Does your family love fruits and vegetables? Are you trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet? Buying organic can be expensive. However, there are many tasty foods you can regrow at home from kitchen scraps. Check out some of them here and get in on the action by sharing your ideas.
Celery
Celery is easy to regrow from leftover scraps. Here’s how it works. Cut off the base of the celery and place it in a bowl with a little warm water at the bottom. Place the bowl in direct sunlight as much as possible and watch for the leaves to start growing along the base. When the leaves appear to get thicker, transplant the celery to soil and allow it to grown to maturity. Generously continue to water the celery to keep it thriving.
Avocado
After making your favorite guacamole recipe, don’t throw out your avocado seeds. Instead, wash the seed and use toothpicks to suspend it over water in a bowl or jar. Make sure the water comes up enough to cover the bottom inch of the seed and place it in a warm place (avoid direct sunlight). Keep an eye on the water level and add more as needed. After about six weeks you should see a stem and roots appear. When the stem reaches six inches, cut it down to three inches. When you begin to see leaves, it’s time to plant the seed in soil, leaving half of it above ground. You’ll have your own avocados, ready to add to your recipes, once the tree starts to produce fruit.
Potatoes
The eyes have it! Potato peels with eyes will grow potatoes. Cut the peelings into two inch pieces (making sure each piece has a couple of “eyes”) and allow them to dry overnight. Plant them four inches deep in soil ensuring that the “eyes” are facing up when planting. A potato plant should begin to grown after a few weeks.
If you want to regrow sweet potatoes, cut one in half and suspend it, using toothpicks above a container of shallow water. Once sprouts grow and reach about four inches, twist them off and place in a container of water. Allow the roots to reach about an inch in length and plant them in soil.
Lettuce/Cabbage/Bok Choy
These veggies are also easy to grow from scraps. Place the leftover leaves in a bowl with a little water at the bottom. Keep the bowl in a place that gets good sunlight and spray the leaves with water a few times each week. Roots will begin to appear, along with new leaves. This signals that it’s time to plant them in soil. In no time, they will be ready to pick and enjoy in a nice salad, stir-fry, or other delicious recipe.
Garlic/Onion/Green Onions
Just pull off a garlic clove and plant it with the roots facing down in soil. Place in direct sunlight or outdoors in warm weather. When you see new shoots, cut them back so the plant can produce a bulb. Part of the new bulb can be planted again.
For onions, cut the root of an onion off making sure to leave about a half an inch of onion. Cover lightly with potting soil and keep where it’s sunny. To grow green onions, put the white base with roots intact in a container of water and leave it in direct sunlight. The water should be changed out every few days and the green will continue to grow. Snip it as needed to add to recipes and allow it to keep growing.
Pineapples
To enjoy this tropical treat at home, cut the top off of a pineapple and insert toothpicks to hold it above a water-filled container. Place it outside in direct sunlight on warm days. Change the water every other day and keep the container filled. Once roots form, transplant it to soil. For cooler climates, grow your pineapple indoors.
Tomatoes
Rinse tomato seeds and let them dry. Plant them in rich soil until you notice growth. Once the seeds get a few inches high, transplant them outdoors. Grow them indoors during cold weather months, making sure to place them in an area that gets lots of sunlight. Water them periodically during the week.
Basil/Cilantro
Place a lengthy basil stem (about four inches) in a glass of water, leaving the leaves well above the water line. Leave in a bright area, but avoid direct sunlight. When the roots reach a few inches, plant the stem in soil.
Take a stem of cilantro and place it in a glass of water. The glass should be placed in a bright area and transplanted when the roots grow out. In a few weeks, you will see new sprigs appear.
Cherries
It may take some time to see a cherry tree grow from a pit, but you can regrow cherries. Clean the pit, pack it in rich soil, and store in a lidded container inside your refrigerator for about 12 weeks to allow it to germinate. After 12 weeks, transplant it outdoors.
Peaches/Plums/Nectarines/Lemons
Like cherries, it will take some time to develop plum, peach, nectarine, or lemon trees, but it’s simple to get them started. Dry the seeds out and prepare them for planting. Place them in nutrient rich soil and in an area with plenty of sunlight.
What fruits and vegetables have you successfully regrown at home? Share your green thumb tips with our BCA followers. Follow BCA for interesting ideas, consumer alerts, tips, and more on Facebook and Twitter.
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