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A “microgreen” is a new fashionable word in the lexicon of healthy lifestyle and organic nutrition fans. It has already been dubbed “superfood”. Healthy lifestyle bloggers with a million audience talk and write about micro-greenery, cafes and restaurants specializing in healthy and vegetarian nutrition include it in their recipes.
What Is A Microgreen?
Microgreens are a very young shoot of ordinary plants. Most often – all kinds of greens, root crops, and cereals. Microgreens synthesize cytokinins, which belong to the class of plant growth hormones and stimulate cell division.
They also produce auxin – a natural growth stimulant. Sprouted seeds do not have time to accumulate these substances in sufficient quantities.
For the first time, scientists used microgreens to feed astronauts. But on the menu, they appeared only in the early 1980s in San Francisco. Initially, the choice of plants for obtaining microgreens was small: arugula, basil, beetroot, coriander, and cabbage. Currently, the assortment includes dozens of different crops.
The most popular are beetroot, arugula, radish, basil, mustard, daikon, cabbage, watercress, soy, lentils, sunflower, peas, alfalfa, and buckwheat. Nightshade tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes contain natural poisons, so we do not use them as microgreens.
Аre Microgreens Healthy?
At the beginning of growing, young plants contain a maximum of vitamins and other micronutrients. Studies show that their content in microgreens can be much higher than in fully formed plants of the same crops. At this time, plants more effectively use the reserves of nutrients laid down at the stage of seed formation.
In older plants, the content of micronutrients will depend on the growing conditions, soil quality, and other external factors. In young plants, the availability of substances is higher – the body absorbs them more easily.
It is easy to notice in cereals (oats, wheat, buckwheat, etc.): the same nutrients absorb from microgreens much better than from seeds. We most often use them in the form of cereals, but they lose a significant part of their usefulness during drying, storage, and heat treatment before using. In addition, vitamins and minerals in cereals are usually “bundled” with starch, gluten, fats, and sugars (carbohydrates) – and, accordingly, with a certain number of calories.
Although nutritionists and nutritionists recognize cereals (especially whole grains) as a necessary component of a healthy diet, there are situations when their use should be limited.
The seeds of cereals are the best source of the essential vitamin B1 and some other vitamins of the B group. The microgreen of these crops allows you to get all their benefits with a much lower calorie content and without “bonuses” in the form of gluten and starch. If you are gluten intolerant, it is not recommended to eat microgreens of wheat, rye, and barley.
Microgreens are also rich in vitamins C, E, PP, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium; aromatic herbs (basil, coriander, cilantro) also contain essential oils with antioxidant properties.
How To Use Microgreens?
You can use microgreens like any other vegetable and green crops: you can add them to salads and other dishes and make homemade green cocktails. You can decorate ready-made dishes from meat, poultry, or seafood with micro-greenery. However, to get the most out of it, you should follow two simple rules:
- The fresher the microgreen, the more useful it is. Almost immediately after cutting, young plants begin to lose their properties. With long storage, vitamins are destroyed, and the micro-green itself becomes less tasty.
- Micro-greens are contraindicated by heat treatment. Boiled or fried, it turns into a meaningless green mass, in which all the substances begin to disintegrate.
As for the taste, the microgreens are recognizable, except that somewhat weakened shades of taste of the corresponding culture (radish sprouts are similar to young radishes, mustard gives piquant-spicy notes of mustard).
Is It Possible To Grow Microgreens At Home?
In the most elementary version, you will only need seeds and some items that you can find in every house. In stores, you can buy special devices for germinating seeds. Micro-greenery does not need special growing conditions and any exceptional care: a free window sill and 5 minutes every day will be enough.
Microgreens can simply be sown in plastic trays with universally purchased soil in the same way as garden crops are usually sown for seedlings. Containers with earth do not look particularly attractive and take up a lot of space, so it is better to use one of the methods of cultivation.
Simple Ways Of Growing Microgreens
Microgreen on cotton wool. Prepare seeds, a little cotton wool (or cotton pads), a plate or a small bowl, a teaspoon, and a glass of water. Place the cotton wool evenly on the bottom of the bowl with a thick layer and wet it well.
Put the seeds in a glass and pour a little water. Leave it for a few minutes: this is necessary for forming a water “shell” around each seed. Using a teaspoon, evenly distribute the seeds over cotton wool or a cotton pad. Cover the container with seeds with a transparent film or a glass lid and put it on the windowsill.
Planting is sprayed two times a day from a spray gun. Instead of cotton wool, you can use gauze, paper towels, loose burlap, and any other similar material.
Microgreen on toilet paper. A small amount of micro-greenery can be grown even on toilet paper. It is a very convenient and neat way. Your small plantation will almost not take up space on the windowsill.
Prepare seeds, toilet paper, plastic wrap, tweezers, plastic cups, a plastic bag, a spray gun or a small syringe, and stationery elastic bands. Cut the plastic wrap into strips of the same width as toilet paper. The length of the strips is 40-50 cm; if you have a lot of seeds, it is better to make several small rolls than one that will be too thick.
Roll out the toilet paper into one layer on the finished strips of polyethylene. Moisten it a little with a spray gun or a syringe so that the paper is not too wet and does not spread. Use tweezers to arrange the seeds in a row, retreating from the edge of the paper 1-1.5 cm; the distance between the seeds is 4-5 cm. Cover the top with a layer of paper and a strip of polyethylene.
Then roll it into a roll, secure it with an elastic band and mark the name of the culture if you are going to evict several of them. Put the roll in a plastic cup and pour about 4 cm of water. Place the glass in a bag (or cover it with it), make several holes for ventilation. In a few days, you will see the shoots.
Microgreen in the bank. Prepare seeds, a glass jar of 0.5 liters, a piece of gauze or a thin plastic mesh, and an elastic band. Pour the seeds into a jar and pour a small amount of water. Pull the mesh over the neck of the jar, fix it with an elastic band. Put the jar on the windowsill. When the seeds swell, drain the water and rinse the seeds several times, without removing the mesh from the jar.
Drain the water properly and put the jar on its side, or better set it at an angle of about 30° with the neck down so that the excess water runs off. Wash the seeds 2-3 times a day, making sure that no water remains in the jar after washing.
Microgreen in the hydrogel. Prepare the seeds, hydrogel, hydrogel dilution container, planting container, and water. Pour the dry hydrogel into a large container, fill with water and leave for 8 hours to swell.
Transfer the resulting mass to containers, you can remove excess water by throwing the hydrogel into a colander. After sowing, no additional care is required, and in a few days, it will be possible to cut the seedlings.
Germiners For Micro-greenery
There are industrial devices for micro-greenery germinating. The simplest sprouts are ready-made jars with a mesh lid – you do not have to make them with your own hands. The disadvantage of this device is that you can sow only one crop in it. You can buy several jars with a stand that allows you to store them in an optimal position – at an angle.
Also, a simple and inexpensive option is a plastic container with a mesh pallet. You pour water on the bottom of the container, distribute the seeds on a grid, spray them from a spray gun, then rinse under running water 2-3 times a day. In such containers, you can germinate several crops at once. There are more complex variants based on the same principle – multi-tiered, glass, or with a system for draining excess water.
The next level is electrical devices that need power from an outlet. There are relatively simple hydroponic germiners on sale with the function of aeration of liquid, thanks to which fresh herbs can be obtained in 10-12 hours.
For the most enthusiastic fans of micro-greenery, whole micro-farms are offered with a set of various functions: the option of growing on a substrate, automatic disinfection, a wide range of adjustments, and the ability to program the operating mode and a large number of compartments for different crops. You can choose the device that suits you better.
Mold Control
The life cycle of microgreens is short and does not have time to catch infections characteristic of ordinary seedlings. However, many complain about the appearance of mold on seeds and sprouts. There may be several reasons:
- Excessive humidity. If you sow the seeds in pairs and cover them with a film or a lid, you must ventilate them at least for a few minutes a day. If you grow microgreens in a pallet with a grid, watch the amount of water. For automatic systems, it is enough to adjust the water supply, if there is such a possibility.
- Excess light. Many people believe that the germination of seeds and the formation of seedlings need bright light. The seeds of most vegetable and green crops do not need light to sprout – they are adapted to being in complete darkness.
- Infected substrate or equipment. Do not use the substrate several times. It is better to buy sterile cotton wool. You must wash and disinfect all containers after collecting micro-greenery.
- Infected seeds. This rarely happens with seeds from reputable manufacturers – they are usually disinfected even before packaging. It is better to choose only proven manufacturers and not take any risks.
Most Popular Microgreens: A New Product or a Marketing move?
Since relatively recently, a new category of micro-greenery has appeared in the assortment of manufacturers and sellers of planting material. It includes ordinary crops like radish or mustard and mixtures of different cultures. The price of micro-green seeds is usually much higher than the rest. Does it make sense to overpay? Everyone should decide for himself. Experts believe that there is no point in overpaying.
Microgreens are the same plants that you grow in beds or seedling boxes, just cut off almost immediately after germination.
Toast With Avocado And Microgreens: Recipe
Healthy toast can fully replace breakfast or be a great snack.
Ingredients:
- bread (white, rye, yeast-free)
- avocado (1 piece)
- lemon (0.5)
- tomato
- microgreens (1 bunch)
- salt, pepper (to taste)
Cooking method:
- Cut the bread into slices and fry it in a toaster or the oven at a temperature of 220 ° C
- Peel the avocado from the skin and bones and cut into thin slices
- Put the avocado on toast, pour over the lemon juice
- Put the tomato slices, micro-greens, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper the sandwiches
Final Thoughts
Microgreens are an alternative food supplement. You can add them to salads, smoothies, and toasts. Many people are concerned about the high price of micro-greenery, but you can save money by growing seeds at home.
The main thing is not to forget about the necessary conditions for growing microgreens, otherwise, you will have to fight mold. You also need to buy microgreens from trusted sellers so that it is useful for health.