It may come as a surprise to some, but there are several foods, vegetables, and herbs that can be regrown from their own waste. If you have the necessary patience, it canGrowing foodfrom waste is not only fun and worthwhile, but also helps to avoid food waste and save money. Find out here which vegetables and herbs you can grow yourself from your leftovers.
A tip in advance: If you want to grow your own food from purchased products, you should remember that you will almost always achieve better results if you choose organic quality. Some conventionally grown vegetables and herbs are treated to prevent germination, making further growth impossible.
Here is a list of foods that you can easily eatfrom leftoverscan regrow:
1. Grow your own spring onions from leftovers
Spring onions are probably the easiest and most popular vegetable to grow again and again. After using the tops and middle part of the scallions for cooking, set the root parts aside.
To start regrowing, cut the bulbs to about an inch above the roots and then place them in a jar with a little water in a sunny location. Change the water as needed and watch your green onions grow! After just one week you will be happy with a new yield! If desired, you can then plant the spring onions in a pot and let them grow. However, this is not absolutely necessary.
This method also works well with leeks and lemongrass.
2. Romaine lettuce, cabbage and bok choy
Leave another roundGrowing romaine lettuce, by placing the bottom of the cut heart in a bowl of warm water. You won't get a new head, but you'll get enough crisp leaves for a few sandwiches.
You can also regrow cabbage and bok choy leaves in the same way.
3. Pull the celery yourself from the stalk
Celery is popular because of its...health benefitsand its low calorie count. And even better – you can grow the vegetables at home from your leftovers! Cut the celery back to an inch or two above the base. Place the base in a bowl of water and place it in a location where it will receive adequate sunlight, such as a sunny windowsill.
If new leaves begin to sprout from the center, wait about a week for them to thicken before transplanting the stem into a pot of soil.
4. Basil, mint and coriander
Herbs are one of the easiest foods to grow with leftovers. Start by removing the lower leaves from the stems, but leaving the upper ones intact. Soak the stems, cut side down, in warm water.
When the new roots begin to sprout, you can enjoy your herbs or place them in a pot with soil and let the plant thrive on the windowsill or balcony.
5. Add carrot greens
If you buy carrots with heads intact (young carrots), cut off the top part of the carrot without the head falling off. You can regrow the carrot greens from this small piece of carrot!
To do this, first soak the carrot piece in a shallow dish of water for a week and then transplant it into the soil once roots form. Beautiful greens grow from the tips, making a delicious addition to salads and pestos.
Have you never tried pesto made from carrot greens before? Then take a look at oursArticles with delicious pesto variantswhere you can find this and other interesting recipes.
6. Re-grow garlic
When the garlic begins to sprout, the small green shoots are still too bitter to be used in cooking. Instead of throwing away the sprouted cloves, you can put them in a jar with a little water and grow garlic sprouts. As soon as the sprouts are around 10 cm long, you can harvest them. The sprouts (and especially their upper third) have a much milder taste than the garlic cloves and are ideal for salads, pasta and as a side dish.
Some types of fruit can also be grown from leftovers that would otherwise end up in the trash or compost heap. A fantastic example is the exotic pineapple! Although you certainly won't harvest a pineapple right away, you can grow a beautiful new houseplant in just a few weeks. And if you're a real plant whisperer, you can have one in a few yearshome-grown pineapplehave!
Growing your own vegetables, herbs or fruit at home is certainly fun! If you liked our ideas, you can also try oneMango from the coreto pull yourself or oneGrow lemon tree. Do you also grow food from leftovers at home?
