Welcome. This is a quick intro to growing your own microgreens starting with a kit. This page is exclusive (i.e. private) for email subscribers and social media followers, but feel free to share the link with friends.
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Are Microgreens the Same as Sprouts?
Let’s start with the basics: Microgreens are nutritious edible plants (think broccoli, cilantro, radishes, peas, etc.) that are harvested at a very early stage in the growing process. They’re packed with more nutrients and often have a different flavor profile than the full-grown plant. There are lots of online recipes featuring microgreens — a few are linked below!
To clear up any confusion, we’re not talking about sprouts here — which are germinated seeds grown in water and ready for eating in just a couple of days. In contrast, microgreens are grown in soil or water and harvested beginning about 8 to 14 days after planting. They have more fiber and nutrients than sprouts.
Grow Your Own Microgreens Starting With a Kit
At first, I thought I could just truck down to my local grocery store and buy a bag of microgreens just like we buy lettuce. But turns out they’re not that easy to find — at least not in my area. So that’s what led me to research how to grow my own.
After exploring the topic, I’ve decided to start small by purchasing a mini microgreen growing kit. [Be sure to scroll down for a short video on how the kits work.] Starting with a mini-kit might be right for you, too:
- It’s inexpensive — currently about $7 per kit. No need to load up on supplies from the Garden Center.
- Starting small gives you a chance to see if you’ll actually enjoy eating microgreens.
- The mini-kit is an easy, no-fail approach. (I hope!)
Choose Your Microgreen Seeds
I’m planning to get started soon with a few mini-kits from True Leaf Market and hope you’ll join me in this little growing adventure. The company has excellent information and instructional videos on their website.
Their mini-kits come in five different seed options and produce one serving each — nice way to try this out without wasting! The current seed options are: arugula, mustard, radish, sunflower, salad mix and a variety six-pack (you can get them all for about $40). P.S. From what I’ve read, sunflower microgreens are awesome!
If you’re ready to go bigger, True Leaf Market has deluxe microgreen kits and supplies, too!
Click the image to go to trueleafmarket.com and
shop their microgreen kits.
Here’s a quick look at the mini-kit in action:
How to Use Microgreens
It looks kinda fun…but why do we want to go to the trouble of growing our own microgreens? How can we use them in our favorite dishes? Well, here’s a sampling of recipes I found on the internet after a quick search. I haven’t tried any of these yet, but they look delicious. Once I get growing, I plan to share more recipes on the blog.
- Grilled Cheese with Ham, Brie, Microgreens and Apples
- Roasted Acorn Squash, Microgreens and Quinoa Salad
- Strawberry Chocolate Tart with Basil Microgreens
- Garlic and Lemon Pasta with Aurgula Microgreens
That’s all for now on getting started with microgreens. I’ll post more on this as I learn more AND if my mini-experiment goes well (and maybe even if it doesn’t). I’d love to hear from you in the comments if you’ll be joining me in this growing experiment.
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