Regenerating...

Recently, when I looked in my veggie bin in the pantry, I had a Vidalia onion that was getting soft and had sprouted. I decided to let it go for a while, and a few days ago I decided to see just how many new onions I had growing inside that skin.

 

I started peeling back all the layers and by the time I was finished, there were four distinct plants growing inside. I finished separating them and placed them in a jar with just a bit of spring water so the new onions could sprout roots. 

I change the water twice a day, and yesterday morning each onion had new roots. I'll give it another couple of days, and then these will also be planted in my metal sinks in my garden.

 

 

I also pulled a head of garlic, separated all the cloves and then peeled each one. Some of the cloves already had green sprouts, but they needed roots, too.

 

I grabbed the sweet, little bowl that used to belong to Shelly's great grandmother. Shelly gifted it to me, saying that it belonged in the farmhouse. I use it quite often, and it seemed perfect for this purpose. Again I added spring water and floated the cloves in it. After only one day, the garlic had sprouted new roots and tops. 

 

Most garlic is planted in the fall, but I know it can be planted in the spring, too. I decided to give it a try and see how it does through the summer. I'll likely cover it when the weather is particularly hot, but other than watering early morning or late day, it won't get further special treatment.

 

So, from what some might call a rotting onion, and a sprouted head of garlic, I'll end up with four more onions and six new heads of garlic. This can also be done with celery and potatoes. I'll likely salvage the roots from the next head of celery I purchase, and all the potatoes that sprout before we use them. I kind of love this process of not wasting food. What do you think?