We often get questions from readers or viewers wanting to know what to do with left over egg yolks or egg whites when they’ve used the one or the other for a recipe. There are plenty of options, but that’s for another blog. Today I want to talk about what do to with left over egg shells–waste not, want not, my mother would have said. It’s Fiesta Week in Santa Barbara, which means that the streets of the town are knee deep in multi-colored confetti from the breaking of thousands upon thousands of cascarones over the heads of unwitting family members, friends, and passersby.
The cascarones are empty egg shells, stuffed full of confetti, and decorated. Their origin dates back to the Italian Renaissence, but has been adopted in slightly altered form for celebrations ranging from Easter to Fiesta. Painted gold or silver and filled with glittery confetti they would even make a fun New Year’s Eve tradition; go with blue and white and add a whole new dimension to Channukah. Filled with pastels they could work for a baby shower. Filled with birdseed for a wedding.
A few years back, I tried my hand at making them for our children and grandchildren for the family Easter egg hunt, and they were a huge hit. It takes a bit of preplanning, since you have to save egg shells (well rinsed, please) in advance to gather enough for the celebration, but it’s easy and fun and something that the whole family can do together. And besides, it gives you something to do with all those egg shells–besides put them into the compost heap.