Microgreens are great additions to many dishes and meals but you can be forgiven for not knowing much about them, even if you consider yourself to be a ?foodie? because they are still relatively new on scene. Chefs in San Francisco began adding them to their cuisines in the 1980s. It took a while for them to really catch on due to the fact that few people know how to grow microgreens. In fact, the trend stayed in California until about 1998 when they began to pop up on menus across the country.
What are microgreens? Microgreens are basically younger versions of many of the salad vegetables most people use all the time such as arugula, Swiss Chart and beetroot. When the leaves are picked just after they have developed, they are considered to be microgeeens. This is why knowing how to grow microgreens is such a big deal. At first there were just a few kinds of microgreens. The very first were arugula, beets, kale, basil and cilantro. The list has grown to include at least 250 varieties.
About five years ago, microgreens began popping up in grocery stores around the country.They come with different quality ratings ranging from 1 to 5. One is the lowest quality and five the best. You should not walk away from a store with a microgreen with a rating below 3. They should be kept in a refrigerator at about 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit. You should buy them only when you plan to use them pretty quickly because their shelf life is shorter than regular salad greens. The should be consumed within seven days of buying them.
There are many uses for micrograms. Many people enjoy adding micrograms to salads. They are really colorful and add a dimension of fun to any meal. This can make a big difference when feeding children, who are sometimes hard to please and like foods that are more colorful. Kids like their meals to have at least six different colors and seven food components. Adults lose that preference and only need three of each. Many grocers sell what they call the “rainbow mix.” This has a mix of Brussel sprouts, radish greens, broccoli, cabbage, kale, mustard and orach. Getting these for kids is a good way to get them to eat veggies.
Salads are only one of the many things you can enjoy microgreens. Their flavor has been described as being a “cleaner” version of the fully grown versions. Adding them in lieu of the larger and more fully developed versions of the same plants, changes the taste. Using microgreen basil rather than adult basil in recipes can change the overall taste of the dish. Replace different greens with the microgreen versions and see how you and your family like it. You may find yourself injecting new life into recipes you use all the time.
Many people try to grow microgreens on their own. It can be challenging to grow microgreens at home unless you have a lot of experience. The good news is that you do do not have to know how to grow microgreens to enjoy them. The microgreens you get at the store will be just as fresh as any you would get from a home garden.