Hold it right there – don’t throw out those old scraps! We’ll be sharing the top techniques to regrow your fruit and veggie scraps like a pro, saving you time and money, while reducing waste, pollution and landfill in the environment.  

Why regrow your fruits and veggies?

There are numerous benefits to regrowing your old produce scraps – for starters, you’ll save time on your weekly grocery shop – but another plus would have to be financial savings. With inflation at a 3-decades-long high and, despite a recent drop down to 6.8%, we’re still seeing unstable grocery prices, with fresh produce remaining more expensive than usual, leaving many struggling to keep up with their weekly shop. Some of the foods we’ll be showing you how to regrow also happen to be some of the most expensive – lettuce, for one, remains at a disturbingly high price as a result of inflation, despite its humble reputation. Then we’ve got ginger, which often goes for over $40 a kilo – yikes. But if you can regrow this highly nutritious, anti-inflammatory, antiviral root veggie, there’s no need to miss out on its impressive health benefits.

Fruit and veggie scraps also contribute significantly to landfill, with the release of methane gas furthering greenhouse gas pollution. Many of us toss out our scraps after a night of cooking, but there’s another way to deal with these leftovers in a way that benefits both you and the environment. Here are 8 fruits and veggies you’ll want to regrow at home. 

Graphic by Grace Martin

Pineapple

You don’t have to live on a tropical island to grow pineapple! You might be surprised at how easy it is to regrow this popular, refreshing fruit. All you’ll need to do is cut the top of your pineapple off, just below where the leaves start. Then you’ll want to remove the fruit from the base of the leaves without damaging the stem or leaves. After this, remove some of the lower leaves so that the stem of the pineapple can be exposed. Now, before you get into the regrowing phase, allow the top to dry for a few days in a sunny area – this prevents rot. You can now plant your pineapple in a well-drained soil mixture – be sure to leave the stem exposed and water the soil regularly. Remember, Sunlight exposure is really important for regrowing pineapples. You should start to see growth in a few months! 

Ginger

Fresh ginger is notoriously expensive, but it’s also loaded with gut-boosting nutrients that ward of diseases, promote brain health and improve circulation. That’s why you’ll want to try this easy method to regrow store-bought ginger at home so you can enjoy it without taking a hit to your wallet. You only need to plant a leftover piece of your ginger root into some soil, with the buds facing upwards. After a week, you’ll see roots and shoots of ginger grow, and this is your key to a neverending ginger supply! Simply replant the new pieces as they come through, and you can keep growing ginger over and over.

Sweet potato

To get your own home-grown sweet potatoes, all you need to do is cut the veggie in half and suspend it above a container or bowl with just a little bit of water – you can use toothpicks to help suspend the sweet potato. You’ll notice roots and sprouts in a few days – now it’s time to get your ruler out; when those roots get to around 15cm, twist and pull them off and place them in a bowl of water. Once they start growing, plant them into soil – now it’s just a waiting game until your home-grown sweet potatoes are ready.

Onion

Onions can be regrown both indoors and outdoors, making them highly adaptable to your living situation. You simply need to cut the root off, leaving around 5cm of onion on the root. You can then cover it with soil and leave it in an area exposed to sunlight.

Cabbage and Bok choy

Bok Choy and cabbage can be regrown using the same method – all you need to do is put your leftover veggie scraps in a bowl with a bit of water. Ensure the bowl gets exposure to sunlight, along with spraying the leaves with water every couple of days. After just 3 or 4 days, you should notice roots and leaves popping up, and this is the signal to transfer your Bok choy or cabbage into soil to fully grow.

Bonus: Lettuce can also be regrown using this same method! So, say goodbye to pricey heads of this humble veggie, and simply grow your own!

Carrot

To regrow your carrots using scraps, you’ll simply need the top of the carrot with a few centimetres of the stem attached. Put it side-down in a dish of water – just a little bit of water to cover the base. Put the dish in a sunny spot, replacing the water every few days, then you will start to see some growth from the carrot top. Once that growth gets larger, around 5cm, it’s time to place it into a pot or a garden bed of soil. In just a few weeks, you’ll have carrots!

Celery

Celery is one of the easiest veggies to grow using just the scraps you’ve got leftover. Simply cut off the base of your celery and place it in a bowl with a small amount of warm water filling the base of the bowl. Be sure to keep the bowl in direct sunlight every day. You’ll start to notice the celery growing after just a week, and this is when it’s time to plant the celery into soil and let it grow. That’s all there is to it 

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