Growing Green Onions in Water

So it’s come to my attention that a lot of people didn’t know anything about green onions. When you buy them in the store they have their bulbs and roots attached.  Most just snip them down to the roots and toss the root and bulb in the trash.  When they need more they just buy another bunch at the market.

Um, why?  Seriously why do this?  I mean you are given the bulb and roots intact.  Why not just grow your own?

I’ve been doing this for years and have done it both indoors (in just a jar of water that I change regularly) and then when the weather breaks, in a pot outside.

Cutting The Green Onion for Water Growth

1. Cut the onion back to where the roots, bulb, and 1″ of the white part is preserved.
2. Going all the way to the bulb may cause the onion to not regrow

What prompted this is a TKW Family member asked how they can preserve green onions as she got a boatload of ’em and didn’t want them to go bad before she could use them all.  I gave her the instructions on how to flash freeze the snipped onions and then that all she needs to do to keep getting more is just stick the roots and remaining bulbs in freshwater.  These grow pretty fast too. Just change the water every few days, snip off what you need, and watch them regrow!

Green Onion Growing Tips

1. Change the water every 2-3 days.
2. If the outer sheath becomes slimy (this will happen), gently peel it off.
3. If the roots get too long and start to ball up snip them back to about 1″ long

Planting Green Onions

1. I tend to regrow mine for 3 full growths in water and plant them in soil.
   • I found that by the 5th regrow the bulbs and roots can get slimy to the point it’s too hard to clean them.

Growing Green Onions in Water

• Author: The Kitchen Whisperer

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Ingredients

• Green Onions with roots and bulbs in tact
• Glass Jar
• Water

Instructions

To Preserve Your Onions:

1. Line a tray with parchment paper.
2. Cut your onions down to 1″ above the bulb into pieces and place the cuttings on the parchment paper trying not to overlap.
3. Stick the tray in the freezer for an hour or so, or until the onions are frozen.
4. Place the cuttings in a freezer safe bag and place back in the freezer.
5. Use when needed.

To Grow Your Onions in Water:

1. Place the remaining stalk with the bulb and roots intact in a glass jar.
2. Fill with water so that the roots and bulbs are covered. Do not submerge though. You want at least 1/2″ sticking out of the water.
3. Change the water every few days.
4. Watch them grow in no time.
5. Snip off what you need and if they grow faster than you can use them just cut them back and preserve the cuttings!

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