If you've ever had to throw away shriveled beets you found forgotten in your fridge, a hack shared by one biologist and sustainability expert may leave you feeling a little red in the face for not knowing it sooner.
The scoop
A TikTok video posted by Ashley Diedenhofen (@sciencebyashley) sharing the hack has gained over 30,000 views, and for good reason.
"How to reduce food waste, beetroot edition," Ashley says while holding a bunch of beets. She explains that store-bought beets will keep best if the tops are cut off, but if left for too long, they may still shrivel and get mushy.
The hack is simple: Bury them in some dirt, and they'll regrow their leaves and get firm again.
@sciencebyashley most underrated veggie i tell ya #foodwaste #sustainability #ecohacks ♬ original sound - .sidemenn_
"THIS is something that feels illegal to know," commented one stunned viewer, and it's so simple it does almost seem like it should be illegal.
Ashley's advice doesn't stop with just the body of the beet, either.
"And don't forget that you can use all parts of the beetroot," she continues before sharing ways to use the beetgreens to make pesto and the root to make hummus.
"How great is reducing food waste?" she concludes.
How it's helping
Reducing food waste is indeed great. Between 30-40% of all food is thrown away annually in the United States. That adds up to around 119 billion pounds of food, 42 billion of which is thrown out in homes.
Food is the largest component of U.S. landfills, making up 22% of trash. Once in landfills, it decomposes and pumps out loads of methane, a planet-warming gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
So hacks like Ashley's help show us how to use leftovers or food past its prime to keep it out of landfills.
Another expert gardener's viral video shared similar hacks for regrowing a myriad of store-bought fruits and vegetables. For those who aren't able to make these work, one TikToker shared how to turn food into makeup — even using beets as blush.
What everyone's saying
Ashley's post collected nearly 300 comments, with the section filled with astonishment and gratitude.
"thank[s] for showing [us] how to beet food waste," quipped one clever commenter.
"Love this!" stated a second.
"Dang it! I wish I had seen this yesterday! Just wasted the beet greens! Next time I got it!" said a third.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
