The Magazine of the North American Vegetarian Society
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
the magazine of the North American Vegetarian Society www.navs-online.org ! BY MARK MATHEW BRAUNSTEIN all photos, including on cover, by M.M.Braunstein Microgreens, the early stages of such greens as lettuce and broccoli, are even younger than mesclun salad greens. And while mescluns first appeared in produce stores in the 1980s, microgreens are even newer. Even the word itself is fresh, as the first use of the word microgreens was documented in 1998. Microgreens start as sprouts and moglobin in blood inside our bod- This technique for home gar- then keep on growing. Despite nu- ies. The developing chlorophyll is dening is adapted from that tritional claims about microgreens precisely what transforms barely employed by many commercial mi- boasted by food writers and micro- palatable broccoli sprouts into tasty crogreen farmers who raise their green growers, scant documenta- broccoli microgreens. You can nev- crops in plastic containers that are tion exists about their nutritional er get your !ll of chlorophyll. manufactured speci!cally for grow- bene!ts – that’s how new they are. Sprouts are footloose wander- ing seedlings. I owe my adaptation Instead, data on the nutritional ers, while microgreens decide to to Lauri Roberts of Farming Turtles value of microgreens are often in- put down some roots and settle (see Resources) who guided me on a terpreted from the scienti!c studies down. Sprouts grow on thin air and tour of her indoor microgreens farm that already exist about their sprout thrive under the cover of darkness. and showed me how to grow micro- forebears. While their vitamin con- Microgreens grow on soil and yearn greens cheaply, cleanly and easily. tent and mineral availability very for the light of day. Sprouts are very You will need: likely decline when compared to forgiving, but microgreens can be the powerhouse in sprouts, micro- very demanding. " CONTAINERS – pint size or half-pint greens do excel in regard to their While home gardeners can grow size; phyto-nutrients and chlorophyll. microgreens on trays of soil and " SOIL – preferably potting soil and Phyto-nutrients, especially rich water them from above, our method seedling soil, but just one will do; among the family of such vegetables described here ditches cumbersome as broccoli, cabbage, kale, et al, pro- trays that spill soil and drip water. " SEEDS – preferably organically mote health, prevent disease and Instead, here you use repurposed grown; can even help cure disease, notably compact food containers that you cancers. Chlorophyll, the green in place into pools of water every one " WATER, SUNLIGHT, WARMTH AND greens, is the one substance found or two days, so that water is ab- AIR – the usual suspects. outside the human body that chemi- sorbed from below. cally most closely resembles the he- 6 | Vegetarian Voice THE CONTAINER 4) Place two containers together, one mix. In time, you should experiment 1) Eat lots of small fruits: blueber- inside the other, to provide a rigid growing with all potting soil, with all ries, cherry tomatoes, fresh !gs, etc. structure. This rigidity ensures the seedling mix, with different layers or Such small fruits (tomatoes botani- soil will not shift (meaning the fragile proportions of both, and with differ- cally are fruits, not veggies) usually rootlets will anchor) and protects the ent sources of either. But for a start, are packaged in plastic pint (half rootlets from being crushed where seedling mix is recommended. kilo) containers. Raspberries and they congregate at the container blackberries come packaged by the bottom. THE SEEDS half-pint, which are half the depth Any veggie that grows into sprouts but equally useful. THE SOIL in jars will continue to grow into 1) Procure fertile soil. Either potting microgreens on soil. Beans, however, 2) Save the pint and half-pint plastic soil or seedling mix will provide as microgreens generally turn bitter. containers, rather than recycle or ample nourishment for microgreens. Grains as microgreens grow equally (gasp!) discard them. You likely eat Potting soil works well, but seedling well on open trays of soil. So here mostly or only whole foods, so you mix may produce the same results we shall con!ne our discussion to soon will accumulate an abundance in slightly less time. Adding boosts, the botanical classi!cation strictly of plastic containers. The crucial such as liquid kelp, mineral dust or named seeds. features of these containers are the backyard compost, is optional. If you vents on their bottoms and the lids on add compost from outdoors, be cer- 1) Purchase seeds in small quantities, their tops. If necessary, rinse and dry tain it is fully decomposed. Even so, enough to last you only one year. For them, then stack and store them. you might introduce into your kitchen current listings of mail order sources Such plastic usually is recycle many tiny crawling critters that can of seeds, see the Resources section at number 1 (PET or PETE), a polyeth- dwell in it. Such risk is avoided with the end of this article. More varieties ylene polymer predominantly used the use of commercial potting soil or of organically grown seeds are avail- for water and beverage bottles, col- seedling mix. The more fertile the able now than compared to just a lectively called drink bottles. When soil, the shorter the growing time. few years ago, so organic is certainly heated or during prolonged stor- More importantly, well-nourished preferred. age, PET can migrate into its liquid greens may better nourish you too. 2) Choose seed varieties wisely. If you contents. Hence the plastic taste of If you intend to purchase soil by the grow broccoli, you don’t need to grow bottled water. At moderate room bale, be aware that seedling mixes any of the other family of Brassicas, temperatures and for short dura- are sold in such quantity only during such as cauli"ower or kale or cab- tions, however, PET does not affect the spring “growing” season, so plan bage, because as microgreens, they its solid contents. Hence blueberries accordingly. are so similar. For guidance on what and cherry tomatoes do not taste varieties grow easiest and taste best, of plastic. Moist soil might be con- visit Farming Turtles’ Web page (see sidered semi-liquid, in which case Resources). Farming Turtles sells purists might wish to avoid use of microgreens, not seeds, so offers and plastic. While other containers with depicts only what its customers like holes on their bottoms, for instance best. For reasons unknown, broccoli terracotta "ower pots, are suitable, is noticeably absent from its Web they obstruct your view of the won- page. Among the Brassicas, broccoli drous rootlets, and they are heavy, grows quickly, tastes mildest, and bulky and costly. Plastic containers its seeds are the most widely avail- come to you for free and so are “good able. Thus broccoli is recommended for nothing.” for beginners. The one Brassica that After multiple re-uses, the plastic stands out from the others is radish, does tend to fall apart, but you prob- and that, too, is easy to grow. Among ably never will retain them that long. 2) Prepare your soil. Remove any seeds other than Brassicas that are By attrition, you’ll be starting anew undesirable !brous objects (UFOs), good for beginners are beet, cress, with a fresh batch of containers every such as leaves or twigs. Before plac- lettuce and basil. Without dispute, three or four cycles. That’s because ing the soil into the pint or half-pint basil tastes best. for every !ve or six containers that containers, place it into a bucket and you grow, you might bestow one or stir water into the soil, fully moisten- 3) Store remaining seeds in glass jars, two as gifts upon eager recipients. ing it. and in darkness. If you can spare the room in your fridge, refrigerate them, 3) Cut off the lids of the plastic contain- 3) Fill the doubled-up containers with especially during the hot summer ers and save half of those lids. As its moistened soil, right up to the brim. months. blades will become dull, an old pair You might consider !lling the bottom of scissors should be designated for half of the containers with potting this function. soil, and the top half with seedling Microgreens continued page 8 " Vegetarian Voice | 7 Continued from page 7 – Microgreens " 4) Lay the seeds upon the soil evenly you resort to chlorinated water, your Ventilation assures against mold, and sparsely, allowing ample “breath- microgreens will thrive. but also allows evaporation. If the ing” room between seeds. Some can seeds look dry, then they are dry, so touch each other, but none should 1) Spray the seeds with water. The spray away. lay one atop another, which only spray atop the seeds adds to the wastes seeds. Press them !rmly into moisture they soak up from the soil 4) Remove the lid altogether, when the soil, but do not cover them with beneath them. A !ne mister is best, the sprouts reach the height of the soil, otherwise a week later the suc- but any spray bottle or spray nozzle lid. In warm temperatures, broccoli culent leaves may be encrusted with will do. A recycled spray container hits the ceiling upon the second day, dry earth. from a non-toxic household cleaner while slower grower basil will do so The smaller the seed, the greater works !ne, if fully rinsed of residue. on the third or fourth day. Your mile- the quantity of seeds that fit into Taste the spray, to know for sure. age will vary. a given volume, so the smaller the Between crops, dismantle the spray 5) Daily water by placing the container measurement of seeds needed to container and allow it to dry out, else into a pool of water.