Foods That Regrow From Kitchen Scraps: What to Expect

Infographic steps for regrowing potatoes and sweet potatoes from cut pieces with eyes, and a pineapple from its leafy top rooted in water

Cooking Stoned

What the first panel shows:

Potatoes and sweet potatoes: cut into pieces that each have one or two "eyes" and leave them at room temperature for a few days until fully dry. Plant them about 12 inches apart and add more soil as the plant grows, until it is about 6 inches tall. Store harvested sweet potatoes in a warm, dry place for two weeks before using; the infographic says this is what makes them sweet.
Pineapple: slice off the green leafy top, remove all the fruit and peel away the bottom layers until root buds show. Stand it in water for about two weeks to form roots, then pot it. Growth happens in the first few months, but harvest takes two to three years.

Don't throw your scraps away - grow them and save on grocery costs!

Seeking to cut grocery costs but still desire to get healthy? Look no further than the following infographic produced in partnership by Whole Foods and Cooking Stoned TV.

Below, you’ll learn about the many foods you can grow in your kitchen from leftover scraps. If you’re diligent and follow through with the basic care of the plants, you could potentially save yourself and your family quite a bit on annual grocery expenses.

While composting your scraps is another intelligent way to utilize your leftovers and ensure they don’t go to waste (like food scraps; the earlier 40% estimate lacked a dated source), growing your scraps is another option that can benefit your whole family.

And finally, if you’re still not sure eating healthy is worth the effort the extra bit of expense, the earlier feature linked to an article with an unverified cost claim, titled “How To Eat Healthy For Only $1 More Per Day”. Growing a plant can be a satisfying household experiment, but it is not a guarantee against illness or emotional trauma. The result should be judged by the actual plant and any usable harvest, not by an unsupported health promise.

Full True Activist infographic on foods that regrow from kitchen scraps

Full True Activist infographic on foods that regrow from kitchen scraps

What are your thoughts? Share in the comments section below.

Source: True Activist

Keep a simple record

For one chosen scrap, note the date, the conditions you provide and the changes you observe. Distinguish a new shoot from a harvest you can actually use. The gallery offers starting ideas; results and care requirements depend on the particular plant and growing conditions.

For a separate practical resource on identifying plants and checking the result, see How to Identify Plants with Pl@ntNet—and Check the Result.

A new shoot is an observation, not yet a result

Seeing growth from a leftover piece can be satisfying even when it does not produce much food. The useful next question is what the particular plant can continue to develop under the conditions you can provide.

Keep a record of space, light, time and materials as well as visible changes. That makes it possible to compare the experiment with its original purpose. A small growing project may be valuable as a way to observe plants, rather than as a substantial reduction in household costs. The infographic offers starting ideas; it does not establish a universal harvest, nutrition benefit or financial return.

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