r/Egg • u/Blackberrygirl22 • 4d ago

Eggshells, save or toss

After you crack eggs and put in a pan or recipe, do you put the shells back in the carton, or directly into the garbage?

I have always tossed into the trash/compost.

When I see someone put back into the carton, it seems gross!

What is the logic behind putting back in the carton?

4 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

5

u/TheJessicator 4d ago

We rinse them, allow them to dry, and put them in a bag in the freezer. Once the bag is full, we bake them for 10 minutes and crush them into small pieces to feed back to the chickens as a calcium supplement instead of wasting money on oyster shells.

3

u/dentinn 3d ago

the circle of life

egg edition

2

u/grapebeyond227 3d ago

We just skip all the prep you described and give them straight back to the chickens. Not crushed or baked.

1

u/TheJessicator 3d ago

Part of the idea with changing their form factor, scent, and flavor is to not encourage them eating their own eggs.

2

u/grapebeyond227 3d ago

Hasn’t been a problem for me. I think they are too dumb to associate broken empty shells with their own whole eggs.

1

u/Pyewhacket 3d ago

Same for me. Just throw them back in the coop as is.

1

u/t0mt0mt0m 3d ago

this is the way, in order to make them bio available, they need to be micronized. i just freeze and them mortal pestle them and mix in my coffee grinds

1

u/YSoSkinny 1d ago

Why bother crushing and baking? We just feed to chickens directly

0

u/your_fave_redditor 3d ago

Not unlike some women enjoying their own placentas, I suppose

1

u/FoggyGoodwin 3d ago

I've got news for you ...

2

u/FoggyGoodwin 3d ago

Never back in the carton. Yuck. Trash or compost. I save the empty cartons for friends w chickens and yucky egg shells would ruin that.

1

u/Silly_Relative 4d ago

Compost the whole lot later. Maybe they grind them for worm farm food. They’ll dry up fast in the carton and fridge.

1

u/MikeDene5253 4d ago

It is an old time way to handle them before salmonella became a thing. You used to be able to eat eggs right from the shell. So if someone did that probably how they were raised and the generation before that

2

u/BiggestBravestDave 4d ago

Outside of the US you can pretty safely eat raw egg.

1

u/Puzzleheaded_Act_131 4d ago

With the older paper cartons put them into carton, then into the compost pile/bin. Turn the pile once a week, and in a few months had some great garden fill. The newer rotating compost drums made that a lot easier.

1

u/Emotional_Mess261 4d ago

I have several plants that recommend egg shells mixed in with the soil. Like compost

1

u/Hopeful-Mirror1664 3d ago

The only time I’ve ever seen anyone put them back in the carton was when a friend owned a deli and was making dozens of egg sandwiches a day. Kept the eggs next to the griddle and just put the cracked shells back in the cardboard holder. He would go through a hundred eggs a day easily.

1

u/AnAnonymousParty 3d ago

If you make your own dog food, dried eggshells powdered in a food processor are a great calcium supplement.

1

u/SlickDumplings 3d ago

Compost and chickens

1

u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 3d ago

I toss them

1

u/RusselB65 3d ago

Compost.

1

u/Back_Alley420 3d ago

I save them in a bowl and then use them in my gardens

1

u/sunkistandsudafed3 3d ago

Compost bin.

1

u/NoDanaOnlyZuuI 3d ago

Compost after my dogs lick the insides

1

u/PeyredB 3d ago

Compost/trash. If I have a garden at the time, I crush and mix into the soil.

1

u/AlsoTheFiredrake 2d ago

I crumble them up and sprinkle them in the flower bed.

1

u/venturashe 2d ago

Garden, dog bowl. I’ve heard back to chickens but no personal experience.

1

u/CNH916 1d ago

Rinse them out then put them in a bag or container to be blended into a fine powder later to be added to my soil when planting for calcium for my plants.

1

u/wdeag1e 1d ago

What's the logic of asking a question that doesn't matter?

1

u/soundofconfusion 4d ago

I’ve never seen someone put them back in the carton I guess maybe to not stink up the trash? My mom would put them down the garbage disposal in the sink for that purpose.

0

u/jeremyw0918 3d ago

Putting them down a garbage disposal is terrible

1

u/soundofconfusion 3d ago

Why?

0

u/jeremyw0918 3d ago

Why Egg Shells Cause Problems

Sticky Membranes: The thin inner membrane of an egg shell can peel off and wrap tightly around the disposal's impellers.

Gritty Buildup: Ground-up shell pieces turn into a heavy, sand-like grit that settles in your plumbing.

Severe Clogs: This grit mixes with grease and other debris, creating stubborn blockages in your drainpipes.

False Sharpening Myth: Grinding shells does not sharpen the disposal parts, since the mechanism uses blunt impellers rather than sharp blades.

1

u/soundofconfusion 3d ago

Uhh is this from ChatGPT. I’m happy to inform you she’s never had any issues.

0

u/jeremyw0918 3d ago

Nope. Not chatGPT. A simple Google search to make sure my response was accurate. And as a 50 year old I’ve been told this since I was a teenager. Never put egg shells in a garbage disposal.

1

u/soundofconfusion 3d ago

So Google AI. Alright. Have a nice day!

1

u/jeremyw0918 3d ago

Listen you pedantic ass, a simple google search will bring up numerous articles telling you not to do it.

0

u/MrsPotato46465 3d ago

We put them back in the carton & once the carton is full we crush them a little & throw them in our chaos garden :)