Eggs, eggs and more eggs. We all know the “Incredible edible egg” jingle from the seventies? People have been eating eggs for thousands of years. Most of us can cook eggs many different ways, and nearly all of us have cooked or baked with eggs at some point.
There are other ways to use eggs that do not involve cooking or eating. Egg shells, egg whites, and even yolks had some other function than to be used in recipes for cooking or baking. Egg tempera, or paints that were made using eggs, was popular during the Early Renaissance era. Egg shells can be used to fortify your plants soil, whole egg shells, with just the tops removed can be used as seed starters, where you fill the egg shell partially with soil, add your seed, and just water and watch it. When the plant sprouts, you can then just plant the entire eggshell into your pots and let the egg shell creak down in the pot.
Egg shells are fabulous in the garden. They are full of proteins, potassium, calcium, magnesium and other minerals. Probably the number one use is for tomatoes to help with blossom rot. Simply crush up a couple shells and put at the bottom of your hole for the tomato. The calcium gives the plants a boost and limits blossom end rot. In the fall, tilling in crushed shells will help amend your soil for the next year. Add crushed shells to a gallon jug of water and let ‘set’ in a dark place- under the sink is perfect- for a week or so and use on house plants. Or use the egg water (cooled down) from hard boiled eggs. Hands down, you will have the prettiest, biggest geraniums and violets ever! These are just a few of the ways to use egg shells in the garden.
Egg whites for cleaning leather. You can clean everything from his saddles to his shoes were cleaned with egg whites, and it was all supple, squeaky clean and shiny. Simply separate some whites into a bowl and lightly whip. Rub into the leather and wipe off with a soft, damp cloth.
Beauty treatments using eggs have been around for thousands of years. The Ancient Romans used eggs as a hair rinse, Many of our parents and grandparents used these treatments and had the most beautiful, flawless skin and silky, shimmery hair. Use your eggs to make homemade strips to remove blackheads and minimize pores, or you can make an egg white face mask. Simply separate the yolk from an the egg white, whip lightly, and apply the white evenly to your face. Let it dry about 15 minutes or so and rinse off with warm water.
You will definitely feel it ‘tightening up’ as it dries! Try adding a smidge of honey and lemon to it. Make a hair rinse for your tresses by whipping up an egg and applying to wet hair just like you were shampooing. Let it set a few minutes and then rinse thoroughly. Shampooing/conditioning as normal afterwards is a personal decision. I choose to. Many do not. Either way, hair feels silky and fluffier.
Entertain the kids by making sidewalk chalk with them. Using a science lesson to make crafts or toys can be fun. This one is good for grade school aged kids. It is made from common household items; egg shells, flour, food color and water. You can find simple instructions here, from Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. This is on my summer to-do list with our granddaughter.
Have too much a good time? This hangover ‘cure’ is supposedly guaranteed to cure even the worst of hangovers! It consists of a raw egg in a glass with liberal dashed of Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and salt/pepper. Personally, I find it equal to swilling cod-liver oil. One whiff or swill is enough to make a person force themselves to be well vs the thought of a second sip!
