How To Re-Grow Your Groceries (unless you have cats)

I’m going to eat healthier (how many times have I said THAT)? But this time, I’m going all out (well, my version of all out). I’ve committed to making 80% of my diet raw and vegan. Which means a lot of fruit smoothies and salads. And I want my produce to be organic, but organic can be pricey. So I decided to save a few bucks and re-grow my own.

The idea of re-growing groceries almost sounds too good to be true, so I had to see for myself if it was really possible. I had just cut up a head of romaine lettuce, but I reserved the very bottom (the “heart”). I read on line that all you had to do was place it in a pan of water and with a little time, it will eventually sprout a whole new head of lettuce, ready to harvest, eat, and repeat the process.

So I stuck the heart in a glass of water and placed it on my kitchen windowsill. For about two days, there was nothing. Then on the third day, I noticed some growth. Within a week I had several 2-3” leaves sprouting from my romaine stump. I changed the water every day (the stump gets slimy and a bit icky), excited about my little science project. Then early into the second week, I woke up and went downstairs to feed the screaming cats (they have dry food available all the time but act like they’ve been starved for weeks until I give them their portion of canned food). When I went to the sink to refill their water bowls, I noticed an empty glass on the windowsill. Half way across the kitchen, I saw the wilted sorry remains of my lettuce project. One of the feline brats must have snatched it up in the middle of the night and used it as a cat toy. I tried to resuscitate it, lovingly placing it back into its glass of water. But it never recovered. The lettuce was no more.

I plan on trying the process again, but need to find a place where the four-legged bandits won’t get to it. Incidentally, you can also re-grow green onions, ginger, celery, pineapples, potatoes and sweet potatoes. You can find how to articles and videos on line. Some stuff re-grows quickly (like celery and lettuce). Others, like pineapples, can take2-3 years to produce fruit. And if you live in a warmer climate, you can plant your re-grow projects right in the ground. Makes sense. Instead of throwing onion stumps and lettuce hearts onto the compost pile, why not bury them and watch them grow again? Just be sure to protect them from the deer and the groundhogs and the rabbits……