If you follow Jake & Maya on Instagram, you will know that we’re fortunate enough to have space to grow our own fruit and veg. Here’s some of our recent harvests…We love living a sustainable lifestyle, and have made some huge lifestyle changes to make it happen for us. You can read more about our journey here. However, you don’t need a lot of space to make this happen for you. There are loads of kitchen scraps you can regrow and, hopefully, harvest. Here’s a few of my favourites….
Pineapple. Did you know you can regrow your pineapple? All you need is a pineapple fruit, a container of wanter and then a planter and dirt. It will take about a year or so to grow a fruit. Check out the tutorial over at Life Bunny (but be warned, I have read it took 6 years for one to fruit!). Also have a look at Express-O who has beautiful images of her regrown pineapple.
Spring Onions. These are sooooo easy to regrow and they provide a high yield for the minimal space they need to grow (unlike the pineapple). Plus they’ll grow pretty much anywhere. Take the left over roots and drop them in water so they’re covered. Make sure the roots are pointing down to help them along. Also, change the water every few days. It takes about a week for them to regrow. The Burlap Bag shows how easy it is along with an update 8 days later. Never buy spring onions again!
Fenel. Another one that works brilliantly on the windowsill. Just keep the roots in tact and you’ll need about an inch of the fennel. Again, place it in water and watch it do its thing! Type II Diabetes Recipes has good instructions if you need a step by step guide as well as a list of other herbs you can regrow easily.
Avocado. Now this one I have tried, and after a few months of NOTHING I was beginning to give up hope, when suddenly it cracked and a tap-root began to grow. I can not tell you how joyful I was at that development! Make sure you keep the water clean, I actually wiped my seed a few times as it was beginning to look a little slimy. Do not let the tap-root dry out – ever. And once it is split it is super fragile so handle with care. If you have some patience, see full instructions over at Inhabitat.
Celery. This one is super easy to do. Just cut the bottom off and leave it in a little water. I have not tried this one (yet) but keep reading just a little bit of warm water is the way to go. Keep it in direct sunlight and you’ll start to see the leaves beginning to grow along the bottom. When this happens, plant it in soil and watch it grow! These beauties are being regrown by sew the day.
Why you should regrow. Firstly, it’s so satisfying watching and then eating something you have grown, the kids love it and it may help you engage them with food, the environment and you never know, they may even be up for eating their greens! Secondly, you’re adding less waste to the bin. Everything helps, and if we all looked at ways we could regrow our own foods, we would make a difference. Thirdly. Cost. It’s expensive to buy fresh produce so having it to hand at home can reduce that grocery bill!
Do you regrow anything? Or have any top tips on these ones? If so, let me know. Leave a comment below or pop over to my Facebook page.
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