Microgreens

Microgreens (*micro greens) are a tiny form of edible greens produced from the seeds of vegetables, herbs or other plants. They range in size from one to two inches long, including the stem and leaves. Microgreens can have surprisingly intense flavors considering their small size, though not as strong as mature greens and herbs.

A microgreen consists of a central stem having two fully developed cotyledon leaves, and usually one pair of the plant's true leaves. Differences in the size and leaf configuration are based upon the specific plant variety. For example, Micro Borage is a very large microgreen. At 1" in height, it has a pair of very large cotyledon leaves and no true leaves. By comparison, Micro Mint has extremely tiny cotyledon leaves and will have 3-4 sets of true leaves at about 1" in height. More typical in size and leaf configuration for microgreens is Micro Basil at about 1-1 1/2" in height, having the cotyledon leaves and one set of small true leaves.

Keep in mind that microgreens are not the same as sprouts. There are important differences especially in the way they are produced. For example, sprouts are gown in water, in very low light conditions and are consumed as a tangled mass of roots, stems and underdeveloped leaf buds. Microgreens have much more developed flavors, colors and textures than sprouts.