Almost Free Food

Almost Free Food.

You’ve heard of Freegans, people who recycle free food and other items that have been thrown in the trash because they don’t like to see waste. They usually look for food that is still in its package and not too far beyond its expiration date. But did you know that you can literally GROW food from the Freegans free trash? Yes, after they have prepared and enjoyed their recycled dinner MORE food could be grown from their fresh food scraps! You can do this with your own scraps as well. Even though you must wait for it to grow, this is very close to getting free food.

All that is needed is a good place to do a little gardening. A space in a garden or a large plant pot with sufficient potting mix will do. Grab the uncooked potato peelings from dinner before they are tossed in the disposal. Trim pieces to have at least one eye and a bit of the potato. Try to get a piece 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick. Eyes are the little white nubs that form on the outside of the potato usually in late winter, early spring. Pictures They will become the plant stalk and leaves if given the chance. Place the trimmed piece of potato skin on a plate and just barely cover the bottom half of it with fresh water. When the eyes begin to swell and grow it’s time to put the peelings in the ground. Place the potato peelings on three inches of soil in the bottom of a container or in the garden, cover with about two inches of soil or vermiculite and water in. Over the next several months, keep adding more soil so the forming potatoes remain well covered.

Now go rescue a couple of carrot tops. Place them in water or directly in soil-cut side down. Both the potato peels and the carrot top will sprout in just a couple days. The carrot tops will continue to grow and produce lacy foliage, flowers and then seed which can be harvested and planted.

Let’s go back to the scrap bucket for a fresh pineapple top. If the Pineapple is still whole, using gloves twist the top off of the fruit. Let the top dry for a day then plant. If the fruit has already been cut then trim away anyleft over fruit and let the top dry for a day then plant this in soil in a similar manner as the carrot using a much larger container. It may take several years before it happens but if the pineapple plant that grows from your top gets the right environmental conditions you may just be blessed with a fresh home grown pineapple someday.

A Garlic clove is its own seed, so technically they aren’t grown from a part you would normally throw away, but it’s just so easy you may want to save a couple cloves to start more. The clove can be planted as is or remove the “skin”, recommended when it is very dried. With the wider flat part down, place the clove one or two inches below the soil surface. The clove will need 5-6 months of warm growing to produce a bulb. Garlic is easily grown outdoors or indoors on a sunny porch.

Dried Beans also are their own seed and most, if not previously heated, treated or frozen, will sprout readily when planted. Best to put these outside where they have room to roam.

Just for fun give scrap gardening a try. You can grow a little food and save a little money. But most importantly will be the feeling of satisfaction that you have literally created food from scraps.

Tagged as: Almost, Food, Free