EGG SHELL NUTRITION

EGG SHELL NUTRIENTS
I am sure most of us have eaten eggs since we were little, unless there is an allergy problem. But we may never have realized the benefits of using part of the egg shells in our diet as well. I didn’t either, until one day I read the nutritional benefits of part of the egg membrane.

EGG MEMBRANE
The membrane that separates the white from the shell is full of protein, hyaluronic acid, glucosamine and chondroitin; plus a few other beneficial nutrients. So I want to share with you how easy it is to take these nutrients out of the membrane & add them to certain homemade meal recipes where a broth can be used?

LUBRICIN
The motion of our joints produces lubricin, but lubricin can be destroyed by inflammation of the joints. Together the lubricin & hyaluronic acid provide a cushioning between our joints during impact.
The other nutrients in egg shells as well are very helpful for our bones and joints. If we want to keep our bones, cartilage and muscles as healthy as possible, all of these nutrients are of great benefit to us.
No bought canned soup can compare to soup made from broth that has these nutrients added to it.

A few weeks ago I shared the benefits of bone broth in a post. By including both the bone broth and the broth made from egg shell membrane in preparing certain foods, we are providing our bodies with many more nutrients; ones that can help keep our bones, joints as well as many other parts of our bodies healthy.

Nutrients in bone broth and egg membrane broth:
Protein, lubricant, hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, chondroitin, as well as small amounts of many other beneficial nutrients are found in both of these broths.

EGG MEMBRANE WATER
This is how I remove most of these beneficial nutrients from the egg shell membrane.

Wash 10 egg shells. (Leave the membrane inside) I then freeze the shells as they crush up so easily when frozen. I often crush the shells in the blender with a little water. Then put the shells into the bottom of a quart sealer. Fill the litre jar full of almost boiling water. Mix in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. (I squeeze a half lemon or else take out a lemon juice cube that I have frozen earlier)
I often buy a bag of lemons and squeeze them all at once, putting the juice into ice cube trays. Freeze and then put the frozen cubes into a plastic bag in the freezer.
I then have small amounts of juice ready to thaw and use.

Cover the jar and let it sit until it is at room temperature. I leave it for at least 8 hours. Strain out the shells, put the liquid back into a clean litre sealer; cover and refrigerate or freeze in a suitable container until needed.

Don’t throw away the shells!* – They are great for our gardens!
*What we once threw out into the garbage, we now see as a treasure for our gardens and our health.

The remaining shells would then be considered garbage, but if you have a garden, they are precious to sprinkle in the holes and around the tomato and cucumber plants when transplanting. These help keep the cut worms & slugs away from the plants and as well provide nutrients to the soil.

USING THE EGG SHELL BROTH
This liquid can be added in ¼ cup amounts to your breakfast juice, the water that you drink during the day or when cooking rice, porridge, buckwheat, quinoa, sauce, lemon pie filling or other foods needing water. That way you are getting small amounts of minerals throughout the day.
It can be used in larger amounts in soup, stew or casserole making.

FREEZE EMPTY SHELLS
Because I often just use one or two eggs at a time, I wash the empty shells and freeze them in a plastic bag. Once I have 10 or 20 frozen egg shells, I am ready to make a batch or two. I press the frozen egg shells in the bag with a rolling pin and they crush very easily. For 20 shells I will use a 2 litre sealer and double the amount of lemon juice and hot water.

To save the strained out shells until the gardens are ready to plant, put them on a pie plate in the sunny window or on the heat register to dry. Once dry, store them in a container until it is time to garden.

I ran out of this broth this morning so it’s time for me to make a batch. It will be ready to drain & refrigerate before bedtime. For Our Health!
Winnie