What are microgreens? And how they differ from sprouts or mature greens
Microgreens (or micro greens) are the same fruits, veggies, and herbs you’re used to seeing in your grocery store produce aisles. The seeds are the same, the flavor is often very similar—it’s just that we typically harvest them between the first and second sets of leaves. Unlike a typical crop that’s grown in a field over months, we sow seeds in trays of soil in our controlled environment grow room year-round, and we harvest weekly. Instead of eating the mature crops, when you consume microgreens, you’re eating the seedlings. This is different from sprouts: when we harvest, we cut above the soil. With sprouts, you eat everything—the root, the seed, and the sprout itself. If we left our produce to grow a bit longer, we’d be in baby or mature greens territory. Keep reading to find out why some people choose microgreens over sprouts, baby, and mature veggies.
Who uses microgreens and what do they do with them?
At Back Mountain Microgreens, our microgreens (and edible flowers / dark chocolates) have two main audiences: the culinary crowd and health-conscious consumers. Chefs and foodies typically order our products to use them as garnish. The products we offer include aesthetics that range from run-of-the-mill clover—most of our true microgreens—to bright-colored shoots and whimsical pea tendrils. The variety of colors and leaf shapes offers the culinary world a way to add a wow factor to plated presentations that might be difficult to accomplish without beautiful flowers or brightly colored leaves.
Some of these premium products also stretch what would be a typical microgreen production schedule. For example, our Mizuna Mustard would look a lot like clover if we harvested it on the same schedule as broccoli, but our chefs love the fluffy full look of it when we hold off on harvesting for another week. So technically it’s not a microgreen, because the true leaves have begun to grow. But we aim to please, so we add a bit more time to the grow cycle. Many of our premium microgreens are similar—they’ve got custom schedules that may take longer than true microgreens. Think of it as the difference between filet mignon and pasta. That’s why the premium micros come in smaller containers—they take longer to produce and aren’t as prevalent as our true micros.
Our second audience, the health-conscious crowd, is likely more interested in nutrient density than aesthetics. If that’s you, keep reading!
Nutrient density of microgreens vs. mature veggies
When we started powdering our broccoli microgreens to add to dark chocolate, we had the powdered broccoli tested because we wanted the micronutrient information. What we’d heard and read prior to testing is that microgreens can be 40 times more nutrient dense than mature crops. We chose broccoli because it’s hands down the most nutritious crop we grow. The test results showed that on average, our broccoli powder is about 13x more nutrient dense than mature broccoli. Not the 40X some tests have shown, but we also tested our powder, not fresh microgreens. We're happy with that.
Regardless, if you’re looking for an efficient way to get as much nutrition from veggies as possible, microgreens are a great way to do it. And we can say with confidence, after doing our own testing, that when it comes to broccoli, microgreens are at least 10 times more nutrient dense than the regular broccoli you’d buy in the store.
What do chefs, foodies, and wellness-minded people do with microgreens?
One of the most common questions we get about microgreens is: what do I do with them, or how do I use them? The answer is simple: whatever your imagination comes up with. Creativity is key when using them as a garnish, and when it comes to health benefits, any way you can possibly incorporate them works fine. From breakfast to dinner, or even a late-night snack right out of the fridge, it all works.
For breakfast, minced pea shoots scrambled into eggs is a favorite of ours. Cilantro would be great in a southwestern omelette too. You can also blend them into a smoothie if you’d rather skip the eggs. Again, pea shoots go great with something sweet like apples. For lunch, think of microgreens as a replacement for iceberg lettuce on a sandwich or in a wrap. Just remember, they’re so nutrient dense that you don’t really need much—maybe a few sprigs or a small handful. Which greens should you choose? Well, what flavors do you like? Mustard has an awesome kind of bitey flavor, while broccoli is a lot more earthy. Or maybe add some cantaloupe shoots to a fruit salad. For dinner, keep in mind that microgreens are delicate, so it’s best to add them last whether they’re a garnish or an actual side. The sky is the limit!
Microgreens are also IBS-friendly
Are you one of the lucky ones with sensitive gut issues? If so, microgreens may be a welcome replacement for mature produce. For those with sensitive bellies, the insoluble fiber in plants can wreak havoc on digestion. Microgreens are harvested so soon after germination that they’ve got less insoluble fiber than mature plants, so they may be gentler on your digestive tract. This is great news for folks who enjoy a variety of colors and flavors with their protein.
Ready to give microgreens a try?
In short, microgreens pack a ton of flavor and visual novelty into aesthetically beautiful, nutritious, and tiny packages. Whether you’re looking for bright colors, fluffy greens, potent flavors, or excellent nutrition, you can likely find them in a microgreen (or edible flower). We harvest these awesome greens on a weekly basis and grow them year-round in our Dallas grow room. Home delivery is available for online orders and we work with a growing list of local retail partners.
Don’t wait to dip your toes in the water—just grab a clamshell and jump in. We think you’ll be glad you did!
Let us know what you did with your first clamshell of micros in the comments below!
