1. WHAT ARE MICROGREENS?

Microgreens are the seedlings of vegetables and herbs, harvested at the cotyledon stage, just before the first true leaves fully emerge. They are bigger than sprouts and smaller than baby greens. Basically, they are baby plants.

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2. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT MICROGREENS?

They are flavorful, versatile, and super healthy! According to a 2012 study from the University of Maryland,  microgreens contain anywhere from 4 to 40 times the nutrients of mature plants. High in antioxidants and phytonutrients (including sulforaphane), they promote health,  help reduce the risk of disease, regulate digestion and blood sugar, and lower  cholesterol.  That's a whole lotta special in such a tiny plant.

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3. I BOUGHT A TRAY OF MICROGREENS FROM YOU. NOW WHAT?

First, thank you! We hope you love them as much as we do. Either way, we promise they love you (see University of Maryland study to find out just how much)!

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What do you do with your microgreens? You have three options:

     

Option One: Treat your tray of greens as a living plant. Place it in a sunny spot and water it (see #4 below). Cut greens whenever you want them. They will continue to grow until cut. 

 

Option Two: Cut your greens all at once and place them in a covered glass container in your fridge. Plastic bags also work. Add a paper towel or napkin to the container to help absorb any moisture (see #5 & #6 below). 

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Option Three: If you started with Option One, but you feel like your greens are wilting or growing too tall, switch to Option Two and refrigerate the rest of your greens.

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4. HOW DO I KEEP MY MICROGREENS ALIVE?

It's best to water your microgreens from the bottom.  Place a small amount of water on a plate or dish and then set your tray of microgreens on top. There are drainage holes in the bottom of the trays, so the roots will absorb the water and reward you by staying alive. Water daily. You can keep your microgreens wherever you have natural light.

 

5. WHEN DO I CUT MY MICROGREENS?

Cut them anytime you want! They are ready! If you don't cut them, they wll continue to grow taller and fuller (until cut).  As they become bigger, they will still taste amazing, the flavor just won't be as intense.
 

6. HOW DO I CUT MY MICROGREENS?

Run your hand over the top of the greens to shake off seed coats, then gently grasp a section of greens and cut ½” above the dirt with scissors or slice through the stems with a sharp knife (our preference), using the edge of the tray as your guide. You may already know this, but in case you don't, you can eat the stems as well as the leaves.

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7. WILL MY MICROGREENS GROW BACK?

No. They won't.  We're sorry!  Once cut, they don't re-grow. You may see new growth from seeds that didn't germinate at the same rate. (We've found that basil microgreens can be harvested a second time.) The tray is yours, so if you want to let the late bloomers bloom, definitely go for it! You will likely be able to cut a few more stems.

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8. WHAT DO I DO WITH MY TRAYS ONCE MY MICROGREENS ARE GONE?

Please reuse, recycle, or return your trays. If returning, we are happy to pick them up with your next order. No need to dump the soil unless you want to. We can add it to our compost - or you can add it to yours if you have one.

 

9. WHY DO YOU USE PLASTIC TRAYS?

We know. It stinks. We tried realllly hard to find an earth-friendly growing container, and we have experimented with several biodegradable and/or compostable containers without success - the bottoms became moldy and/or there weren't drainage holes in the bottom. WE ARE STILL LOOKING! We've done the best we can with what's currently available, opting to pay a little more for our trays so we can at least feel good that they're BPA-free, recyclable, and made from food-grade polypropylene. 

 

10. DO I NEED TO WASH MY MICROGREENS BEFORE I EAT THEM? 

Nope! We plant them on top of the soil,  use no pesticides of any kind, and grow indoors, so there are no pests anyway. (There's a joke in there somewhere!) You may have to trim a few roots to get rid of dirt if a few stems pulled out of the soil when you cut. It happens to the best of us (sometimes the leaves tangle up with each other). The dirt doesn't taste good - trust us on that! 

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11. HOW LONG WILL MY MICROGREENS LAST?

​Once cut, greens stay fresh in the fridge several days, some keep more than a week.  If you plan to cut and refrigerate your microgreens, it's better not to water them the day you cut them so the leaves and stems stay dry. Regarding living plants, they don't make it much past a few days in our house since we eat them at every meal, but some customers are still cutting theirs two weeks after they get them.

 

12. HOW DO I EAT OR USE MICROGREENS?

Microgreens are best eaten raw or only lightly heated. That said, there are many ways to eat microgreens! Let us count the ways:

• As a lettuce replacement in salads, sandwiches, & wraps

• Inside an omelet/on top of eggs

• As a topping after cooking (pizza, soup)

• In green and/or fruit smoothies 

• In homemade pesto (instead of, or along with, basil)

• Mixed into a loaded potato

• On avocado toast (my favorite!)

• In a stir-fry, after cooking

• As a crostini/bruschetta topping

• As a garnish on pasta, quinoa, and meat

• Mixed together for interesting flavors (e.g., radish with spicy mustard instead of horseradish on a beef sandwich)

• Anything else you can think of!

 

13. HOW DO YOU STERILIZE YOUR TRAYS?

We use use 10ml of ZeroTol 2.0 (food grade hydrogen peroxide) per liter of water, which we spray on our trays prior to planting.

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