How can I “reuse” fresh eggs that we can’t eat?

(Hi! Sorry to regular readers for the stupidly long break in posting – I’ve been reading all the comments as usual as they come in, just not posting any new content myself due to a combination of busy-ness, illness and laziness. I’m hoping to get back to regular scheduled blogging again now though!)

This question is a bit like the one I posted six years ago (!!) about ways to use up no longer fresh eggs but this one is a little different. We’ve got our own chickens now so always have super-fresh eggs – but sometimes, like this last weekend, I have to give them medication or treat their coup with things that mean we shouldn’t eat their eggs for a few days.

The eggs look perfectly fine but there is a risk of contamination so we can’t eat them. I can’t bring myself to just throw them in the compost though – or even throw them at my boyfriend when he’s not paying attention… ;)

I know egg yolks can be used as a hair conditioner or for a face mask – does anyone have any favourite recipes/techniques?

I’ve also heard some people using them as a fertiliser boost for plants – do any plants particularly benefit from an eggy treat (especially at this time of year), or is there any that definitely shouldn’t have it?

Any other suggestions?

And finally, less on topic but critically important, did you all have a good summer? (Or good winter, if you’re on the southern side of things?)

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53 Responses to “How can I “reuse” fresh eggs that we can’t eat?”


  1. penny wise says:

    The shells when crushed make a good slug repellant round small plants. Or you could prick the shells blow out the egg and have fun painting she shells with the kids. not sure on the egg itself though.

  2. Melinda says:

    Didn’t the rennaisance painters make paint with an egg base? Egg tempera, I think. I’m sure it can bee googled from that much.

  3. S. McConnell says:

    I’m sure there are several crafty things you could do with them; but my suggestion would be if you wouldn’t ingest the eggs by eating them, why would you put them on your skin to be (at least partially) ingested that way? That said, the egg tempera would be really interesting to try.

  4. Clare says:

    Glad you’re back. I was going to suggest blowing the eggs and using the shells for something crafty, but Pennywise got there first.

    Isn’t there a way of testing the alcohol content of beer using an egg? Although that would only use one.

    And there’s a cool thing you can do using vinegar to dissolve the shells of whole raw eggs — you end up with a dangerous bouncy ball, basically. Dangerous because it’s liable to burst at any time with hilarious consequences.

    Do you not want to put them on the compost heap because of the contamination risk, or just because it seems like a waste?

  5. Michelle says:

    I am really happy to see you’ve come back! I have learned endless amounts of helpful tidbits through your site and it keeps challenging me to find new ways to reuse or repurpose in my everyday life. Thank you!
    Although this isn’t using MANY eggs at once, it does allow for constant use/reuse of shells: as a natural drainpipe cleaner and food debris catcher-
    Keep a couple of crushed eggshells in your kitchen sink strainer at all times. They trap additional solids and they gradually break up and help to naturally clean your pipes on their way down the drain.

  6. anna says:

    Welcome back :)
    Tempera is fun to paint with. Use the yolk, a few drops of water, and any pigments you have for the painting.
    Using those eggs as a hair mask would be another fun idea; it should give the hair plenty of body.
    For egg shells I’ve tried them as slug deterrents. At least in Ireland the slugs were so industrial sized they didn’t get scared of the shells. Now I mostly use them cracked in smaller bits for plants that love calcium, e.g. pepper plants and rosemary. Just break the shells to smaller bits, and leave around the plant. It’ll melt quite fast.

  7. Michelle says:

    Something my mother would do with old eggs, just let them sit somewhere so they won’t get broken… Wait, wait, wait. Before too long the insides will shrink up and harden. Then you can paint or decorate them however you like, the shells stay tough. She reused the same “special” eggs year after year after year (she had some for 20 years.) They are beautiful decorated and used with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas themes too! The little yolk ball will rattle inside.

  8. Alison says:

    “The shells when crushed make a good slug repellant round small plants.” Well I never knew that! I will give that a try, thanks!

  9. Mark says:

    Why not cook the eggs and feed them back to the chickens, we do it all the time!?
    You could set the eggs aside in a safe place somewhere for a few months until they petrify. Putrified eggs make great deer repellent!

  10. Uluska says:

    Decorate the eggs with paints and then store them on a shelf in a bowl forever. The inside will dry up. Only try not to brake them.

  11. will says:

    Hi there
    Check this humurous youtube vid out for a suggestion of what to do with unwanted eggs. Enjoy
    http://447fc4c2.theseblogs.com

  12. CHRIS says:

    I have just frozen eggs beaten up in the blender/mixer with salt and pepper, 6 at a time which I can use for making quiches or scrambled eggs.

  13. Louise Marie says:

    Hi……..so glad you are back. i have some catching up to do. Sorry, no hints from me. Just wanted to say, “Welcome back!”

  14. Shawn says:

    If you crush the egg shells and put them in the bottom of your pots (instead of stones) it will provide nutrition for your plants.
    Another way is to spread crushed eggs shells on top of the ground around plants in your garden, particularly around vegetables like tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli. Calcium from shells is very useful to plants!

  15. victor micallef says:

    i have often used crushed eggshells to clean the insides of dirty glass bottles. they’ll clean practically anything with their sharp edges. do not crush the shells too fine.

  16. victor micallef says:

    forgot to say. you have to fill the bottles about half full of water and shake them until all the dirt is gone. this will not take too long

  17. Angela says:

    You can freeze eggs for up to a year without them losing anything.

  18. And why don’t you use them as a decoration? There are plenty of ideas on the internet :)

  19. I am using them for a hair masks, mixing it with some other ingredients.

  20. Eva says:

    Hair mask is a good idea to use old eggs. Can you give me some good recipe for a hair mask with eggs?

  21. Joyce says:

    Crush the water-washed egg shells (inside and outside washing of them) and serve to the hens for their calcium supply. I do this for all my cracked eggs. My hen loves it and accesses it whenever she wants it.

  22. Megan Barker says:

    You can decorate the old eggs. Just search for ideas from internet ;)

  23. Use the water from boiled eggs for your plants ;)

  24. I also use eggs for a hair mask. It makes my hair softer and shinier.

  25. Tinia says:

    Beat the egg slightly, apply over the face, lay down for 20 min, then rinse. Your face will look younger.

  26. Plus says:

    Eggs hold up in a fridge for very long time, it’s OK to eat them slowly.

  27. Uluska says:

    In old times builders used eggs to add to brick mixture to build super strong buildings. Try this technique when making stepping stones.

  28. Avalanch says:

    Eggs placed on a ground can attract eagles. Attract eagles to take unique photo shots of them.

  29. Lora says:

    Paint the egg, wrap in chicken wire, glue diamonds on it, attach ribbon and hang as Christmas decoration.

  30. Amy Harris says:

    Very good reminding of the natural cosmetics. I prefer home made mask than those in the shops. My favourite recipe is:
    Mix 2 egg yolks with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then dilute the mixture with about half a cup of water. Slowly, thoroughly massage the resulting mask into your scalp. After letting it set for 15-20 minutes, rinse it out as usual. You can shampoo afterwards if you want to but it’s not necessary.

  31. Betty Smith says:

    I also use eggs as a hair mask. Work perfect for me.

  32. If you have dry skin you can make a face mask with eggs mixing one egg with one spoon olive oil. Your skin is going to get really soft!

  33. I have seen people at countryside to crack the egg shelves and give them to the chickens for Calcium!

  34. @Kiera I have only heard stories about it but it have some commonsence!

  35. The only thing I could think of is using the empty shells as a decoration. You should make tiny wholes in both edges of the egg, then empty it by blowing through one of the wholes. Then simply play with some colors and attach a string at one end. That’s it!

  36. Katherine says:

    You can also use them on your noisy neighbors (if any)… :)

  37. Pippa Clark says:

    I know a great hair mask, including eggs. Mix one egg with one spoon olive oil and one spoon shampoo.

    • Tara Davis says:

      Hello Pippa,
      Yesterday I made this mask and the results were amazing. Next time try to put some honey and beer in it. You would love your hair. Keep in mind that the smell will be a little bit strage but it is worth it.

  38. Liam Cox says:

    I also will try this mask with eggs!

  39. Pippa says:

    Hair or face mask is a good idea.

  40. Breanden says:

    I also use eggs for a hair mask. It makes my hair softer and shinier.

  41. Gray Wolf says:

    Boil and then feed them back to the chickens. If your chickens are on antibiotics, I do not see anything here but the ultimate in re-cycling the medication. Save the egg shells and crush them and feed them back to your chickens. They love them as well as the boiled eggs. I get more eggs around here than I can say a blessing over so my chickens get boiled eggs weekly and egg shells.

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  44. Bioskop says:

    It’s really help, thank’s for your post.

  45. Coreen Hart says:

    My first question would be, how did you come to own old eggs? I understand that chickens lay heavily in spring and summer, then slack off in the fall and take a few weeks off before starting again. Ours usually begin laying again in mid- January. We get way too many eggs sometimes and none at all other times. So I freeze the extras in batches of four eggs per container. I crack them into the blender, blend for a couple of seconds, then put into a labeled, airtight container and freeze. Come December, these eggs are most welcome. Four eggs make a delicious omelet. These eggs can be used any way you would normally use fresh eggs. Pound cake, anyone?

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  49. mzkit says:

    Dunno about the yolks, but you can varnish stuff with eggwhite. Once it has dried, it doesn’t come off easily.



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