With spring in full swing and summer following, many gardeners are busy preparing and planting their outdoor spaces with the sun shining again.
However, gardeners who love home cooking can also do something else indoors.
A recent study found that British households throw away £1,000 worth of fruit and vegetables each year, with shoppers blaming multipacks for the £17 billion worth of food they waste annually.
In an effort to help home cooks and reduce waste, the gardening experts at Gardening Express are encouraging households to preserve food scraps as they can be used to regrow produce like lettuce, onion and garlic.
Continue reading below to discover the seven common foods you can regrow by preserving food scraps.
In an effort to help home cooks and reduce waste, the gardening experts at Gardening Express are encouraging households to preserve food scraps as they can be used to regrow produce like lettuce, onion and garlic.
Lettuce
Sharing their first article that you can easily re-grow without having to throw it away, gardening experts said you should consider reusing lettuce leaves.
They said that to regrow lettuce leaves, you should store the leftover leaves in a container filled one-third full with water.
Then, place the container on a windowsill so it can receive a healthy amount of sunlight and grow efficiently.
Onions
While you may be tempted to throw out onions if you have leftover scraps from some recipes, Grading Express says they are very easy to regrow.
This can be done by cutting off the root end of an onion and planting it directly into the ground. Next, cover the top with a little more soil and then make sure to water it frequently.
You should also be careful to place it in the sunniest location available to help speed up growth.
You can easily regrow lettuce by simply reusing lettuce leaves. In the photo: Archive image of a field of lettuce on a winter day.
Garlic
Next, gardening experts warned that you should never let leftover garlic bulbs sit in the back of a cupboard and then throw them away.
Instead of letting them expire, they advise you to plant the bulb with the roots down in the soil in an area where it can receive sunlight.
Peppers
Once you’ve used up all the bell pepper for a recipe like a stir-fry or Mexican rice dish, you may think there’s no benefit to preserving the seeds of the vegetable.
However, if you don’t throw them away and let them dry completely for a day or so, you can grow your own peppers at home.
This can be done by planting the seeds in the ground, making sure they get sunlight and watered frequently, so they can grow back.
Basil
Although many associate homegrown foods with fruits and vegetables, the method can also be applied to fresh herbs like basil.
Similar to lettuce, basil can be reused by placing it in a container of water and leaving it in an area that receives direct sunlight.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers have seen a staggering price increase in recent years.
To get the most out of cucumbers, save the seeds and replant them for your own collection.
To get the most out of your purchase, save the seeds and replant them for your own collection.
Potatoes
Another common vegetable peel that is commonly wasted is the peel of a potato, as it is not typically used for dishes other than baking.
However, gardening gurus recommend keeping all potato peelings that have so-called “eyes in the skin”, as they can be transplanted into the ground.
If you decide to replant the skins, the eyes should look up when planting so that the sprouts emerge from the ground.