March means spring is almost here, and that has us extra focussed on fresh, green things! Microgreens keep sprouting up in more varieties and continue to be very popular, and we’re not surprised—microgreens are fantastic! They can add tons of flavour and nutrients to salads, sandwiches, burgers, bowls… or you can just snack on them as they are. Because we love learning how to grow all different types of veggies, we thought we’d put together a little overview on what exactly microgreens are and what it is that makes them so awesome.
The most simple way to look at it is that microgreens are baby plants. Many of the plants that you would eat in their fully grown versions make awesome microgreens—radishes, daikon, mustard greens, basil, arugula, spinach, etc…. Microgreens are planted in soil and harvested very early, in what is technically called the cotyledon stage, which means they have two unfurled seed leaves. They’re usually about 1-2 inches tall at this point. And in this way they’re actually significantly different from sprouts, which are seeds that have been germinated entirely in water.
Microgreens are considered to be a living food because they still contain all the nutrients needed for growth, which makes them really healthy for us. Don’t let their small size fool you, microgreens offer a very concentrated dose of vitamins and minerals. While their nutrient contents vary slightly, most varieties provide vitamin K (good for bones and teeth), vitamin C (very important for you immune system), and vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant). Key minerals include potassium (vital for healthy cell function), iron (key for energy and focus, among many other benefits), Zinc (helps keep your skin healthy and supports immunity), and magnesium (supports muscle and nerve function and energy production).
And not only do they have concentrated nutrition, the flavours of microgreens are concentrated too, so many of them can pack a lot of punch! We feel very lucky to have a selection of fantastic microgreens for you at Pomme, and we even have kits that will let you grow your own at home!
