resource. You know what they say Waste not, want not. I personally get a big kick out of finding uses for things people normally throw away. So, Ive put together a list of 9 Things You Can Do with Eggshells around your own homestead. Holy Moly My list started out with a measly 9 ideas, but after all of my thrifty readers left their ideas in the comment section, it has grown to 3. Ive edited the list with these new additions keep them coming folkst is very important to only use eggshells from healthy, natural chickens if you or your animals are going to ingest the shells. Eggs from factory farms are not only less nutritious, but can also carry harmful pathogens. I personally have no problem eating raw eggs from my own free range hens, but I wouldnt do so with eggs from the store. Feed them to your chickens. Boost your flocks calcium intake by crushing the shells and feeding them back to your hens. My girls much prefer crushed egg shells over the oyster shell supplement from the feed store. I wrote a post a while back that has all the details of collecting, crushing, and feeding the shells. Use the shells membrane as an all natural bandage. I just discovered this idea, so I have yet to try it, but what a cool concept The membrane of the shell is reported to help promote healing in cuts and scratches. Crack-Dip-Sq.jpg?resize=800%2C800&ssl=1' alt='How Do You Cook Crack On A Spoonful Of Style' title='How Do You Cook Crack On A Spoonful Of Style' />This post should be able to answer most of your questions about using membranes as a first aid tool. Boil the eggshells in your coffee. My first thought when I read this idea was Why on earth would you do that But apparently, people have been boiling eggshells in their coffee for centuries to help clarify the grounds and reduce bitterness. Butter Dip Buttermilk Biscuits are the easiest and yummiest biscuits I have ever made. No experience required No biscuit cutter necessary I said to her, What is IN this stuff I cant stop eating it She rattled off some crazy ingredients, and said Its so good, and you cant stop eating it. I have yet to give this a try myself, but it might be worth a try. Here is a Eggshell Coffee tutorial. Sprinkle the eggshells around your garden to deter pests. Soft bodied critters like slugs or snails dont like crawling over sharp pieces of eggshell. How To Detox From Crack Cocaine Detox Cleanse For Stomach Clean 21 Day Detox Detox Diets Lose Weight. Give your tomatoes a calcium boost. Blossom end rot is a common tomato problem, but I recently learned that it is actually caused by a calcium deficiency in the plant. Experienced gardeners often place eggshells in the bottom of the hole when transplanting their tomato plants to help combat this problem. Im definitely trying this next yearFor more natural gardening tips, grab a copy of my latest e. Book, Natural Homestead. It has dozens of recipes to keep your garden chemical free. Eat them. Yeah, I know. First I told you to eat your weeds, and now Im saying to eat eggshells Hey, I never claimed to be normal. But yes, many folks actually do eat eggshells for their awesome amounts of calcium. Ive never actually tried it, but I know that several of my readers have. This post will give you all the info you need to make your own calcium rich eggshell powder. Use eggshells to start seedlings. If homemade paper pots arent your style, give some of your smaller seedlings a start in rinsed out shells. This post from Apartment Therapy will give you all the info and photos you need to get you started. Toss them in the compost pile. Add calcium to your compost by adding eggshells to your pile or tumbler. Sow directly into the soil. If none of the previous idea sound appealing and you dont have a compost pile, then you can simply turn crushed eggshells directly into your garden patch. Its still better than sending them to the garbage. All of the following ideas were submitted by readers of The Prairie Homestead 1. Potting Soil Addition Used coffee grounds and egg shells are wonderful in potted plants. I use a 1 4 ratio. From Tala1. Blade Sharpening Keep them in the freezer and use to clean and sharpen blender blades by adding water. Then pour the mixture into your compost bin. From Greenie and Ceridwyn1. Canine Remedy I save my eggshells and let them dry out, when I have a good size amount I crush them, then use a coffee grinder and make them into a powder. If one of my dogs get diarrhea, I just sprinkle a couple teaspoons of the eggshell powder on their food for a day and the diarrhea goes away. From Terri1. 3. Calcium Pills I save my eggshells in a large bowl, then I steam them to sanitize them and let them dry. Then I grind them down I use a Vitamix but I think any blender would do if you crush them a little first, or just do it in a coffee grinder into a fine powder and spoon them into 0. From Mari1. 4. Mineral supplement I sometimes soak eggshells in lemon water for a few weeks in the fridge. Then I add a tiny bit to my shakes to get extra minerals. From Jill1. 5. Tooth Remineralizing Natural News. Not sure about this particular method, but it would make sense due to the healing properties of the comfrey AND the minerals in the egg shell. From Jennifer1. Sidewalk chalk 5 8 eggshells finely ground, 1 tsp hot water, 1 tsp flour, food coloring optionalmix and pack into toilet tissue rolls and let dry. From Linda 1. 7. First Aid Treatment Fresh egg membranes applied, then allowed to dry, will draw minor infections splinters, pimples, boils, etc. From Anne1. 8. Making Water Kefir You can also use eggshell to nourish your water kefir grains. You just add 14 of a clean eggshell to your water kefir while its brewing. Weve done this instead of buying mineral drops and it seems to work great. From Jenna, Sherry, and Tiffani1. Christmas Ornaments When I found a large cache of slightly flawed plastic suncatcher ornaments to paint cheap at the local flea market a few years ago, I snatched a big bunch of them up. I mixed regular acrylic colors with Elmers glue and various texturizing elements to pack those suncatchers with. I tried everything from small seeds and spices, to sifted sand, and my favorite turned out to be crushed eggshells. Camtasia Studio 6 Serial Crack Key there. They were no longer transparent, but the flaws were covered, and they make very nice Christmas tree ornaments, wall hangings, mobiles, etc. From Sweetp2. Make Calcium Citrate Make your own calcium citrate using only fresh farm raised, preferably organic, egg shells. Rinse residual egg out of the shells and air dry. Crush the shell and add 1t. The lemon juice will dissolve the shell and there you have it calcium citrate. From Mary Anne2. Calcium Rich Vinegar I was taught by my herbalist teacher to make a calcium rich vinegar by adding calcium rich herbs nettles, dock, etc and one clean high quality eggshell to apple cider vinegar. It needs to infuse for at least six weeks, then be decanted. But the calcium from the shell and the plants goes into the vinegar and can be used as regular vinegar would be in salad dressing, over cooked greens, etc. From Sara2. Pan Scrubber Crushed egg shells work great to scrub pans that have food stuck in them. Yes they will break up, but they still do the job From Rose2. Ice Cream Addition I was told companies put egg shell powder in cheap ice cream to add extra calcium. I imagine you could do this when making homemade ice cream as well. From Brenda2. 4. Cosmetic Booster Make it into a powder and add a little bit to your nail polish to strengthen nails. Take that same powder and put it into ice cube trays with water and rub it on your face it helps reduce the look of wrinkles. Put the powder in your lotion it softens your hands. From Amy2. 5. Add to BrothStocks For extra calcium and minerals.