The hollowed out eggs are useful for decorations that use the entire shell, and will keep for years, as they no longer contain egg white or yolk and cannot spoil. Read on to learn effective techniques for hollowing eggs through small holes in the shell.
Steps
Step 1. Make two small holes in a fresh, raw egg
Eggs usually have a smaller, pointed tip. Drill the narrowest part first, and then the opposite side (the two bases). To make the first hole, you can use a pin or a special tool that you find in specialized stores. See below for tips on how to use an adhesive to reduce the risk of the shell breaking, so you'll need to widen the holes to allow the contents to escape. You can do this using the same pin or another pointed object, or you can rely on two large nails, with a diameter of 2 and 4 mm respectively. Sharpen the tips of the nails with a file or sandpaper, until you have a tip with four sharp edges. Therefore first enlarge the hole through which you will then blow the air; the other hole, through which the contents of the egg will come out, must be twice the size of the first.
- For holes, look for weaker spots on the surface of the egg, sometimes these are gray parts. If you don't find any, simply pick a spot in the middle of the two ends of the egg.
- Hold the egg firmly (without breaking it) with your left hand (except for left-handed people) and use your right to insert the pin firmly and slowly.
- To make it easier to pierce the shell, you can rub the egg with fine-grained sandpaper, making the point to be pierced thinner. This makes it easier to insert the pin, and you can try using a paper clip to drill the hole, as an alternative to the pin. The paper clip is very useful for breaking the yolk, making it easier to empty.
Step 2. Insert your needle or tool of choice, such as wire, paper clip, toothpick, or small balloon pump, into the larger hole
Break the membrane that surrounds the yolk. Repeat this several times to mix the yolk and egg white.
Step 3. Choose which method to use to push out the content
The more traditional method involves the use of a small straw, such as those found in fruit juice bricks, to be blown by mouth. You can also use a syringe to introduce air into the shell, or other tools listed below, all useful to avoid contact between the mouth and the shell:
- Ear cleaning syringe.
- Syringe for injections (without sharp needle).
- Glue syringe.
- Special tool for emptying eggs.
Step 4. Get a container to collect the liquid part of the eggs, and keep it under each egg when emptying
If you use a clean container, you can cook the yolk and egg white in various preparations.
Step 5. If you use the more classic method, hold the straw against the smaller hole
Blow hard so that the yolk and egg white come out of the largest hole. Continue until completely empty.
Step 6. If you are using a syringe or a special tool, keep it pointed against the smaller hole, and push the air inside the shell favoring the escape of yolk and egg white
If you use water to push, you may not be able to reuse the eggs for other preparations. Continue until completely empty.
Step 7. Take a glass of water and pour it over the emptied egg in order to rinse it
Repeat the emptying process and lightly shake the egg until you have completely cleaned the inside.
This operation must also be done on top of a container, but be careful to use a different one for the water in case you want to use the yolk and egg white for other recipes
Step 8. Dry the empty shells
You can put them in the microwave on maximum power for 15-30 seconds, or in the oven at 150 ° C for 10 minutes. This could strengthen the shell.
Alternatively, you can let the shell air dry for 2 to 3 days, with the largest hole facing down
Step 9. Done
The shells are now ready to be decorated and displayed.
Method 1 of 1: Special Technique to Avoid Breaks in the Shell
Step 1. Consider using these tips to avoid cracks when drilling holes in the shell:
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Place a plaster or tape over the puncture site.
Eggpin_935 -
Pierce the shell with the chosen tip.
Eggpin up_562 -
Carefully lift and remove the adhesive to obtain an intact but perforated shell.
Eggpin open_406
Advice
- If you overheat the shells after emptying them, it is easy for them to break.
- Remember that hollow eggs float, making it difficult to decorate them with water colors.
- If you want to create an even more decorative result, you can take a thin needle and engrave decorations on the shell. These patterns will not be visible, but will stand out more when you color the shell.
- If possible, work on eggs at room temperature, as the contents will be smoother and easier to extract.
- Don't waste the eggs! When you empty an egg, use the contents for an omelette or other recipes, and be sure to use clean tools for all stages of the operation. Cover the liquid part with plastic wrap to protect it until you cook it.
- These tricks will be enough for you to get perfect hollowed out eggs.
