Microgreens are far more than just tasty
Microgreens have been around for quite some time, but still many people don’t know what all the craze is about. Coming out of California during the 1990s, these delicious plants not only pack a high flavor profile, they also have an exceptionally high nutritional content. Over the past 30 years, microgreens have grown into a prized addition to top chef’s plates across North America.
What Are Microgreens
Microgreens are simply the adolescent stems and leaves of a more common herb, vegetable or fruit that is harvested shortly after the seeds germinate (begin to grow). Some common microgreens include pea shoots, cabbage, radish, mustard, basil and spinach. To grow microgreens, the seeds are often planted much closer to one another than they would conventionally be if the plant was to grow to maturity. Each plant is harvested within the first 10-20 days (depending on the species) of seedling emergence. Harvesting these plants in their earliest stages allows consumers to take advantage of the plant’s unique properties due to where they are in the growing cycle. Given that these plants are harvested during the plant’s cotyledon stage, the plant is rapidly processing nutrients and cells for growth and filled with more nutrients than its mature counterpart (Janosvska, Stockova and Stehno, 2010).
Health Benefits
Microgreens are full of many bioactive components that are extremely important to human health such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (Mir and Shah, 2016). In fact, various microgreens have been found to have as much as 260 times greater amounts of vitamin C, E, and K and minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc than their mature counterparts (Michell et al, 2020). Apparently, it’s true that small things do pack the strongest punch!
At Sky Harvest, we take tremendous pride in producing microgreens and ensuring consumers get top of the line greens without producing a negative environmental impact. Our Richmond farm was Canada’s first Certified Organic urban farm and all of our greens are delivered by bike to local customers.
Microgreens are truly a small plant that packs a hell of a punch. Bring some extra flavor to your dish today @ https://skyharvest.ca/home/shop/
References:
Janovska, D., Stockova, L. and Stehno, Z. (2010). Evaluation of buckwheat sprouts as microgreens. Acta Agri. Slov. 95:157–162.
Michell, Isweiri. “Microgreens: Consumer Sensory Perception and Acceptance of an Emerging Functional Food Crop.” Journal of food science 85.4 (2020): 926–935. Web.
Mir, Shah. “Microgreens: Production, Shelf Life, and Bioactive Components.” Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 57.12 (2016): 2730–2736. Web.