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If you have only recently heard of the trend sweeping the nation called microgreens, you might have brushed them aside as some kind of fad or temporary thing. You might have seen them in upscale grocery stores or in fancy restaurants, but the fact is the true leaf microgreen has been around for quite some time. In truth, microgreens go back about 20 to 30 years.
Do not write the true leaf microgreen off so quickly, though. Many of these little wonders have a great deal of nutritional value. They are much more than just some kind of simple, throw-away garnish at a five-star restaurant. When you look into it, you will find that there are roughly 100 different types of edible garden flowers that are quite palatable. But, what are you looking at when you see a microgreen?
A true leaf microgreen is a not quite grown up sprout. It is not a particular kind of plant, but instead, it is the seedling of many different kinds of plants that are harvested when the first set of true leaves appear. This usually happens when the plant is anywhere from one to three inches tall. This germination period is typically about two to three weeks. It all depends on the particular type of plant and how fast its seed will germinate.
There are literally dozens of vegetables that can be planted and harvested as microgreens in this way. Depending on what you are going for regarding taste, you could produce many different varieties and have something new all the time. Mello, spicy, nutty, crispy, and all kinds of different tastes await your palate with the true leaf microgreens.
When you buy your microgreens, the best thing to do is to make sure you store them properly in order to make the most out of them. They should be stored at a temperature of 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit or 4 degrees Celcius. Purchasing microgreens might seem like a bit of a confusing enterprise at first, but once you learn your way around what it is you are purchasing, you will get very familiar with what you like and what you don’t.
Microgreens generally have a rating scale which ranges from 1 for poor to 5 for excellent. You want to make sure you are getting a 3 or higher. A rating of any less than a 3 and you are taking your chances. It is best to count on the highest rating possible. So, why would you go through all of this trouble for some tiny little greens, anyway?
Well, what it means for you is that you will be getting a great deal more of what you are eating your vegetables for in the first place. Lutein, for example, has a big impact on the health of your eyes. You will also find beta-carotene in many microgreens that have been proven to help protect your body against certain kinds of cancer.
With microgreens, the plant is harvested before the food contained in the seed is used to mature the plant itself. That means you are getting condensed nutritional value from the microgreens that you won’t be able to get from the plant if it were to grow to maturity on its own.
In addition, there are many antioxidants in microgreens. These antioxidants play a big role in improving and maintaining your overall health. Your immune system is boosted and your body is becoming equipped to fight off many of the diseases associated with aging.
If you thought eating your vegetables was a good idea, then you are going to love microgreens.
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