Don’t Throw Out that Vegetable Water!
May 20, 2007 by Deborah Ng
Filed under Eco Simplicity, General, Reusing and Recycling, Simple Pleasures, Simpler Thinking
I just learned this great tip from a television gardening program. After steaming or boiling vegetables, save the (unsalted) water and pour on outdoor plants. The nutrients and organic matter in the water make for a wonderful frugal fertilizer. This works best for potted plants, but feel free to use it on all your outdoor plants. Simple, cheap, and organic…can it get any better than this?
Another great option is to save that water for soup stock. It’s full of all the good stuff.
PS I can’t think of a good reason to boil vegies, unless your trying to get rid of a boring house guest. If that’s the case, 30 minutes, minimum.
Or use it as veggie broth in soups. Or to cook rice.
Agreed. There’s absolutely no reason to throw out that water, is there?
Incidentally, if I’m making rice, I’ll usually throw some frozen veggies in at the same time so I only have to deal with one pot. Plus it flavors the rice a bit.
Does it work on potted INDOOR plants, too?
Hi Mary,
I would think so. It certainly wouldn’t hurt them. The only thing I would worry about is if there are veggie bits in the water that may go bad.