Smaller than baby greens herbs and older than sprouts, these delicate leaves of deliciousness are grown from seed to harvest in about 10 days. Essentially a baby plant, it is left to grow further than the sprouting stage until just after the cotyledon leaves have developed. The actual leaves and stems are consumed, not the seed. All the good enzymes from the seed are activated during germination and passed into their rich leaves, creating a visually pleasing tiny green plant, unbelievably rich in nutrients and packed with punchy flavour.
Microgreens have mainly been a firm favourite in fine dining restaurants and therefore still relatively unknown. However, they are becoming increasingly popular amongst the nutrition focused households due to their incredible health benefits, great flavour and are really just very easy to use.
Recent studies have proven that microgreens are ‘four, to forty fold more concentrated with nutrients than their mature counterparts’ * The nutrients within these fascinating little plants help to strengthen and protect your eyes, bones, aid digestion, reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system. In addition they assist in protecting against cancer, regulating cholesterol, boosting your metabolism to help with weight loss, fight infections and prevent anaemia and treats anaemic symptoms.
It is no wonder that these wonderful herbs are referred to as super foods and we have listed their potential health benefits in more detail below.
*said researcher Qin Wang, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Maryland.
How to use Microgreens
Due to their delicate structure and unique flavours that are spicy and sweet, microgreens, are used by chefs in particular to create attractive dishes in restaurants. However microgreens are so much more than garnish and will enhance any soup, sandwich, wrap, stir fry, pizza, burger, pasta, sauce and our personal favourite — salad! Adding micros to your salad, especially pea and sunflower shoots will leave you in awe of the flavour and quite literally transform your salad, admitting you did not know greens could take so good. We suggest a drizzle of virgin olive oil with freshly squeezed lemon to really bring out the flavour of your salad and you will feel the goodness you are tasting!
Getting children and toddlers to enjoy their greens is easier too, especially served as a snack.
Storing Your Microgreens
All vegetables and greens will last longer if you store them properly, and microgreens are no exception.
Maintaining moisture is a key part of keeping your microgreens fresh and crunchy.
One of the best and simplest ways to store them is to put them between damp pieces of paper towels and then seal them in a plastic bag or container.
If you store your microgreens this way, you should expect them to stay good in your refrigerator for up to a week.
It’s best to leave your microgreens in the refrigerator until right up until they need to go on to your plate or into your recipe. That way they won’t start to dry out or wilt before you get to serve them.
Here are some extra tips to make your microgreens last as long as possible.
1) Keep them cool
Microgreens like to be kept cool. Around 36 degrees F (around 2 degrees C.) Normal refrigerators can run at up to 40 F (4.5 C) so you may want to check your settings and turn your fridge down a bit if you’re able to.
2) Keep them out of sunlight
Microgreens love light when they’re still growing. But once you harvest them, it’s best to keep them out of direct sunlight.
Exposing some varieties of microgreens to sunlight after they’ve been harvested can alter their taste and appearance.
3) Wash them with care
It’s a good idea for health reasons to wash your microgreens before eating them, just like any vegetable. But microgreens can bruise easily, so they need to be handled with care.
You don’t need to drown them. Just lightly rinse them in cold water and then gently run them through a salad spinner to dry them off if you’ve got one.
It’s best to wash your microgreens right before you’re going to use them, not before you store them in the refrigerator. Otherwise they may have excess moisture and deteriorate more quickly.
