If you are a fan of a hard boiled eggs like me, then pay attention to this quick tip. The next time you boil a dozen eggs, save the water and pour it on your garden and plants. The water becomes enriched with calcium when the eggs are cooked. Plus, why pour water down the sink when you can reuse it for something, right?
RIGHT!
You can also use this water for your coffee or tea, it cuts the acid and makes the beverage smoother to drink and easy on the stomach.
Wow, Robert! I never knew that. Thanks for the tip.
Lauren
Great information. I’ve heard of using egg shells, though not the water. Thank you!
Thanks Lea! I’m glad this is a new tip for you. I always like learning new ways to be eco-friendly and it seems like you do too.
Lauren
My great grandmother told me she reused all water whenever possible. Using wash water for her garden as well. She had 2 faucets in her kitchen, both were cold water directly from the well, with enameled basins under each one. She heated the water on a big cast iron wood burning stove.The fact that she made her own soaps,meant every thing in the water was natural,so would cause no damage, she also sprayed her garden with soapy water to keep the bugs away. It’s good to know others save water as well. I still remember her composting rules for gray water too.
Sounds great!! I add salt to my water when boiling eggs. Makes them easier to peel. Salty water would not be good for plants would it?
Great tip! Here’s another one. Make perfect boiled eggs and cut way back on your electricity used to cook them. Place eggs in pot. Cover completely with water. Bring to full boil. Cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 20 minutes. Perfect hard boiled eggs.
I forgot to mention… do not stack the eggs in the pot.
Thanks for the reminder. I’ve never done it, so I forgot about it, when I boiled eggs, last night! I don’t boil eggs all that often, so my plants could surely use it!
I always fill my watering can with rainwater or with clean wastewater (like when I run the water to get it cold enough for a drink, or hot enough for the dishwasher).
I know someone who used the ‘boiled egg’ water to make his wife a cup of tea, apparently by what she called him, him and the neighbours will never make that mistake again!
I’ve been doing this for years. I’ve been using it to water my plants on the porch.
Great tip, I usually share my used tea bags, and my banana peels too. I keep a kinda nursery box for plants out side my kitchen door. I put my coffee grounds on there too! So now I will water them with the eggs water also.
Using it for coffee makes sense. My dad always put egg smells in his offee when he was brewing it.
Thx for this tip! I tried it on Saturday, now sitting around awaiting the results.
Coffee with egg shells? I’m all for recycling and reusing old stuff, but doesn’t your coffee taste like eggs then? I’ve never tried it, but I can only imagine. I’m not ‘knocking’ it before I try it, just wondering. btw – great tip Peggy for reducing gas/electricity. I’ll try that!
Love these tips! Boiled eggs yesterday & plan to give it a try! Does it work with houseplants also & for any type? Forgot about the coffee grounds, use to use them by sprinkling a few grounds on top of the dirt every so often & watered others with leftover coffee that I diluted a little more- do the tea bags work the same way- using grounds or just the liquid from straining them & how much tea to water ratio? How often do you use these methods & should plant fertilizer be used less often with any of them? Anxiously waiting your replies! My house plants are my babies & plan to have a small garden this year again finally! (Not been able to have one in years due to illness) very excited to once again care for & enjoy fresh picked veggies & herbs! Thanks for the tips!
Forgot to ask about using salt in the egg water- does is it safe for plants?
Thanks! Lori
Hi Lori,
These are great questions and if anyone has the answers please provide them below. I will do some research and post the answers as soon as I can. Thanks for visiting the site!
-Lauren
Eggs are easy to peel when you start at the pointed end, small end. Great tip for the water.
If you plan to recycle water in the garden from cooking water, omit the use of salt in the water. To much salt in soil can stunt growth of plant life, cause dehydration and plant death. Also do not use cooking water with cooking oils on plants. This can turn dirt rancid and attract bugs. Other plant candy water is spinach and potatoe water. Hope this helps!
YES! Thanks Debi. Great tips. Hope this helps Lori.
-Lauren
I used potato water on some plants before and they died afterward. What’s the chemistry with potato water? I would surely like to use it after I have boiled the potatoes. Thanks.
Hi Sondra,
Potatoes are filled with many nutrients, potassium being the highest. The only problem I can see with using potato water on your plants is if you did not let it cool before pouring it over your plants or if you added salt to the water. I hope that helps!
-Lauren
Hi Lauren,
I just came across your post tonight because I used too much water to boil my eggs and I was checking to see if anyone else had some ideas. It’s night, so coffee is out. My garden is thriving. Besides, I was the one who was still hungry! So I reused the (already boiled!) water for ravioli….It worked beautifully and since the pasta already had eggs in it, the flavor wasn’t adversely affected at all. Probably the opposite! I imagine it would work for other pastas just as well. Thanks for all of the other comments too. I hope someone can duplicate my experiment and results!
Rebecca
Here’s hoping none of you ever hear your grandparents speak of egg coffee. If you mix a beaten egg in with coffee grounds when you boil coffee over a fire it smooths out the acid taste. I used to do it that way all the time back in the day. And no, the coffee doesn’t taste like egg. Does a cake taste like egg? Does potato salad taste like egg? Do pancakes taste like egg? It’s all in your head. I doubt any of you ever have or ever will make coffee from scratch. Salt in the water? Now, what would your common sense tell you about watering your plants with it?