Vegetable Waste? Waste Not, Want Not

Propagating Veggie Scraps

Have you ever looked at your leftover bits from your green onions and thought, “Man, I could grow these and save a couple bucks for the next time I make potato soup?” . Well, if you haven’t thought about it, I bet you’re thinking of it now, huh? It’s actually super easy and one of my favorite veggies to grow in my window. Another quite delightful little veggie, or I guess herb, to grow is basil. A lot of herbs are pretty easy to propagate. Surprisingly, a lot of vegetables are easy to propagate. Take a cutting from a healthy piece, put it in some water, and watch those roots and leaves grow. Here is a list below of all the propagatable veggies and herbs below. 

• Green onions (also known as shallots if you’re fancy) – cut about two inches above the bottom and place in enough water where the roots can flourish. The green onions will grow within a week. 
• Celery – cut the stalks off two inches above the bottom and place the white parts of the stalk in a shallow bowl of water 
• Lettuce – A little bit of a harder vegetable to propagate, just because it kind of takes awhile to get a good bit. Definitely a good one for propagating and then transferring into soil! Leave the base of the lettuce and put it in a half full bowl of water. 
• Carrots – cut off the top, place in a small bit of water and watch as the leaves grow; grow you a comedian right in your window. 
• Bok Choy  – cut two inches above the base and use the leaves for whatever your heart wants
• Avocado Pit – clean the pit off, and peel the outer layer, and stick toothpicks within the pit to provide support with about half of the pit submerged in water. This one is more of just a cute plant that can be moved to soil after a while – eventually it could turn into a fruiting tree, but it would be like . . . years. Like I’m talking 5 to 10 years. 

For herbs, green cuttings are the best. Make the cut just below a leaf node, this is where the leaves attach to the stem, and remove the lower leaves. It’s best to keep 3-5 leaves on the herbs to allow photosynthesis to continue. Ensure that the cut end and any of the exposed leaf nodes are submerged in the water. 

• Basil 
• Mint
• Parsley 
• Cilantro 
• Oregano 

And of course, potatoes are a fun one to just throw into a 5 gallon bucket with some soil and make sure they are covered completely. It takes about 3 or 4 months to have some potatoes, but definitely something to do with potatoes that have grown eyes.

24% of Municipal Waste is Food Waste

Propagating vegetables and herbs is a fun way to avoid throwing away a lil extra food, even if it’s the bits we don’t eat, and make it into something we can eat! Did you know that 24% of municipal waste is food waste that goes to the landfill? I know that propagating some veggies isn’t going to cause a drastic change in that number, but it’s a fun way to give the little guys another chance. They’re also a cute addition to the window seal and can be moved to a plant pot.

Homemade Vegetable Broth

Vegetable scraps can also be made into a vegetable broth and it is pretty easy to do. Save your vegetable leftovers; I tend to put them in an airtight container and freeze them until I have enough for a broth. Vegetable broth can be made with really any vegetables. Like onion peels, carrot ends, celery stalks. If you do freeze your vegetables – lay them on the counter to thaw for about 45 minutes to an hour before putting them in the pot. Place all the scraps in a large pot and submerge them in water about an inch over the vegetables. Bring the pot to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about an hour, and then remove the veggies and strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. If not used immediately, then store the broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.

How to Compost

Composting is another great way to avoid vegetable waste from getting to the landfill. For apartment living this isn’t as ideal, unfortunately. I personally just throw the leftover vegetable bits ( like the outside layers of onions or potato peels) in the field behind my apartment if I don’t plan to make a broth anytime soon. It makes me feel a little bit better to think about the bunnies or bugs eating on the leftovers. Though, if you have the space, composting may be for you. 

First, start with an easy to get to, well shaded and drained area for the bin. The bin could be made with wood pallets or a plastic container. Then, layer the brown and green materials in a 3:1 ratio, so dry leaves and vegetable bits. The compost bin shouldn’t be more than a couple of feet high and wide so you don’t need much. It is ideal to keep it damp so the worms and microbes can flourish. Every now and then move the compost around so it aerates to prevent it from getting stinky. Use the compost within a few months to your garden or when potting outside plants with soil. You can tell the compost is ready when it is broken down enough where it looks similar to soil and has an earthy smell; not stinky!

Propagating, making vegetable broth, and composting are all a handful of things to do with vegetable scraps to avoid leaving them to the landfill adding to that 24%. Thank you for reading!