Foods that Regrow in Water

Foods that Regrow in Water

Did you know that you can regrow food in water without planting them outside in dirt? If you have two black thumbs, regrowing food scraps in water is a good choice, and it can help you save some money. It’s a great trick for those who buy organic vegetables, stretching your grocery budget just a bit further.

Why You Need to Regrow Food in Water

So, why do you want to regrow food? Here are a few of the top reasons to give it a try.

• It’s Free

Since you already purchased the vegetable, all you need is a bit of water and a bowl. You can even use water from your shower or after boiling pasta, further saving a few pennies.

• It Saves Money

When it comes to saving money, it’s often little several things put together to save money. Little things add up to big savings. You won’t get a lot of vegetable out of these scraps, but things add together. A few extra lettuce leaves create a side salad for dinner.

• Stretches Organic Vegetables

Purchasing organic vegetables is expensive, so regrowing your food scraps help to make it just a bit more affordable. You get more organic vegetables for your money.

• It’s Simple

All you have to do is put the plant in water and watch it grow. You really can’t get easier than that!

How to Regrow Food in Water

Here are some general tips and guidelines to remember when you want to regrow food scraps.

• You only need about ½” of water. Don’t use too much water otherwise, the food will get moldy or slimy – yum!
• Check the water every 2-3 days to make sure there is enough water and that no pieces of veggie have fallen off. Floating lettuce or pieces of vegetables can cause the water to get slimy.
• Match the size of the container to the size of the food you’re growing. For example, celery grows better in shallow bowls, and green onions do better with skinny glasses.
• You can grow several of the same plants so long as you don’t overcrowd the container or area.

Food Scraps You Can Regrow in Water

• Cabbage

Put the root end in a shallow bowl of water and the cabbage will regrow from the center. Harvest on the smaller side for the best flavor. Make sure you replace the water every few days and mist the leaves with water. You could also transplant the cabbage into a garden once the roots and new leaves appear.

• Bok Choy

Remove the bottom of the stalk and put it in a small bowl of water. New growth will start to grow from the center in 1-2 days, and major growth only takes a week. Cover the whole base with water, but make sure you don’t add more than ¼ inch above the base.

• Carrot Greens

Unfortunately, you can’t regrow an actual carrot, but you can regrow carrot tops. Put the cut-off end of carrot in a shallow bowl of water. Then, you can harvest the carrot greens and add to salads and soups. Some people love carrot top pesto.

• Basil

You can regrow basil by putting basil stems with leaf nodes in a small glass of water in a sunny location. The stem needs to be about four inches high. Roots will start to form in a few days, and, when the roots are a few inches long, you can plant them in the soil.

• Fennel

Take off the bottom inch of the base, leaving the roots intact. Then, put the fennel into a small bowl of water. Make sure you leave at least an inch of the base intact to regrow, and it needs to start in direct sunlight. A windowsill is a good choice.

• Celery

Celery is one of the most popular veggies to regrow. Cut off the bottom 2” and put it in a bowl of water. New growth from the center takes 3-4 days. It’ll take time for a full stalk of celery to grow, but you can get enough to flavor dishes. You can dehydrate the celery and make dried celery powder.

• Garlic Chives

Garlic chives are the greens that grow from the top of a clove of garlic, and you can use garlic chives in salads, soups, and baked potatoes. All you have to do is put a garlic clove in a small cup of water without submerging. The roots will take a few days to grow and start to shoot up.

• Bean Sprouts

If you like to cook with bean sprouts, you will be happy to know that you can grow them in water. All you need to do is soak beans in a tablespoon or so of water in a shallow w container. Leave them to soak overnight, and drain the water in the morning. Put the beans back in the container. Cover the container with a towel overnight, rinsing them in the morning. Soon, you’ll see new sprouts growing and appearing.

• Leeks

Take off the bottom 2-3” of the leeks and put in a cup of water. New growth comes from the center of the leeks, and you can use it interchangeably with onions in your dishes.

• Green Onion

The roots on the white part of the green onion need to stay intact. Put that in a glass of water, giving you a supply of green onions.

• Lettuce

Take off the bottom of the head of lettuce and put it in a bowl of water. Growth will come out of the center in 2-3 days, and it takes about 2 weeks to grow a half head of lettuce in water. Romaine lettuce tends to regrow the best, but any green or red leaf lettuce will grow. You can eat the new leaves, but you could also transplant into the soil!

• Lemongrass

Remove the bottom 2-3” and put it in a tall container with ½” water. Lemongrass shoots will grow up from the center.

Regrowing Kitchen Scraps

You’ll find that regrowing kitchen scraps is an easy task and a simple way to save some of your grocery money. These are just a few of the foods that regrow in water, and there are several other choices that can plant in the soil from your kitchen, such as potatoes, to grow and save money.