MICRO GREENS – THE NEW FOOD CRAZE
These fashionable little leaves pack a real punch when it comes to flavour and nutrients. Kris Collins reveals how easy it is to boost your five-a-day
Easy to grow and jam-packed with vitamins
These days, it seems that every TV cookery show and restaurant menu features at least one scattering of microgreens. But before you dismiss them as a foodie fad, remember that these trendy leaves are fashionable for a reason. Not only do they decorate dishes, making anything seem haute cuisine, but they’re also picked at a stage when they carry the finest flavour and are packed with nutrients.
Weight for weight, microgreens contain far more vitamins, minerals and other antioxidants than their mature counterparts. Red cabbage microgreens, for example, have six times more vitamin C and a staggering 40 times more vitamin e! And it’s not the only nutritional mini marvel: coriander has three times the beta-carotene as a microgreen, while leafy sunflower sprouts are up to 30 per cent protein.
And what about flavour? here, too, microgreens win, for although herbs are – as you might expect – the undisputed kings of the micro world, nearly all veg grown this way are either sweeter to taste, or simply have intensified flavour.
Quick cropping
Microgreens are grown for longer than sprouting seeds, and harvested either at the cotyledon stage or once the first true leaves are developed. Most varieties are ready 7-10 days after germination, but some can take up to three weeks. studies have shown that lettuce microgreens are at their highest in antioxidants at seven days old, while you will need to be a little more patient with baby basil, which holds the best flavour at three weeks.
When growing a new microgreen I recommend picking a few trial leaves between 7-21 days to find the flavours and textures to suit you. Borage microgreens, for instance, can get a bit tough and hairy if left too long!
The best news is that microgreens will be the easiest and quickest crop you’ve ever cultivated – you don’t even need soil to do it. They’re best grown on a windowsill, where you can keep an eye on their development and watering needs, making them the ideal yearround, grow-your-own option for city dwellers and those with little (or even no) outdoor space.
I urge everyone – gardeners and non-gardeners alike – to give them a try. After all, why grow a mature crop for up to 12 weeks before harvest when you can be getting year-round healthier and better-flavoured home-grown produce in a fraction of the time?
“They will be the easiest, quickest crop you’ve grown”