Microgreens + Sprouts: winter greens
This is my sprouting set up. You can purchase a sprouting tower such as this, or you can purchase a glass sprouting jar. Both are equally sufficient for growing sprouts.
I’m not going to lie; I have a rough time with seasonal depression. I hate the cold. I hate the dark. I hate the dreary, cloudy days. I’m always trying to think of things that will help remind me of warmer, brighter days. One of those things is microgreens and sprouts!
Many, many years ago, most people just ate simple root crops during the winter because that was all they had! Squash, potatoes, beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, leeks, cabbage and rutabaga helped tide many people over until the fresh vegetables could be planted in the Spring. Fast forward a few years and we are blessed to have stores that provide every kind of fruit/vegetable regardless of if it’s in season or not. Don’t get me started on that topic though. I try to adopt that earlier mindset of eating what is in season or what you can grow. Of course, I still shop at the grocery store and purchase things out of season, but the majority of my food items come from what I grow and have preserved during the summer months.
Growing microgreens and sprouts during the winter bring that tiny bit of fresh greens to your diet that wouldn’t normally be there during the winter months. Sprouting and microgreens are essentially the same things but grown in two separate processes for two different amounts of time. Sprout and microgreen seeds can be various types of vegetables. My favorite types of microgreen seeds are cabbage, broccoli, beet, mustard, pea, sunflower, and radish. My favorite types of sprouting seeds are lentils, mung beans, and alfalfa.
The two best places I have found to purchase growing supplies are Berlin Seed Company and True Leaf Seed Market.
Home | True Leaf Market Seed Company
Let’s start with MICROGREENS!
Microgreens are just regular vegetable seeds sown at a higher rate in shallow soil for optimum germination rates and growth. The seeds are sown so heavily that when they germinate, it looks like a thick mat of tiny green plants. The reason I love microgreens is that they grow so fast! You can plant microgreens in soil and harvest in 7-10 days! As you’ve guessed it, microgreens simply means small greens. You are only allowing these plants to grow to around 2 inches in height before you harvest them.
Growing your microgreens is simple. You can purchase growing trays from Berlin seed catalog (I love those!) and soil for growing the microgreens. Use any higher quality potting mix or seed starting mix. Once you get your trays, soil, and seeds, it’s easy! Simply add an inch of soil to the bottom of your tray, water the soil, then sow your seeds heavily on the top of the soil. Cover the seeds very lightly with soil and water again. I like to put my microgreens in an area of the house where I get at least 6-8 hours of light, such as a south facing window.
As your microgreens grow, you will need to check on them daily. If the soil feels dry, then water. They prefer to be moist rather than dry. As they grow, they will have a tendency to grow in the direction of the light. As they begin leaning toward the light, simply turn your trays around, forcing them to grow the other way.
After around 7-10 days, you can harvest your greens as you like! I use kitchen shears and cut just above the soil line to harvest. Wait until your microgreens are at least 1 1/2”-2” tall.
Dump your soil and start again. Depending on your conditions, sometimes that microgreens will grow back for a second cutting. It is your preference whether you want to wait a few days to see if that happens. If it doesn’t, then dump the soil out and start again!
It’s that easy!
Microgreens have such an amazing variety of benefits. Because the plants are small, many of the nutrients are concentrated compared to their full-grown counterparts. It has been shown in many studies that microgreens have higher levels of vitamins such as C and E when compared with the mature plants. You’ve all heard the saying, “The more colorful the plant, the healthier it is.” I love a mixture of different kinds of seeds!
You may be asking, “How do I use microgreens?” I top most of our dinners we eat with microgreens. Add it on top of soups, eggs, casseroles, salads, sandwiches, or anything else you can think of!
This is day 12 on my microgreen mix. As you can see, I’ve sown the seeds at a very high rate to achieve that thick mat of tiny greens :)
Alright, it’s time to move onto sprouts. Sprouts are grown without soil and are usually ready to eat in around 5-7 days. While microgreens love the sun, I try my best to avoid direct sunlight with my sprouts as it dries them out very easily.
To begin, I soak my sprouting seeds overnight, then spread them in a thin layer on each level of my sprouting tower. I rinse the seeds and allow the water to drain into the bottom of the tower.
Sprouts need to be rinsed daily, if not twice daily. Rinsing the sprouts provides essential water for them to grow while washing away any bacteria or mold that may be lingering around that moist environment. If the sprouts are not rinsed, they will eventually dry out and shrivel beyond rejuvenation.
You can also grow sprouts by using a mason jar with a piece of fabric attached to the top with a rubber band. You will place the soaked seeds in the mason jar, rinse, then turn the jar upside down so the water can drain through the fabric. This method works equally as well as the tower.
After my seeds are done sprouting, I will do a final rinse then allow them to drain for a few minutes. I store my sprouts in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator where they last for 7-10 days.
Sprouts have many of the same benefits as microgreens. They are easy to grow, require minimal maintenance, and grow at an alarmingly fast rate. It has been said that they aid inflammation, decrease blood pressure, and help fight a variety of common infirmities. They are high in vitamins and low in calories! The perfect addition to any meal.
I like to use sprouts in many of the same ways as microgreens, but my favorite is adding them to stir fries! Many people also add them to smoothies for added protein and vitamins.
Picture of my sprouts on Day 3! Amazing how they’ve already begun to grow.
There we have it! Microgreens and sprouts- two of the easiest things to grow. What an amazing blessing we have to be able to grow wonderful nutritious food for our families… even in the winter! If I can do it, you can do it ;)
As always, reach out if you have any questions or would like to share your own microgreen/sprout journey.
