Have you experimented with growing your own microgreens or with different uses for microgreens like cooking? The process can be difficult to do successfully. Even if you find the right true leaves microgreens to use in your cooking or the best organic microgreen seeds, you may still struggle when trying to grow your own.
Whether you have or not, you may be interested to learn more about the history of true leaves microgreens, petite microgreens, and more. Microgreens are not necessarily new to the food industry, but they are picking up in popularity. If you hope to use them more in your cooking, knowing as much as possible about this item can be helpful.
Interested in finding out more about the history of this trendy food item? Keep reading for more information on everything from true leaves microgreens to micro green varieties.
Interesting Facts About Microgreens
Microgreens are not a simple produce to master whether you are trying to grow your own microgreens or cook with them. However, knowing as much as you can about microgreens and how they are typically used will provide you with some insight to this plant.
1. Beginning of microgreens
Believe it or not, microgreens have been around for a while. 20-30 years ago, people began growing and using microgreens in their cooking. While you may not have commonly heard of or eaten microgreens, they have been gaining popularity in recent years.
One area in the food industry which makes use of microgreens frequently is the fine dining industry. In the United States alone, the upscale dining industry accounts for 10% of restaurant sales demonstrating that this segment is growing and flourishing.
2. Definition of microgreens
If you have not seen or tasted a microgreen, you may be wondering what exactly this edible produce is. By definition, microgreens are an edible green that comes from a young vegetables, herbs, or plant. Microgreens are around 1 to 1.5 inches in length and this includes the stem or leaves that come with it.
Now that you have a picture in mind of what microgreens are, you may have a better understanding of its uses. For instance, some chefs prefer adding microgreens to salads while others may use it as a garnish on an upscale dining dish.
3. Rating scale
Microgreens come with a rating scale that helps chefs know what they can expect from the produce they are buying. A one on the scale is typically considered poor whereas a five on the scale is considered excellent. If a microgreen has a rating of less than three, it is likely not a marketable product. Those who are trying to grow their own microgreens will need to be careful to ensure that their product is one that can bring in a profit.
4. Temperatures for microgreens
As previously stated, microgreens can be tricky to grow and difficult to manage. Many different forms of microgreens are sensitive to certain temperatures. So, they must be monitored in order to make sure they do not spoil by becoming too cold or too hot. The recommendation is to keep microgreens in a refrigerator at around 38-40 degrees. If microgreens are exposed to temperatures of 32 or lower, they may turn black. Basil in one microgreens that is especially sensitive to such a low temperature.
5. Plating with microgreens
After you have secured true leaves microgreens that are of high enough quality, you must decide how to use your microgreens. This includes deciding what dishes to add microgreens to and also figuring out how you will plate with the microgreens. One reason the upscale dining industry is successful with its use of microgreens is due to the fact that the plating is done in an elegant way that allows the microgreens to truly stand out on the plate.