Microgreens have up to 40 times more vital nutrients than mature plants

Image: www.npr.org

You may know microgreens as the delicate, colorful garnish on your overpriced and undersized meal at an upscale restaurant. Yes, they're visually appealing but aren't they pointless decoration?

Some aficionados have claimed superfood status for these tiny edible greens produced from vegetable, herb or other plants.  New science says microgreens aren't just cuter lettuces – they may be more nutritious.

Researchers from the University of Maryland and the USDA conducted the first analysis of the nutrient levels in microgreens.  They concluded that in general these babies have more vitamins and other nutrients than their fully mature counterparts.

In a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry scientists analyzed the amount of vitamin C, carotenoids (antioxidants important for vitamin A formation), phylloquinone (vitamin K1) and tocopherols (vitamin E) in 25 different varieties of microgreens.

Of the 25 microgreens tested, red cabbage sported the highest concentrations of vitamin C, while cilantro excelled in carotenoids.  Garnet amaranth had the highest levels of vitamin K1 and green daikon radish ranked tops in vitamin E.

What are microgreens?
Microgreens are the stems and leaves of a seedling.  They usually range in size from one to three inches long. Their flavor can be surprisingly intense for their small size but is generally not as strong as the full grown green or vegetable version. Microgreens are generally harvested between seven and 14 days of germination although some take four to six weeks to develop.

The basic varieties of microgreens include arugula, amaranth, beets, basil, cabbage, celery, chard, cilantro, fennel, kale, mustard, parsley, radish, sorrel and many others.

Are microgreens the same as sprouts?
Although they are often confused, microgreens are not the same as sprouts. In addition to the stem, sprouts also include the seed and root in their edible parts. Instead of leaves, sprouts have just the immature leaf buds.

Another important distinction between the two is how they are produced. Sprouts are germinated seeds grown entirely in water under dark conditions while microgreens are planted in soil and exposed to air and light.

The dark, warm, wet conditions required for sprouts make them vulnerable to the rapid growth of dangerous bacteria.  That's why they are a frequent culprit in outbreaks of food poisoning. Microgreens don't carry the same risks.

Some microgreens are sold still growing in their soil and you can cut them just before serving. You can also grow microgreens in your own kitchen all year long. Check out this video to learn how.

Have you tried microgreens? Do you grow your own microgreens or sprouts? Leave a comment and let me know.

Source: greenmedinfo.com

Margie King is a holistic health coach and graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®. A Wharton M.B.A. and practicing corporate attorney for 20 years, Margie left the world of business to pursue her passion for all things nutritious. She now works with midlife women and busy professionals to improve their health, energy and happiness through individual and group coaching, as well as webinars, workshops and cooking classes. She is also a professional copywriter and prolific health and nutrition writer whose work appears as the National Nutrition Examiner. To contact Margie, visit www.NourishingMenopause.com.

15 Foods That Can Be Regrown From Scraps

Image: mrshappyhomemaker.com

Regrowing your food from scraps can give you multiple benefits. You can start growing your own food that
you find that you like from the store, all the while avoiding the 'factory farming' problems that we get from the grocery store. No pesticides, no long trips on the truck from the farming areas, many times from other countries, for your food. This is cool way to find food that you like and start regrowing it at home while eating healthier and saving money. You can also use this technique to replant from your garden to save time and clone the most favorable plants.

We found this great list below of 15 foods can can be regrown from scraps on mrshappyhomemaker.com

Let’s count them out – from 1 to 15…

1, 2, 3, & 4.  Spring Onions, Leeks, Scallions, & Fennel

These are the ones I regrow the very most, I always have a mason jar of green onions regrowing above my kitchen sink. The technique is quite simple.  Once you are done with them (any of the above four), simply place the root end in a jar of water & it will begin to regrow within just a few days.  Just make sure to replace the water with fresh as need be.
15 Foods That Can Be Regrown from Scraps

5. Lemongrass

You can regrow lemongrass the same way you regrow the green onions.  Simply place the root ends in a glass of water, refreshing the water as needed. You will want to wait to harvest your lemongrass until it is about 12 inches tall.

6.  Ginger

Plant a small chunk off of your piece of ginger in potting soil with the newest buds facing up. Ginger enjoys non-direct sunlight in a warm moist environment. Before long, it will begin to regrow shoots and roots. Once the plant is established and you’re ready to harvest, pull up the whole plant, including the roots. Remove a piece of the ginger, and re-plant it to repeat the growing process.

Here is a good video on replanting ginger:


7. Potatoes 

Pick a potato that has a lot of good formed eyes, and cut it into 2-3 inch pieces, taking care to be sure that each piece has at least 1-2 eyes on it. Leave the cut pieces to sit at room temperature for a day or two, which allows the cut areas to dry. Potato plants thrive on a high-nutrient environment, so it is best to flip compost into your soil before you plant. Plant your potato pieces about 8 inches deep with the eye facing up. Cover it with 4 inches of soil, leaving the other 4 inches empty. As your plant begins to grow and more roots appear, add more soil.

8. Sweet Potatoes

You will need sweet potatoes with good formed eyes, just as you would want with a regular potato. You can bury the entire potato or use pieces under a thin layer of topsoil in a moist place with plenty of sun. When the shoots begin to reach a height of four inches you will need to replant the sweet potatoes, allowing them about 12 inches between each another. It takes about 4-6 months to grow sweet potatoes this way.

9, 10, 11, & 12.  Romaine Lettuce, Celery, Bok Choy, & Cabbage

These all are regrown by placing the roots in a dish of water. Cut the leaves or stalks off to about an inch above the roots.  Place the root end in a dish of water.  Make sure that the roots are inside of the water, but do not submerge the rest of the plant.  Place in a sunny window & spray with water 1-2 times a week to keep the top of the plant moist.

13.  Onions

Onions are one of the easiest vegetables to regrow from scraps. Just cut off the root end of your onion, leaving a 1’2  inch of onion on the roots. Place it in a sunny location in your garden and cover the top with soil. Make sure to keep the soil moist by watering when needed. As you use your home-grown regenerated onions, keep replanting the root ends you cut off, and you’ll never have to purchase onions at the store again.

14.  Garlic

You can re-grow a plant from a single clove.  Simply plant it with the root-end down. Sit the plant in a sunny window.  Once established, cut back the shoots and the plant will put all it’s forces into producing a nice garlic bulb – full of flavor & capable of repelling sparkly vampires.  You can repeat this process with a clove from the new bulb you have just grown.

15. Pineapple

To re-grow pineapples, you will need to remove the green leafy part at the top and take care that no fruit remains attached. Either hold the crown firmly by the leaves and twist the stalk out, or you can cut the top off the pineapple and remove the remaining fruit flesh with a knife. If you do not remove all the fruit parts, it will rot after planting and will likely kill your plant. Carefully slice small, horizontal sections from the bottom of the crown until you see root buds (the small circles on the flat base of the stalk). Remove the bottom few layers of leaves leaving about an inch worth of them at the bottom of the stalk.  Plant your pineapple crown in a warm and well drained environment. Water your plant regularly at first. Once the plant is established, you can cut down to about once a week. You will see growth in the first few months but it will take about 2-3 years before you are able to harvest.

Source: mrshappyhomemaker.com

How to grow your garden through the winter

It-Yourself projects. Watch Lydia Sisson from Mill City Grows show you step-by-step how to make your own inexpensive greenhouse to keep that garden thriving year round.

Video by Howl Digital Media Editor Tory Germann.

Image: inhabitat.com

How To Grow An Organic Salad Garden For The Whole Family

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A bowl of fresh salad greens is always a welcome addition for dinner. Growing your own lettuce is a snap. You will get the freshest, tastiest and most nutritious greens, and you can have a constant supply for many months out of the year.

Image: Real Farmacy

A small raised bed is ideal for this. It will be cleaner, easier to maintain and harvest, and provide the best soil conditions for plants. Patio containers do well enough, but they dry out faster than a garden bed. The bigger the container, the better.

The optimal size bed for a salad garden is 4’ x 4’ square, which allows for easy reach from all sides. This area should provide plenty of salad greens for a small family.

Many things can be used to frame the bed, from straw bales to cinder blocks to wood to rock edging. It should be at least 8” tall. Try to find a locally-produced source of high quality garden soil with compost, worm castings, or well-rotted manure mixed in. A bit of organic granular fertilizer  will help too. Bagged garden soil from the big box stores is not ideal, being a lifeless substrate suffused with chemical fertilizers.
Locate the salad garden in a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight and is close to a source of water. If you’re in a hot climate, try to give it some afternoon shade. Do not put landscape fabric underneath the bed, as this will impede beneficial earthworms and prevent natural soil mixing. Cardboard can be laid over grass, which will smother vegetation but decompose fairly quickly and add organic matter.

Now, on to planting the salad garden. Leaf lettuce is ideal for the home gardener with little space, because you can keep picking the outer leaves and it keeps growing. While head lettuce is great, it takes longer to mature, is more finicky, and is harvested once.

Try to find leaf lettuce varieties that are recommended for your climate. Plant a couple of different types, such as Buttercrunch and Romaine lettuce, which will give you different textures. Include a red leafed variety for a color splash.

It is best to grow leaf lettuce from seed. Simply sow three seeds every six inches and cover with a very thin sprinkling of soil. Lettuce seeds need to “see the sunlight” to sprout. Water lightly every day.  They will take 10-14 days to sprout, but once they begin growing it won’t be long before harvest time. Pick the outer leaves and let the plants keep growing.

And finally, time your plantings 3 weeks apart for an extended harvest. Plant the northern half of the bed first, then plant the southern half three weeks later. Plant in a diamond pattern (3 seeds 6 inches apart) for optimal use of space.

If the lettuce goes from dark green to light green, fertilize with organic fish emulsion every couple of weeks. To add some diversity to your salad, plant long-lasting kale or Swiss chard in the “back” (the northern side) of the bed. Perhaps set aside one row for radish, which sprouts and grows quickly, for a spicy crunch in the salad.

Source: realfarmacy.com