Several weeks ago I saw this photo on Pinterest. The pinner CLAIMED they’d grown them from some green onion ends they’d simply submerged in water. No way. That can’t possibly be true. As a matter of fact….I’ll PROVE it!
Here are MY green onion “leftovers” from making “Those (Funeral) Potatoes” that I stuck in a small mason jar a couple of weeks ago.
And here are the same green onion “leftovers” just the other day! See, I told you they would grow! ;-)
haha. I am very happy to “eat my words” with regards to this “myth”. You indeed can “re-grow” green onions!
As you can see, I now have THREE crops of green onions going. They’re fun to watch grow (they will grow about an inch in just a few days), they look so nice on my kitchen windowsill, and BEST OF ALL they add delicious flavor to a myriad of dishes!
Tonight I threw some into the omelets I made for dinner…and last week I used my first ever “harvest” of them to make my Mom’s Cheese Bread!
As long as I can remember I’ve loved this bread! It takes simple “garlic bread” to a whole new level of deliciousness. And it’s super simple to make.
Mom’s Cheese Bread
From the kitchen of Mom
Ingredients:
1 loaf french bread, sliced lengthwise (the loaf I bought was so “fat”, as you can see in the pictures, that I ended up doubling this recipe)
3 Tablespoons chopped green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, then spread out on sliced french bread. Place bread onto a foil lined baking sheet and cook at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it after about 10 minutes). Allow to cool for a few minutes and slice.
This is really delicious with spaghetti, lasagna, etc. (Or if you are me, you can make a meal out of just this!)
Ive tried growing onions this way and I end up throwing them out. They get fuzzy old at the waterline. Any suggestions?
Maybe change the water daily? That may help to stop the mold growth process – rinse the roots and bottle and replace with fresh water daily.
This happens to me even if I rise them every day and change the water. My house ends up wreaking of them too. :( It’s a fabulous thing, but it’s just too icky for us.
That’s so funny! I’m growing my own too! I’m as surprised as you.
do they multiply, or simply grow new tops? Just curious because it appears as though you have 3 times as much onions as you started with..
Sorry for the confusion Amanda. No, they don’t multiply. I added to my “collection” with more green onions I bought. That was the week I ended up making four pans of “Cheesy Potato Casserole”. :-)
I re-grew green onions a few weeks ago. I was sooo proud that I could do this! BUT… we started smelling something rotten and couldn’t find the source. I cleaned my fridge, trash can, sanitized couters, etc… Finally I said, “something is dead under the house!” Nope! It was the onions :( I never even considered the onions because I changed out the water for fresh every few days like the blog suggested. Maybe if you use them as soon as they are long enough, you will be ok. I might try it again…
That is strange April. I haven’t noticed any smell and I live with HYPER-sensitive noses in this house!
How often do you change the water and do they need to be near sunlight?
I am trying the same thing! So far it has worked out great, and it is saving me a couple bucks, even if it only works out for a month or so. Easy, not much trouble at all. I think I can make a meal out of that cheesy bread too. Looks delicious.
they grow too fast for me to use them up, so I also chop them up, stick it in a water bottle (or something similar), then pour them out as I need them.
I like this idea. :-) Thanks Cathy!
oh, also meant to say I freeze, then pour as needed.
A tip for some of the posters that have had problems. My current “crop” is about 3-4 months old and doing great. Eventually, you will have to throw them out, but to extend their life….
* Change the water every 3-4 days
*While you are rinsing the jar/glass/container rinse your onions under the running water. Loosen the roots slightly so that clean water can get through.
* Slip off any seriously slimy layers. I generally find these on a few every 3-4 weeks.
* Do not over fill your container. You want to cover the roots and most of the white part, not the green.
* Be sure they are getting some sun too!
* Just snip the green as needed and it will keep growing. It is awesome. I bought organic green onions for some ridiculous price, but have gotten my money’s worth. A dollar for 3-4months (and counting) of organic green onions! Can’t beat that!
Good Luck
Great info! thanks Diane!
Ahhhh … I never rinsed the jar. Just poured old water out and added new. And im sure i didnt use them as quickly as i should have. Thanks so much for the tips! I really wanted it to work. Trying again very soon :)
I’ve used this recipe for years, but without the green onions! Even mayo-haters love it (just don’t tell them mayo is in it). I have green onions in the ‘fridge. And mayo and cheese. Hmmm…sounds like a plan. With more green onions to come growing on my windowsill. Sweet!
A little tip I have for the garlic is to toast the bread just lightly then rub the garlic cloves over the bread. It’s amazing how much garlic flavor becomes infused without having to chop.
Oooo….great tip about the garlic! Definitely going to try that! :-) And you’re right about the mayo…no one even suspects! ;-) shhhhh
The onion idea is great! I am going to try it. As for the cheese bread, it looks delicious. I pinned it to my “Recipes to Try” board :)
I started following your blog a few days ago….. And just to let you know, I LOVE IT!!! Thank you for all of the DIY information & ideas! I’m going to try making my own laundry detergent this weekend! I’ve got TONS on my to do list that you’ve inspired… lol. Thank you!
So glad you found my little corner of the world wide web Tiffany! :-) Welcome!
This is AWESOME!!! I wonder if it can be done with leeks. Heading off in a bit to scour the web or try it. Yay! Btw, amazing recipe for cheesy bread! I may try making this gluten free casein free, it looks that good. If so, be expecting a link. I admit, I LOVE your blog. Some days your one good thing is what changes my mood from crappy to smiley. But this post… Inspired me! Thanks!
That is the ultimate compliment Melanie! Crappy to smiley is the best! lol! :-) Thanks for sharing!
I did this once and found the flavor wasn’t as strong as when I first bought them. I’m currently growing them in a pot in my backyard and they are WONDERFUL!
Call me dumb but I don’t understand why I would regrow green onions because I use the onion (white part) of the green onion so then I’m left with the ends of the green part so I really can’t regrow them. Am I the only one who uses the onion part?
Cynthia,
haha I have never used the white part. I always use all of the green part and regrow the white part. I am not sure why I don’t use the whole thing. The green part taste like a slightly milder version of the white part. Try them…. =+)
This is so funny. My mom and I recently had this discussion. When a recipe calls for green onions, I use the green part and Mom uses the white part. We were both baffled by each other :)
Diane…I do sometimes use the green part only if I want color added to whatever dish I’m making but majority of the time I use the onion part.
Amber…That is funny! My opinion, the green part isn’t oniony (I know that’s not a real word but..) enough for me but then again I’m a rare breed who LOVES onion.
How interesting! I’m English and we call them Spring Onions. We only ever use the white part, but the green shoots are used as a perfect substitute for chives as they are so mild. :-)
The onion tip also works for beets. I buy organic beets, clip off the greens for a salad, and put the “beet part” into water and, sure enough, the leaves will grow back for more salad!
We are doing this with romaine lettuce and celery. You just save the bottom part after you cut if off and stick it in some water. They tops start to regrow right away. After the roots start growing I want to plant them outside and see what happens! Who knew?
If you can’t use the green onions as quickly as they group, simply chop what you have and freeze in a ziploc bag. I’ve done this with green onions that I’ve bought from the grocery store. Since you have to buy a bunch and I don’t always need that much, rather than waste what I can’t use now, I just freeze it – all diced up and ready to use.
Mary Alice, THANKS! That is a great tip. I cannot believe I never thought about doing this.
Here are some helpful hints that I learned from my mom, who has a green thumb up to her elbow. (Me, I have a black thumb up to my elbow and these hints worked for me too!)
All you need are the roots attached to a tiny bit of the white part of the onion. She regrows hers in soil in a pot or in the garden so no smell and no changing out water every day. She just pulls the onion, cuts off the bottom 1/2″ and replants it immediately in the same hole.
As for greens, she also grows those outside in soil. As they grow, just pull off the outside leaves and it will continue to grow new baby leaves in the center. These will last a really long time without having to replant if you do it this way.
Jillee, thanks for all the great info every day!!
Katina,
I’m glad to know this because I was determined this year to only plant edible things in my pots on our back patio. (I no linger have a garden). I planted a big pot of 5 herbs I use a lot, then 5 large pots of various lettuces and also spinach. We have been enjoying a salad every day! I have cut some in center, but will do only the outsides since that’s what you (or your Mom) recommend. I’ve also made my own dressings and am having a lot of fun with that! Fixing a roast or meal w/my fresh herbs has really made the tastes ‘pop’. Thanks for the info.
Jill, thanks for the things you do to make our lives easier/cheaper or just more fun!
I have seen this on Pinterest and wondered about it too! I am amazed that it worked, and now I have to try it too! Thanks for sharing the cheesy bread. I will have to share with my family, as we love all things bread or cheese :)
I made your cheese bread last night or dinner and it was fantastic! Everyone loved it and I can’t wait to have lunch today!!! Thank you!
Ahh….so glad to hear everyone liked it! :-) Makes me want to make some more!
Always on the hunt for kitchen gardening I attempted this a couple of months ago. I too had the same probelm with the onions turning “sour” and had to throw them out. I discovered you can have better success if you put about 1/2 inch of clean aquarium gravel with enough water to just cover the rocks and set the green onion cuttings on top.
These do grow well in the jar and shouldn’t smell if you change the water out often; however, they can also be planted in dirt and will grow well too without a lot of watering or maintaining. Just keep cutting them back every so often to keep them from growing too large. They will grow quite a bit taller and blossom unless you keep cutting them back.
Going to try both of these…the bread looks fantastic! (I have a perpetually hungry garlic bread lover….it looks easy to make as pizza bread too, with extra toppings). I find green onions to be very inexpensive at my fruit market, but free goes one step further, and I’ll use them if I have them.
New follower from Pinterest….I’m loving all your posts!!!!