Micro-green is still a rare guest on our windowsills. Although it is in our climate with short and gloomy winter days, it can be an excellent vitamin Supplement to the diet. What is it, and what, as they say, it is eaten?
Sprouted grain has long been familiar to all, adherents of a healthy diet, probably, even accustomed to it. Micro-green is not yet so widespread, and it is something more. Both literally and figuratively. If the germination of grain sprouts, as a rule, not really to arise, eating it awakened the grain micro-green is a culture that is not brought to physiological maturity. Moreover, the sprouts were allowed to grow only two or three of these leaves and all — it’s time to harvest.
“Why should we plant, for example, a salad and pluck it, without bringing it to a more or less normal size?”- you ask. The fact is that the maximum amount of useful substances for the body is contained in plants during their active growth. Therefore, in young sprouts much more good than in winter fresh vegetables of dubious origin.
What to plant
What to plant? Many may find it strange, but the answer is almost all. We’ve learned that we eat corn on the cob, harvested sunflower seeds, green peas, respectively, the pods with the peas. But all these and many other cultures are unusually tasty and in the form of sprouts.
Sunflower sprouts
One of the few exceptions is beans — it is not suitable for growing micro-green, as it contains toxic substances. In addition, you can not take seeds treated with chemicals, as well as overdue (that is, with poor germination). Perfect self-harvested seeds.
I will list some cultures that are very well established in the form of micro-green. These are sunflower, corn, green peas, cruciferous (mustard, radish, cabbage), sweet pepper, alfalfa, clover, sesame, barley, watercress, any greens (for example, spinach, Basil, parsley, dill), cereals.
How to grow
Several options. First, of course, in stores you can find special germs. You can start to try to grow at hand, using cotton wool or paper towels, hydrogel and sawdust are also suitable.
The watercress sprouts
The third option is to take small containers, pour a little earth in them and plant seeds as usual, a little sprinkled with soil according to the culture. Given that the life of plants will last on the strength of a week, the earth needs to take a little.
Sow on moist soil should be very tight, almost layer. This is how, for example, sunflower seeds are sown:
Sowing sunflower on micro-green
And here comes the corn sowing:
Sow corn on micro-green
Sprinkle with soil seeds, such as cabbage or mustard, you need a little, and corn and sunflower — about 1 centimeter. Then containers with crops are covered with film or plastic bag and removed in a warm place. After the seedlings appear, the planting is transferred to a light window sill and the shelter is removed.
Of course, the gloomy winter lighting even on the southern window will be insufficient for the proper development of plants. However, in our case, it does not play any role. Micro-green grows 4-7 days (depending on the culture), and it transcends the lack of sun.
The harvest time depends on the crop. If you sowed a watercress salad, then on the fourth or fifth day it can be cut. For sunflower it will take 5-6 days, for corn-up to a week.
Harvest of micro-green sunflower
How to use
First of all, of course, in salads. In the winter there’s nothing more delicious taste of fresh vitamin supplements. Especially pleasant to the taste of fleshy green pea sprouts with a clear pea smell and taste.
Micro-green salad
Crushed fresh sprouts of cress, daikon or alfalfa is good to add to the cottage cheese, mix it all with a small amount of yogurt and sprinkle with sesame seeds on top. Any micro-green is tasty on its own or as an addition to a sandwich with soft cheese, salad onions and a slice of tomato.
Micro-village in sandwich
Among other things, pots with sprouts will add freshness to your interior. Are you interested in growing micro-green? And if you have been doing this for a long time, share your experience with us in the comments.
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