Chances are if you asked a qualified culinary expert, chances are you will not be hearing a response to that question that will define the best selling variety. For this reason, we will look beyond those elite vegetables to find the best selling gourmet of all: eating microgreens. There is an abundance of healthy eating options available to consumers these days, so there has never been a better time to experiment with microgreens. In this article, I will share some tips for planting microgreens in your own backyard and beyond.
While there are some expert opinions on the best selling varieties of vegetables and fruit, I think it is safe to say that eating microgreens are best when they are in their original fresh containers. When you plant and harvest a variety of green plants at once, you can save yourself a lot of stress, fertilizing and watering by replanting everything at one time. This leads to better flavor, fewer issues with soil compaction and the ability to deliver consistent, high quality crops each growing season.
One of the easiest ways to ensure consistent, quality produce from your microgreens is to ensure you are planting them at the right time of year. Unlike other vegetables and fruit, leafy greens such as Swiss chard, lettuce and alfalfa cannot tolerate being planted, trimmed or harvested before their best growth period. Therefore, make sure you plant and harvest them during the springtime, just before the bud swells and the leaves begin to change color. Microgreens will taste their best when harvested immediately after a frost and just before new growth begins. The earlier you plant and harvest your microgreens, the more flavors and nutrients are released to ensure they have the most flavor and benefit from the gardener’s efforts.
How much should you pay for your microgreens? When compared with other popular grocery items, like white bread or potatoes, lettuce and iceberg lettuce, the cost of a single serving of lettuce is surprisingly inexpensive–and surprisingly cost-effective. Microgreens can be as expensive as $3.00 a serving, but because they are so small and there are so few suppliers selling them, the price of individual leaves is comparable to the cost of a single head of lettuce. Because they are one of the best selling brands, they are sold at deep discounts throughout the gardening season and can last up to six months in storage in the freezer.
Microgreens are sold frozen or fresh. Frozen leaves can be stored in the freezer until the greens are plucked out (typically about a week), which makes it convenient to defrost a head of lettuce while cleaning the rest of the kitchen. Fresh microgreens are sold in garden centers, supermarkets, markets, and through mail order catalogs. The leaves are picked, washed, and dried immediately after purchase and shipped directly to your home. They must be used quickly to prevent wilting.
Why are these the best selling brand? They are sold throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan. Worldwide, they rank about mid-range among fresh vegetables. In terms of variety, there is little to choose from. They can be used in salads, sprinkled on top of raw pizza, grilled sandwiches, pasta, and casseroles.
The best-selling brand has been attributed to superior taste and flavor. Consumer reviews have been generally favorable. In fact, some experts compare them to iceberg lettuce. Some claim superior taste and texture. In addition, some retailers offer special offers including sales and discounts on them when purchased in quantity.
These are some of the questions that people have been asking what are the best selling microgreens? Other consumers compare them to Swiss chard and lettuce. The real question is, will you eat them all the time? Some claim they taste better eaten than added to foods. Others enjoy the subtle flavors and textures offered by the popular product.