Growing Beets from Kitchen Scraps

I used to be notorious for buying beets, with grand intentions of beet and goat cheese salads...and forgetting about them in the veggie drawer.  Yep, my husband loves it.  Ahem.


Until one day... I realized that the not-so-fresh beets might just start growing if I planted them.  Low and behold, it works beautifully!  I've tried it multiple times over the past year and love how easy it is to turn would-be compost into a flourishing plant.  Bonus:  Now I can just harvest fresh beets when the mood strikes and no longer have a veggie bin of poor dejected ones.

Beets grow easily in a deep container and the plants are actually quite beautiful for a vegetable.

Grocery stores usually sell beets by the bunch, with either a couple of large beets or a trio of smaller beets.  I've taken the habit of getting the bunch with a mini beet and save this one for the garden.

To plant them, take an older beet (the mini beet!) and plant it so that the top is aligned with the surface of the soil.  Water occasionally, around once a week, and place in a sunny (partial to full sun) area.  Within a couple of weeks you'll see new greens sprouting, and a few more weeks later a lush green plant will fill out and the bulb will be ready to eat.  So simple!

Use the greens for this delicious, super-healthy dinner:  Beet Greens with Whole Wheat Pasta and Goat Cheese