Your co-workers avoid making eye contact with you when you walk by. The folks next door no longer answer the door when you knock. At dinner time, your kids claim they’re really not that hungry. If any of these reactions sound familiar to you, then it’s time to admit it: You have an egg problem. Namely, surplus eggs.
It’s not a bad problem. Surplus eggs is actually having too much of a good thing. Your girls are simply repaying your TLC by being overly generous with their laying abilities. Chicken math might also be in play here, resulting in your having more hens than you’d bargained for. Whatever the reason, you’ve got an abundance of eggs and your loved ones are fed up with being fed omelets, quiches, souffles and scrambles. Furthermore, what at first seemed like a real treat—free eggs!—to your neighbors is now cause for the cold shoulder. And forget work. You’ve hung your “Fresh Eggs for Sale” sign in so many places around the office that you haven’t noticed they are being surreptitiously shredded.
Oh, speaking of shredded: No more shredded-egg crepes, please. Even the dog has had his fill of that.
So what can you do with your surplus eggs if none of the people mentioned above wants to eat them? Well, plenty, it turns out. Here are five ideas to help you reduce your profusion and remove your persona non grata status.
1. Donate Your Eggs
Your town most likely has multiple nonprofit or fraternal organizations that would readily welcome a donation of fresh eggs. Contact your local senior center, American Legion, VFW, homeless shelter or domestic-violence safe house with your offer for surplus eggs. Chances are these organizations will be very grateful to have even been considered.
2. Feed The Speedy
Runners love to refuel with protein after a race. So do cyclists, swimmers and triathletes. If you’ve seen flyers for a community 5K, a century ride, or some other athletic event, it’s a strong possibility that the event director is seeking sponsored snacks to feed participants after they cross the finish line. Check whether that person is interested in your surplus eggs. You might even end up with an “in-kind sponsor” listing on the event’s official website or race shirt.
3. Freeze Them
If you’ve got room in your refrigerator-freezer—or if you own a deep freezer—you have the perfect solution for all your extra eggs: Freeze them! Eggs can be frozen in a variety of states: as egg whites, as yolks, as eggs beaten until just blended and even as hard-cooked eggs. Use only fresh, clean eggs, label them well (don’t forget to mark the quantity), and use them immediately upon thawing. Frozen eggs will keep for as long as a year in your home freezer. This way, you’ll have a supply of eggs for the months when your hens aren’t laying.
4. Get Into Condition(er)
Want luxurious hair? You have an egg-shaped solution at hand. The protein in eggs helps rebuild damaged hair strands, temporarily strengthening hair and providing an all-over conditioning treatment. Simply beat one egg with one tablespoon of olive oil, then apply the mixture to clean, damp hair. Leave the egg conditioner on for 10 to 20 minutes, then thoroughly wash it out and apply a light conditioner. Your locks will feel thicker and silkier.
5. Eggspress Your Creativity
An egg can serve as the canvas for breathtaking artwork, if you have a steady hand and an eye for design. Ukrainian egg decorating, or Pysanky, used to be only for Easter, but the beauty of these incredible works of art has brought them into the mainstream. Your creations might end up so spectacular that your neighbors and colleagues seek you out hoping to get just one of these eggceptional masterpieces.
