By Katie “Swiss” Britt

Produce is so easy to waste. What are you going to do with those little scraps? 

Just tossing the scraps seems to be the simplest thing to get your kitchen cleaned up, but all it takes is a little water and those scraps can grow you more of what you just bought.

The end result is shaving dollars off of your grocery bill. Saving money is always a plus! No clipping coupons required here, and it’s super easy.

Many other veggies and herbs can be started in water then transferred to soil as well. These folks grow with just water!

Green Onions: 

These guys are great and can add flavor to a bunch of different dishes. I am a huge fan of the onion in general. It doesn’t take much water to start this regrowth. The dish you use depends on the specific thing you are trying to regrow.

Green onions grow up more than out so a tall slim glass will work well here. Hang on to the white part of the onion with any roots left. Doesn’t take much water – about half an inch is good. Voila! Never-ending supply of green onion.

Note – it will start to have a strong odor, so be sure to clean the water and wash off the roots every week.

Celery: 

This crunchy veggie has many uses despite naysayers calling it flavorless. It’s great in soups, with wings, under peanut butter…I could go on.

Sure, it’s relatively cheap, but I still feel wasteful when I buy a big bunch to only use a little. You are using the whole base with celery so a small bowl will work better for you than a glass.

Cut off the bottom two inches of the stalk and place in the bowl with a half inch of water. You will see growth from the center in two to three days!

Lemon Grass: 

The uses are seemingly endless. Lemon grass can be used for flavoring, as an essential oil, a germ killer and so much more. It also made the list as it can easily be regrown in water much like green onions.

Grab a tall glass with just a bit of water. You will need the bottom two inches of the lemon grass and will begin to see growth from the center. When regrowing plants in water make sure to check them every two to three days.

You are making sure there is enough water and removing any stray bits that could make the water slimy.

Lettuce:

There are many kinds of lettuce. I do not usually go after iceberg personally so what I have seen on the subject of regrowth works best with romaine. I am pretty sure other hearty varieties would also do well if you would like to experiment.

Put the bottom of the head in a bowl with water and you should see growth in a few days. In a couple of weeks you should have close to a half of a head of lettuce! 

Bok Choy:

Bok choy is a hearty veggie packed with vitamins. It is used a lot in stir fry. Another variety, baby bok choy, is harvested earlier and tends to be a little sweeter for adding directly to soups and salads.

Grab another bowl with water and place the base of the stalk in the bowl. You should see growth in a few days and a decent amount within one week! Once you have placed your new free veggies in their respective dishes then find some sunlight to aid with growth.

I have a big table by the back slider that will be just perfect. Side note – while they are growing you also have a free centerpiece!