If you’re sick and tired of the cost of groceries in your part of the world (aren’t we all?), then the idea of growing more food at home has probably crossed your mind.
But what should you be cultivating yourself, exactly?
Let’s take a look.
Cherry Tomatoes
Kicking off the list is cherry tomatoes. These have a high return on the area that you use to grow them, and you can put them in a lot of recipes. Plus, they tend to have high yields and grow well in bad weather.
The best returns are during the winter and during the shoulder months. Prices for store-bought tomatoes tend to decline in the summer.
Basil
Basil is another high-return item to grow at home. If you go to the store and try to buy this herb, you’ll pay a premium. Often, you’re getting 20 calories for the price of 500 in the form of potatoes or bread.
However, if you grow it yourself, nature does the vast majority of the work. You don’t have to constantly buy more of it, and you always have a fresh supply on hand.
Microgreens
Have you seen the prices of microgreens at the store? It’s not low!
The good news is that you can grow the same greens at home for a fraction of the price. Once you have the seeds, nature will do most of the work for you.
The best way to bring down the cost of microgreens is to use a hydroponics system. These make the growing process a breeze, essentially taking over the watering and nutrient availability for you, automating the process.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are another high-value grow-at-home option for people wanting to save money on groceries. If you can grow special species, like oyster or shiitake, you can often save even more money.
The best way to grow mushrooms reliably is to use a monotub. All you need to do is add the spore liquid or starter pack and then let the environment do the rest. Often, you can get three to four crops per year from each tub, which is usually enough to replace all your conventional mushroom shopping. If you wind up with a surplus, just put the extra in the freezer.
Saffron
Saffron has the notoriety of being more expensive than gold historically. This orange spice is from crocus bulbs.
But did you know that you can actually grow the stuff at home and make a significant return.
Usually, 1 gram of saffron will set you back about $8 at the store. But if you can get the growing conditions right at home, you can bring the cost down significantly. You will need quite a bit of space to grow it, but if that’s available, it’s well worth using it for this purpose.
Vanilla
Lastly, you could look into growing vanilla. It takes a while to grow the orchard and for the vines to get established, but once they’re in place, they’ll continue serving you for years and giving you a perpetual crop.
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