Growing your own food is one of the most rewarding hobbies you can take up, and it doesn’t always require a garden or large backyard. One of the easiest and most environmentally friendly ways to start growing your own food at home is by regrowing vegetables from kitchen scraps in water. Not only does this save you money, but it also reduces waste and gives you a closer connection to the food you eat.
Many kitchen scraps can be used to regrow vegetables and herbs, and the best part is that most of them can grow in just a container of water placed on a sunny windowsill. This is an ideal way to begin gardening, especially for people who don’t have access to garden space or those who want to try growing something with minimal effort. In this article, we’ll discuss 10 vegetables you can regrow from kitchen scraps in water, how to do it, and some tips to help you along the way.
1. Green Onions (Scallions)
Green onions, or scallions, are one of the easiest vegetables to regrow from kitchen scraps. Whether you use them in salads, soups, or stir-fries, green onions are a versatile and flavorful addition to many dishes.
How to Regrow:
To regrow green onions, simply cut the roots off about 1 to 2 inches from the base of the stalks. Place the roots in a jar or glass with enough water to cover the bottom part of the stalk. Change the water every couple of days to keep it fresh, and place the jar on a windowsill that gets plenty of sunlight. Within a week, you should start seeing fresh green shoots growing.
Tips for Success:
- You can regrow the green onion stalks as many times as you want by continuously cutting off the tops and letting the roots regenerate.
- To get more green onions, plant multiple roots in one jar.
2. Lettuce (Romaine, Butterhead, Iceberg)
Regrowing lettuce is an easy and quick way to grow fresh greens for your meals. While leafy lettuces like romaine are most commonly regrown, you can try this technique with other types of lettuce as well.
How to Regrow:
After you’ve used the head of lettuce, save the base of the stem. Cut the base about 2 inches from the bottom. Place the stem in a shallow dish with just enough water to cover the base. Ensure the dish gets sunlight and change the water every few days. Within a few days, you should start seeing new leaves growing from the center of the stem.
Tips for Success:
- Lettuce grows best in water with a bit of sunlight but not direct harsh sunlight.
- Keep the water fresh and change it often to prevent mold.
- Once the leaves start growing, you can cut the outer leaves for use, allowing the plant to continue growing.
3. Celery
Celery is a vegetable that can be easily regrown from the base of a stalk. It’s a great way to avoid waste while also growing fresh celery for snacks and cooking.
How to Regrow:
Take the base of a celery stalk, and place it in a shallow dish with water, ensuring that the bottom part of the stalk is submerged. Set the dish in a sunny spot and change the water every couple of days. In about a week, you’ll start to see new leaves sprouting from the center. Within a month or so, the celery should start to grow tall, and you can transfer it to soil if desired.
Tips for Success:
- Once the celery has established roots, you can plant it in soil for continued growth.
- Celery can be grown indoors or outdoors, but it thrives best with a bit of warmth and consistent watering.
- Celery needs a lot of sunlight, so make sure it’s positioned in a sunny location.
4. Carrots (Top Greens)
While you can’t regrow a whole carrot from the scraps, you can regrow the green tops from the cut-off carrot tops. These greens are edible and can be used in soups, salads, or as garnish.
How to Regrow:
Take the top of a carrot and place it in a shallow dish with enough water to cover the base of the carrot top. Leave the dish in a sunny spot and change the water every few days. After a couple of weeks, you should see the green tops sprouting. While they won’t produce new carrots, the greens can be harvested for culinary use.
Tips for Success:
- Once the greens start growing, use them in your dishes, but keep the carrot top in the water to continue producing new leaves.
- You can also grow these in soil once the greens are well-established, although this will take longer to grow.
5. Ginger
Ginger is another kitchen staple that can be regrown from scraps. If you use fresh ginger often, you can save part of the root and turn it into a new plant.
How to Regrow:
Cut a piece of fresh ginger root that has at least one or two “eyes” or small growth buds. Place the ginger root in a shallow dish with water, ensuring that the eye is partially submerged. Put the dish in a sunny area and change the water every few days. You’ll start to see roots and shoots sprouting from the eye in a few weeks.
Tips for Success:
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