Grow Fresh Produce in Your Kitchen Using Food Scraps!
All you need is some water and a sunny window…
Fresh fruits and veggies are tasty, add flavor to any meal, and are an important part of a balanced diet. They can also help boost your immune system, which we’re all about right now. But these days we’re trying to limit trips to the grocery store as much as possible. So how do you keep a stash of produce available without having to leave your house? By planting food scraps! Yes, you read that correctly.
Growing produce from food scraps has a lot of benefits. It diverts food waste from your trash or compost, it can teach young children about gardening, and it provides a relaxing project during these uncertain times. Plus, as long as you don’t use any pesticides, everything you grow in your kitchen will be organic! Below are some types of food scraps that will grow into new produce with minimal effort on your part.
Lemongrass– this citrusy herb is easy to grow and will up the flavor profile of any dish! Put the bottom 2-3 inches of lemongrass in a half inch of water and keep in a sunny window. Change the water every few days. New growth will sprout from the center.
Celery– Put the bottom 2 inches of a celery stalk in a shallow bowl of water and place in a sunny window. Replace the water daily. New growth will appear within a few days. It might take a while for a full stalk to grow, but you can use the small growth to flavor dishes or to make your own celery powder!
Green onion– This is one of the easiest things to grow in your kitchen! Keep the white part of the onion in a small glass of water. Green onions will grow really fast in a sunny spot- you could have fresh onions in about one week!
Lettuce– place the bottom portion of a head of lettuce in a shallow bowl of water in a sunny window (you know the drill by now). New lettuce will start sprouting in a few days and you’ll have about ½ of a head of lettuce in two weeks. That’s the perfect amount for a sandwich or a burger!