Are you a fan of recycling and gardening? So don’t throw away leftover food! Did you know that it’s possible to grow your favorite fruits and vegetables just from food scraps that often end up in the trash? Imagine never having to buy one again? It wouldn’t be a luxury!
Because yes, thanks to your food waste, it is completely possible to grow new plants in your garden! And what’s more satisfying than giving the stems and seeds of our fruits and vegetables a second life, with just a little soil, water and sunshine?
Here are 12 products you can easily grow at home with the food scraps you already have. Follow our practical advice to reduce your food waste and have fresh products at hand!
1. Celery
Inevitable for a healthy diet, this green vegetable provides all the micronutrients, dietary fiber and vitamins (K, B6, C) essential for good health. Tender and crunchy, its leaves and seeds are an important source of antioxidants that fight cancer and other diseases. Do you wish it would never end?
Remove about 2 inches from the base of a celery stalk and place it in a deep bowl filled with water, wetting the top daily to keep it moist. Replace the water with fresh water every other day until you notice new roots starting to grow. Then transplant them into the ground.
2. Aromatic herbs
Chives, basil, thyme, dill, coriander, parsley… Our cooked dishes would be very bland without the flavor of these aromatic herbs that enhance the taste of our meals. As a bonus, their significant supply of vitamin K and chlorophyll helps fight all the free radicals that trigger cardiovascular disease. Very often grown in vegetable gardens, these herbs today also find their place in aromatherapy and phytotherapy. A real relief to always have them at home!
Most herbs are propagated by cuttings: cut a knot and place the cut portion in a pot of water on the windowsill. Change the water daily or every other day until roots emerge, then transplant into a container or soil.
3. Garlic
Very rich in flavor and low in calories, garlic is one of the most used ingredients in the kitchen. Impossible to ignore: it gives flavor to our dishes and proves to be an inexhaustible source of health benefits, thanks to its cocktail of antioxidants.
Garlic is one of the easiest foods to grow from kitchen scraps. Simply take the cloves and place them in the soil, with the tips facing upwards, spacing them 10-15 cm apart. Plant them outdoors in the fall. Plant them indoors in a container at any other time and enjoy the medicinal benefits of green garlic.
4. Ginger
Aside from its legendary reputation as an aphrodisiac, ginger is very popular for its unique flavor, its pronounced juicy and slightly spicy taste. Very present in Asian and oriental cuisine, it is also known for its numerous therapeutic properties. This powerful anti-inflammatory aids digestion, reduces migraines, prevents heart disease, limits nausea… and the list goes on! Do you want to grow it at home?
Soak the ginger root in warm water overnight, then plant it in a container, cover it with soil and place it in a sunny spot.
5. Green onions
Green Onions – Source: spm
Halfway between the classic onion and chives, green onion is an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber that facilitate digestion. To banish all intestinal disorders, this is the vegetable you need! So, as long as you do, why not grow it at home?
If you’re using only the green part of the onions, save the white part with a small amount of green and place it in water near the sunny window. Add water regularly or transplant them into a pot with soil for longer use.
6. Lettuce
Light and refreshing, lettuce remains essential in most of our salads. And its regular consumption is not of little importance for health, since it is a well of virtues: it is equipped with all the minerals, nutrients and vitamins that the body needs. Furthermore, with its high fiber content, lettuce is very satiating and promotes perfect digestion. It will have an ideal place in your garden!
If you usually discard the rest of a lettuce, separate it from the leaves and place it in a bowl of water. Add water every day or every other day. After two weeks, you will notice the appearance of fresh new leaves!
7. Peppers
Peppers – Source: spm
Eaten raw or cooked, red, green and yellow peppers are part of our daily meals. In addition to their tender, juicy and sometimes spicy flavor, they are an important source of vitamins (A and C), fiber and antioxidants which stimulate intestinal transit, prevent some cardiovascular diseases and the risk of cancer. Instead of quickly getting rid of their seeds, save them to grow your own peppers at home!
Plant them directly into the ground and water them regularly. As soon as a new plant emerges, transplant it into a larger container or outdoors, where it will thrive better in direct sunlight and warm temperatures.
8. Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Whether fried or steamed, the potato is certainly the most popular food in the world. Certainly, being quite caloric, it is better to consume it in moderation. But, even if it is not recommended in diets, it should not be overlooked, because its health benefits are countless: this starch is very rich in potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper. Just that !
To grow potatoes indoors, apply this nifty trick: Cut potatoes into 2-inch pieces and let them dry for a few days. So sow directly into the ground in early spring and enjoy buttery-tasting homemade potatoes in early to mid-summer.
9. Strawberries
Strawberries – Source: spm
A small, red, fleshy fruit that is easily recognisable, the strawberry has a slightly sweet and savory flavor that is a delight for pastry chefs. But aside from its sensual appearance, this fruit is very rich in vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants and minerals. Low in calories, strawberries are therefore rich in virtues to strengthen the immune system. Do you want to have your own strawberry field?
Carefully cut the outer skin (containing the seeds) of the strawberry, or extract the seeds with tweezers. Place the seeds in a container with potting soil, cover with potting soil, place in a sunny place and water regularly. Transplant strawberry shoots into a pot or outdoor garden in spring.
10. Tomatoes
In the same line as the potato, the tomato is indispensable in our cuisine! It’s difficult to imagine a Bolognese sauce without tomatoes! Without forgetting all our fresh salads which would not have this unique and fragrant flavor without this vegetable (or fruit in botany). Sometimes crunchy and juicy, sometimes sour or sweet, the tomato is not only hydrating and refreshing, it is rich in vitamins and antioxidants. It effectively fights bad fats and reduces hypertension thanks to its potassium content. What are you waiting for to grow it in your garden?
Simply plant the seeds of your purchased tomato in a small pot, keep them well watered on a windowsill. Once the plant reaches a height of several inches, transplant it into a larger pot or outdoors.
11. Turmeric
Cousin of ginger, this spice has a peppery flavor that can enhance all good boiled dishes. And if its pungent aroma delights the taste buds, you should know that turmeric is excellent for health: thanks to its content of anti-inflammatory curcumin, its source of vitamin C and its antioxidants, it prevents chronic pathologies and relieves digestive disorders . . If you want to have them continuously at home, follow this cultivation method:
Like ginger, turmeric is a rhizome, so you need to plant it sideways to allow its root system to extend horizontally. A tropical plant, turmeric grows best indoors in most areas. Place it in the warmest place in your home, it prefers temperatures up to 70 or 80 degrees Celsius. So ideally under a heat lamp or get a germination kit. Keep the plant constantly moist by spraying and watering it regularly. Harvest when the plant begins to dry out after several months.
12. Pineapple
With its juicy and fragrant yellow pulp, pineapple is one of the most popular tropical fruits in the world! More or less sweet, cooked as a dish or as a dessert, this detox fruit is not only a delight for the palate, but is also a health enhancer. Rich in fiber, vitamins, manganese and bromelain, pineapple is very satiating and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. How about consuming it without moderation?
Unlike other fruits, pineapples are grown from other pineapples, not from seeds. Then you will need to take the top of a pineapple, dry it and plant it. Simply !