Don’t Throw Out Those Eggshells — Use Them for This Helpful Kitchen Hack Instead

I don’t know about you, but any time I use eggs in my cooking, I don’t think too much about what to do with the eggshells afterwards. I usually just chuck them in the trash and go about my business. But then I discovered this hack that uses eggshells to sharpen blender blades, and I have to be honest: I’m never going back to just throwing out those bad boys.

The secret to using eggshells in your blender couldn’t be simpler. According to a tip from food writer Shifrah Combiths, you can simply freeze your eggshells until you’re ready to use them. Then, put them in your blender, add enough water to cover the eggshells, and run your machine until they’re completely broken up. Once you’re done, dispose of your eggshell paste in the trash or in your composting bin to avoid ruining your sink drain. Wash your blender thoroughly with soap and water, and then it’s off to the races.

Personally, I was a bit skeptical (but curious!) going into this hack. But as someone who makes a green smoothie almost every single day, I just knew I had to try it out. I actually have two blenders at home, one of which is super old and has dulled blades. I was already thinking of donating it since it’s been gathering dust for a while, so this was the perfect opportunity to test out this trick.

Once I had a few eggshells, I ended up lightly rinsing them and then stuck them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Combiths says you don’t have to clean yours before freezing, but I personally wanted to get rid of some of the leftover egg residue. (I didn’t think eggs would taste good in a green smoothie!) I followed her instructions to add water and blend the mixture on high speed, then dumped the contents in my trash can and thoroughly washed the blender.

One of the issues I’ve historically had with this blender is that I constantly have to stop and start it while trying to make my smoothies because the frozen fruit pieces get stuck or chunks of fruit or protein powder won’t blend entirely. While this blender wasn’t suddenly transformed into some sort of high-power machine after blending the eggshells (after all, it was old to start with!), I did notice that I was able to blend my smoothie in one swoop versus having to keep turning it off to mix everything and then putting the lid back on.

In other words, I’d definitely call this wacky hack a success! Maybe I’ll keep this old blender after all…