If you are looking to add new and bold flavor to your food, you have a lot of options. Organic micro greens are very popular and are great for doing just that. This can even help if you have young, picky eaters at home. It has been found that while adults can be ok eating meals that have only three different food components and colors, kids prefer a more diverse and colorful plate. They like it better when their means have seven different food components and at leasts six colors. Edible flowers and true leaf micro greens can help get them to the table. It may be hard to believe but there are more than 100 types of edible flowers around.
When it comes to organic micro greens, it is important to know what they are and what they are not. While they are frequently confused with sprouts, they are a totally different thing. Sprouts come in a wide variety of types but they are basically seeds that have been germinated in water.
This is a process that is completely different from what happens with organic micro greens. Micro greens are young plants. You can get a wide variety of these as well. When a plant is picked at an earlier stage in its lifecycle, it is considered to be a micro green.
Organic micro greens first became a thing in San Francisco, California In the early to mid 1980s, chefs at more upscale restaurants started using them in the dishes they prepared. The chefs found uses for microgreens because they add bold flavors to their dishes. They also add a burst of color that makes them more attractive.
In the 1990s, growers in Southern California began producing more of the organic micro greens. At the time, the variety was limited. The kinds available included arugula, beets, basil, kale, cilantro and a mix called the “Rainbow Mix.” There is a saying, “As goes California, go goes the nation.” While the tasty greens started in the Golden State, they did not stay there. They began the move east as more and more kinds were developed. Today, you can find them all over the country and even other nations.
If you are at the farmers’ market and see some organic micro greens, there are some things you should consider. There is a quality scale that is often used for them. The system goes from one to five. The lower the number, the lower the quality of the micro green. Usually, growers will not sell organic micro greens that are below three on the scale.
These are not items you should buy to store. These are items that are meant to be used sooner than later. You should store them at a temperature around 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit (that is 4 degrees celsius).
Before you replace something in the recipes you make with the micro green version, you should take the time to taste the micro green in question. There are a number of flavors that you can get from micro greens. They can be sweet, spicy, bitter or sour. Before you use micro green basil for the full grown version, taste a bite. You may find you need less of the micro green versions of plants because they do often have a bolder taste.
Micro greens can add a lot to the dishes you already make for your family. If your family has grown tired of a dish that you like to make, you may find you can breathe new life into it by adding the different micro greens. Some people do like to grow them but the ones you buy at your favorite grocery store or the farmers’ market are just as fresh. One benefit to buying and not growing them is that you can get a more diverse selection without the mess and hassle of growing your own.
Since they were developed in California in the 1980s, organic micro greens have become popular all over. If you want to change up the meals and salads you serve your family, you may want to pick some up. Your and your family’s taste buds will thank you.