Micros or sprouts? Also known as “vegetable confetti,” microgreens are sometimes confused with sprouts — germinated seeds that are eaten root, seed and shoot. Microgreens include a variety of edible immature greens, harvested with scissors typically two to four weeks after germination, when the plants are up to 2 inches tall. The stem, cotyledons (or seed leaves) and first set of true leaves are all edible.
Variety. Endless. Nearly any vegetable seed can be grown and harvested as a microgreen. We’ve tried a variety and so far favorites are radish (wow-punch of flavor), Spicy Mix from Johnny’s Selected Seeds (one of my favorites), mustard, arugula, dill, carrots. For color, the purple leaves of beets, basil and kohlrabi are fun.
Why microgreens? Microgreens have been a favorite flavor and visual booster used by chefs in fine dining restaurants and available in specialty stores for several years now.
According to a 2012 research study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry*, “In general, microgreens contain considerably higher concentrations of vitamins and carotenoids than their mature plant counterparts, although large variations were found among the 25 species tested. In comparison with nutritional concentrations in mature leaves, the microgreen cotyledon leaves possessed higher nutritional densities.”
Sprouts are grown in water, which are tasty and crunchy. However microgreens grown in soil provide a great deal more nutrition in those tiny first leaves.
We think it’s time to bring these nutrient dense, sweet and zesty beauties to all foodies! So go ahead! Sprinkle the confetti on your morning eggs, lunch salad, evening burger or pizza.
Don’t have any? Contact us! We’d love to share samples of micros to max up your meals.
