January is not my favorite month…the days are short and time spent outside is limited. It feels like there are so many tasks to complete and not enough daylight to do it. I have several projects I want to start on the farm but there is an impending winter storm this week so I wanted to look into a fun small project to work on inside. This leads me to microgreens and sprouts. I’m sure you have seen these at the Farmers Markets around Tulsa. They are outrageously priced for a small bundle of greens that you can add to salads or sandwiches. I’ve often wondered what is so special about this product that makes them so expensive…so I went on a deep dive for information on them and I’ll be attempting to grow my own.
Micro-greens are defined as the shoots of salad vegetables such as arugula, Swiss chard, mustard greens etc. They are typically picked just after the first leaves have developed. To grow microgreens you need a shallow tray, soil, and a sunny area. Put a layer of soil in the shallow tray, scatter your seeds, and cover the seeds with another layer of soil. You are supposed to mist the seeds several times a day and in 3-4 week your sprouts will be ready to eat!
Now, more about sprouts…sprouts are a germinated seed. The germ awakens and becomes a living plant using the nutrients stored in the seed to develop a stem. The process for sprouts is slightly different. Place stems in a wide mouth jar and rinse with water and drain. Allow the seeds to soak in the jar for 2-12 hours depending on size. After soaking add your sprouting lid. Place the jar away from direct sunlight and rinse them twice daily. If all goes well then your sprouts should be ready in just a couple of days. Health benefits for these include lowering cholesterol and improving gut health.
Now, why am I doing this? I want to see what makes them so darned expensive. So that’s my project this week! I will keep you posted on how it goes. Let me know if you have tried this and have any tips. If the weather clears, I have plans to start building a chicken tractor in the next week or so. Fingers crossed the weather isn’t like last year in February and this will be done by the end of the month.
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