All you need is a starter bunch of green onions, a jar, and fresh water.
Don’t Throw It. Regrow It.
Green onions, aka scallions or spring onions, are sold with a root end that you always trim off. But did you know you can encourage those roots to regrow new onions? Here’s how easy it is to upcycle this common food scrap you used to throw away:
- Slice off the ends of the bulbs, leaving roots attached.
- Stand the bulbs root-end down in a small jar. (I started them in an egg cup.) Add enough water to cover the roots.
- Set on a windowsill and keep the roots moist. After a few days, green shoots will emerge from the tops of the bulbs. After that, they’ll grow very quickly.
- Keep the roots submerged; change water at least once a week.
Keep the roots wet and watch the green tips grow.
- When the shoots are or four or five inches long, you can plant them in the ground or a pot, or you can keep them growing in the jar.
- Snip off what you need; the onions will continue to grow almost indefinitely.
For best results, plant your rooted green onions in a pot or right in the ground. After two years, these are still going strong. The flowers are edible, too.
Satisfaction Factor
Save money. I haven’t bought green onions in two years (except to demo this tip).
Save time. A continuous source of recipe ingredients or garnishes.
Reduce waste. You’ll never have to toss out a half-used bunch of green onions that you forgot in the fridge.
Wow the world. It’s a foolproof project that’ll impress kids and adults alike with your mad green-thumb skills.
Source: allrecipes.com