The food waste problem in America goes far beyond poor retail storage, wasteful aesthetic standards, and overproduction. In our own kitchens, there are food scraps we unnecessarily discard every day that could be repurposed and put to good use.
In a viral TikTok video, one gardener shows viewers how to use the base of a red onion to grow a new, edible onion stem.
@simonakeroydgardener The stems of red onions are easy to grow, taste delicious and are very healthy. Add them to your favourite savoury meals to add a distinct oniony flavour #growyourownfood #growyourgroceries #gardeningtips #redonions ♬ Babooshka - Kate Bush
The scoop
In his video, gardening expert Simon Akeroyd (@simonakeroydgardener) demonstrates how to cut the base off an onion, place it in water, and watch it start to grow.
Once the new onion grows, Akeroyd explains how to plant the onion in peat-free compost to grow into a sweet, succulent, onion-flavored stem.
"The stems of red onions are easy to grow, taste delicious, and are very healthy," Akeroyd wrote in the video caption.
At the end of the video, he shares that you can add these healthy stems to salads, stir-fry dishes, and other meals. In the comment section, the original poster said that the growing process is typically relatively quick and easy and that you should see growth within a week.
How it's helping
Akeroyd's onion hack is genius because it utilizes a part of the onion that most people throw away and turns it into something beneficial again. Hacks like this can help people save money on groceries and keep unnecessary food waste out of landfills.
In addition to using as much as possible from each vegetable you buy, you cut grocery bills by saving leftovers and composting food scraps that can't be reused. Growing your own food is always rewarding for your wallet, mental health, and the planet.
What people are saying
Many TikTok users weighed in on this topic after either trying this hack themselves or being curious to try it in the future. Not all commenters had success using this method, but before tossing onion scraps into the trash, it might be worth a try to see how it works for you.
"I've done this many times and have onions all over," one TikToker wrote in the comments.
Another commented, "OMG we use so so many red onions!!!! Thank you."
"I've been doing this for years; you do not need to put it in water," another TikToker advised. "You can dig a hole in the ground and put it right in there."
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