An Instagrammer is sharing her hack for an incredible way to turn produce scraps into a nearly infinite backyard food supply.
Hillside Homesteader (@hillsidehomesteader) shared a video explaining how to pull off the hack — and showing how much it can save you.
The scoop
In her clip, Hillside Homesteader starts by grabbing all the veggies she's left a little too long in the back of the fridge. She explains how she uses that aging produce to grow her own onions and sweet potatoes.
"Some of my best gardening happens from sheer neglect," she begins. "I let this onion go a little bit too long in the fridge."
The onion in question had started to grow small green sprouts. So, she sets it on the counter and lets those stalks grow out.
"Today I'm finally ready to plant it in the garden," she says. "Whenever you break it apart, just make sure you get a little bit of roots left at the bottom, and that's enough to let it take off in the garden and be happy and healthy out there."
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The video shows her getting three different bulbs from just one sprouted onion. Next up is the sweet potato.
"Here is another neglectful project I've been working on: sweet potatoes," the Instagrammer explains. "Let them go a little bit long so I stuck them in some water. Eventually, they grow these leaves. I popped off the leaves, and they grew their own roots. And voila!"
She truly makes it look so easy.
How it's helping
If you've been to the grocery store lately, you can probably guess why this trick is super helpful — it saves you money. Inflation and extreme weather have recently caused food prices to soar.
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According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, food prices increased 11% from 2021 to 2022. In prior years, those prices have only increased about 2% per year. By using produce you've already purchased to grow your own food, you're cutting down on that grocery bill.
You'd also be cutting down on food waste, which is a big concern for the environment. Around 119 billion pounds of food is thrown away each year in the U.S. alone, and 42 billion pounds of that comes from our homes. In fact, food makes up 22% of trash, making it the single largest component of U.S. landfills.
What everyone's saying
It's safe to say Instagrammers were delighted with this tip.
"I did this for both items in my pantry!! It's amazing," one person said.
"I could learn a lot from you," another commented. "Very cool."
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