Blown eggs??

[Queen Bee]

I have several really nice eggs that I want to keep the shells from... How? I can't remember how to 'blow' the insides from an egg. I have a dremel tool.. What else do I need and how to use them???

[cc]

I use a large needle and poke a hole in one end and a little larger one in the other end. Run the needle around in the egg to break the yolk and blow into it thru the smaller hole. It is hard to blow but once it starts coming out of the shell it gets easier. After all the egg comes out of the egg, run warm water through it and let it dry. I guess you could use your dremel tool to make the holes and anything long enough to break up the yolks (like the dremel's small drill bit)

[Jan in CO]

Queen Bee, cc's directions are what I do. I knew a woman in a town I worked in, who did intricate designs with her dremel on eggs. She told me the secret to making the shells hard enough to withstand the carving was to use a 'wash' of 1/3 white glue and 2/3 water, and to swish it inside well, drain through the hole and let dry. She also coated the outside with that, I believe. You can do it more than once. Makes the shell very hard. Then draw on the shell lightly with pencil and follow your cuts with the dremel. She had very detailed designs, almost like lace and very pretty. Sold them for big $$. Jan in Co

[Queen Bee]

Thank you, both! I knew it wasn't hard but could not remember if there were other steps.. I forgot about the glue...wonderful idea.. These eggs are from my Ameraucana and EE... don't want to do anything with them---but I might try the dremel tool on a few of the RIR eggs..

[junie]

If you don't want to put 2 holes in the egg, you can put just one then insert either a coffee straw (the kind you get at some restaurants), a small aquarium hose, or a hypodermic needle (blunt is fine). Anyway, just poke around inside to break the yolk, then blow into the egg (or push air in with the hypodermic) The innards will flow right out.

[Jenn]

For pisanke we do what CC does. And seal the holes with beeswax if dye going into the egg is too big a nuisance. In drier areas like TX (and even Pgh) we could use whole unblown eggs and over time they'd dry out, 90% good under 10% explode. But here in AL, and in southern England, and probably NC it's so humid more of them 50% maybe will go rotten. Nothing like rotten egg IN the kitchen and on the beautiful pisanke next to the bad egg. Also if you aren't altering their appearance you DON'T want to mix them up with fresh eggs and crack one in to a recipe.

[ar_wildflower]

I punch a hole in each end, break up the yolk and then I take a 60 cc lure lock ( the kind you screw a needle on, not the long cathter tip kind) syringe with warm water in it to "blow out" the egg. I usually push the syringe full of water twice through the eggs. That seems easier to me than blowing but you do have to be carefull not to use so mcuh pressure as to enlarge the opposite hole. ( also if the eggs are room temperature the yolk is not as thick)

[Prickle]

If you have some time, patience and a warm, dry, safe place to put them you don't have to blow them out at all.

Eggs are porous and the inside will dry eventually. It takes several months. Turning them regularly helps them to dry more evenly and eventually the insides will rattle around. Leaving them whole they are a bit less fragile than a blown egg.

We used to do this with goose eggs when I was younger and I still have some quail eggs I let dry several years ago.

However.... they can explode, lol. We did dozens of eggs this way and only had one go kerflooey. You must be patient and it's a good idea to keep them somewhere that if they do explode the rotten egg smell won't matter

[Bonnie L]

Like Queen Bee, I just like to save some of the prettier shells. I'm no artist. But I didn't know about the glue. Thanks so much!