Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <eggs><stock>
Title: Should I include egg shells in my stock?
Question: I've been making stock from vegetable scraps I've been keeping in the freezer (mainly carrots, celery, onion, tomato, and parsley). I read elsewhere that one could include egg shells in stock. Is this a good idea? How many should I include?

Answers:
sents: text: I've not heard of egg shells being used that way.
text: I'm not sure what they would add.
text: The classic way of clarifying a meat stock to make it crystal clear (ie: for a consommé) is to whisk egg white (
text: and I know at least one chef who adds crushed up egg shell to this mix) and finely ground meat into the cold stock and then gradually heat it.
text: As the added ingredients cook they rise through the stock trapping all the bits that make it cloudy and the gunky 'raft' can be skimmed off the top.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4547/Paul L
score: 7
sents: text: Adding egg shells to a brown stock is a great way of clarifying the base.
text: It creates a 'raft' which helps absorbs the impurity's which would otherwise spoil your stock.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/10628/Nick Huffman
score: 2
sents: text: All the ends and bits of vegetables, including onion skins, etc., are the most nutritious parts of the vegetable and lend flavor to the stock.
text: It's great if you can save them and add them in.
text: As for eggshells, it's some of the most bio-available form of calcium (add a little vinegar when boiling), very similar to our own composition.
text: I haven't tried it yet, but will be saving my shells from now on.
text: It always felt a little weird to throw them out, and am excited now that I can stick it in the freezer collection bag.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/9205/Observer
score: 1
sents: text: A classic way to clarify stock is to stir in some beaten eggs and then bring the stock to a simmer.
text: The egg proteins coagulate, rise to the top, and form a sort of strainer that filters out the bits and pieces that would otherwise make the stock cloudy.
text: I've seen some recipes that instruct to you to break up the egg shells and mix them into the eggs before adding to the stock.
text: I always assumed that the shells just add bulk and structure to the egg raft, helping it to hold together and form a better filter.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/5505/Caleb
score: 1
sents: text: If you watch the Travel Channel episode on The God of Ramen -- renown ramen soup shop in Japan -- you will see that the chef there uses the egg shells to clarify the broth.
text: That is all that is said about it.
text: You will see the egg shells floating atop the soup, which also has lots of ground pork and other ingredients simmering along with them.
text: When they serve the soup, they ladle it into a strainer first, so that the broth is clear.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/35184/Karen K
score: 1
sents: text: I was told by my head chef who hails from italy that putting the shells in your stock with actually make it darker.
text: He said there is a specific vitamin in the shells that does this. Havent tried it yet though.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/41522/asuka
score: 1
sents: text: Like many other posters, I think egg shells will not change any culinary property of your stock significantly.
text: However I do have heard about egg shells being used by people who want to increase the nutritional value (egg shells are rich in calcium)
text: However I never use them since I rather go with more a pure and traditional taste.
text: Something for example that seems being forgotten (specially at homes) but still enhance the stock are chicken feet.
text: If I were making chicken stock, I would make sure that above all things, the feet are not missing.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/20439/SystematicFrank
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
Adding eggshells to brown stock is a great way of clarifying it, but it may also make it darker. Eggshells have a lot of bio-available calcium and can add nutritional value to the stock.
Egg shells are used to clarify stock. They are high in calcium and will also make the stock darker.