Also known as scallions, green onions are a kitchen staple and arguably as important as garlic or all purpose flour. Often used as a garnish on dishes like extra cheesy Hasselback potatoes or found in recipes for classic Napa cabbage kimchi, green onions are one of those items you tend to pick up on every trip to the grocery store. While they’re relatively inexpensive, green onions are super easy to regrow in less than an inch of water, and if you plant them in the ground, you may never have to buy a bunch at the market again.
It’s easy to begin growing your own stock of scallions from a bundle you bought at your local market. Simply cut off the white bulb ends, leaving the roots intact, and place them root side down into a glass cup or jar. Fill the jar with as much water as is required (typically under an inch, depending upon the container) to submerge the roots fully and set it on a sunny windowsill. Over the next few days, continue adding water when needed to keep the roots moist and before you know it, bright green shoots will regrow from the cut top of the bulbs. You can leave them in the jar and snip what you need to sprinkle on top the best scrambled eggs, but before too long, the bulbs will stop producing new shoots.
Get them in the ground
Even if you don’t have a green thumb, growing scallions is a cinch. If you want a more long term supply of green onions, you’ll want to plant them in the ground in your garden (even a pot can work) once the shoots grow in the jar, and then let nature take its course. As more shoots sprout up, make sure to cut the leaves till the base each time you clip a stalk. Otherwise, the stalks will grow taller and your green onions will become bigger than the smaller market variety, that is unless you like them that way! Green onions are extremely hardy and can even survive winter weather, although they won’t start producing shoots again until the spring. Also, if you forget about them and your green onion plant develops a big, beautiful green flower, you can harvest that, too, and use it in soups, salads, or even stir fries.
Growing your own green onions means no more slimy bags hiding in the bottom of your produce drawer, no matter how many precautions have been taken to keep the green onions fresh. And having your own constant supply will also help you save a little money at the grocery store. Since it’s so easy and worthwhile, you might even give your thumb a few other opportunities to green!
