Sourcing Microgreens and Sprouts

[DutchMuse]

I'm looking to buy micro greens and micro vegetables for a home/amateur chef? Any suggestions for either a source in via shipping?

[gfron1]

Another option might be to go to a restaurant and ask them to order it for you. I know I can get mine through Sysco. It doesn't matter if the restaurant is the micro-green type, they can still get it.

[mexigaf]

If you have some patience and a sunny spot, you can easily grow micro greens. Micro Veg is a bit more complicated but I just recently started growing greens in plastic tubs on my deck. I'm at the point where I am making my own mixes and really enjoying it.

It only takes about 1 1/2 weeks to harvest and its infinitely cheaper than getting them shipped. If you have any questions just let me know and I'll walk you through it.

[annecros]

I agree with mexigaf. I grow mine in flats on the back porch and harvest with scissors when I am ready.

All you need is seed starting mix, a flat, water, sun and seed. Keep the soil moist but not wet, and the greens are ready to go in anywhere from days to a couple of weeks. Much cheaper.

Micro veg? I would probably just purchase.

[junehl]

Where can you buy a big bag of seeds for microgreens? Buying little packets of Burpee seeds for microgreens can get expensive.

[liuzhou]

I just checked online. 250g Pea Shoots = $1.44 USD

 

Edited October 8, 2022 by liuzhou (log)

[KennethT]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

I just checked online. 250g Pea Shoots = $1.44 USD

 

that's hilarious...  not only is it ridiculously cheap, our pea shoots are typically much older and sometimes a little tough - they're more like pea stems than pea shoots.

[Anna N]

I was not for even a minute thinking that I would be able to find pea shoots where I order my groceries. But lo and behold. I can get a whole 50g for a mere $3.49 Canadian (reduced!). 
But I have never found it useful to compare the cost of the raw materials vs.  the price I am going to pay to eat those same materials in a restaurant.  And when that restaurant is in New York City the disparity is bound to boggle the mind.l

 

[liuzhou]

45 minutes ago, KennethT said:

that's hilarious...  not only is it ridiculously cheap, our pea shoots are typically much older and sometimes a little tough - they're more like pea stems than pea shoots.

 

We get those, too. But the young ones more often.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

I was not for even a minute thinking that I would be able to find pea shoots where I order my groceries. But lo and behold. I can get a whole 50g for a mere $3.49 Canadian (reduced!). 
But I have never found it useful to compare the cost of the raw materials vs.  the price I am going to pay to eat those same materials in a restaurant.  And when that restaurant is in New York City the disparity is bound to boggle the mind.l

 

 

And here, via Fresh Direct for instance...

 

Brooklyn GrangePea Shoots

approx. 2oz

 

$4.99/ea

2 for $7

[KennethT]

2 ounces? That's a mouthful once stir fried 

[liuzhou]

39 minutes ago, KennethT said:

2 ounces? That's a mouthful once stir fried 

 

If I bought that 250g I mentioned, it might last me two meals max. 125g - not 50!

Edited October 8, 2022 by liuzhou (log)

[Annie_H]

I grow pea shoots and micro greens year round, in rotation, in my pantry on a 9inch wide x 30inch shelf. Since 2015-ish. First hand knowledge on the cost to grow. Four varieties of peas. Some varieties do get leggy and woody depending on variety. Just 24 hours can make a difference. A good farmer will catch that and harvest properly. These were started the same day but the one on the left is leggy and I just taste and cut only the tender. One third of the tops usually. The pups get the lower stems minced in their food. 

A four/six ounce harvested bag costs me about 50cents. Round up to one dollar and that is 20 bags for 20 bucks. 

I do buy bulk but just one pound bags of seed. A farmer buys 50 pounds+. And has overhead costs. I'm just pantry farm to table in 5-7 days. About twenty minutes of my time. 

If I harvest properly, pea shoot stems are tender. Purple stemmed RedRambo radish stems are always tender and spicy. 

[KennethT]

1 hour ago, Annie_H said:

I grow pea shoots and micro greens year round, in rotation, in my pantry on a 9inch wide x 30inch shelf. Since 2015-ish. First hand knowledge on the cost to grow. Four varieties of peas. Some varieties do get leggy and woody depending on variety. Just 24 hours can make a difference. A good farmer will catch that and harvest properly. These were started the same day but the one on the left is leggy and I just taste and cut only the tender. One third of the tops usually. The pups get the lower stems minced in their food. 

A four/six ounce harvested bag costs me about 50cents. Round up to one dollar and that is 20 bags for 20 bucks. 

I do buy bulk but just one pound bags of seed. A farmer buys 50 pounds+. And has overhead costs. I'm just pantry farm to table in 5-7 days. About twenty minutes of my time. 

If I harvest properly, pea shoot stems are tender. Purple stemmed RedRambo radish stems are always tender and spicy. 

Do you grow them in Hydroton?

[Annie_H]

Just now, KennethT said:

Do you grow them in Hydroton?

Young freshly soaked and planted seeds have everything they need to sprout and grow. They pack a suitcase full of food/nutrients surrounding their embryo for food germination needing only water. Micro/macro greens sprout quickly. Peas and sunflower seeds need an overnight soak. Radish and small seeds no need. On the table in 5-8 days. A longer germination seed like mesculin, herbs--celery, basil, cilantro, chards, etc, need 3-4 weeks to harvest. They need a bit of food after a couple weeks. 

I only use a strip led above my pantry micro green shelf. Like a night light. Reminds me to check for moisture. Day 4-5 they need some attention getting close to harvest and very thirsty. Can be a dance but if close to your cooking triangle like most tiny NYC apartments, not an issue. 

Back in 2018-19 I gifted a dozen friends and co-workers with micro-green 'kits'. Only half kept up with it but were so thankful during covid lock-down. Salads for days in rotation. They were familiar with the process. 

One ex-chef friend took my gift further and has never looked back. Grows 24-7. 365 days in rotation. 

 

 

[KennethT]

@liuzhousorry for the delay - I took these photos a while ago but forgot to post them!

 

 

[TicTac]

On 10/8/2022 at 3:50 PM, Annie_H said:

Young freshly soaked and planted seeds have everything they need to sprout and grow. They pack a suitcase full of food/nutrients surrounding their embryo for food germination needing only water. Micro/macro greens sprout quickly. Peas and sunflower seeds need an overnight soak. Radish and small seeds no need. On the table in 5-8 days. A longer germination seed like mesculin, herbs--celery, basil, cilantro, chards, etc, need 3-4 weeks to harvest. They need a bit of food after a couple weeks. 

I only use a strip led above my pantry micro green shelf. Like a night light. Reminds me to check for moisture. Day 4-5 they need some attention getting close to harvest and very thirsty. Can be a dance but if close to your cooking triangle like most tiny NYC apartments, not an issue. 

Back in 2018-19 I gifted a dozen friends and co-workers with micro-green 'kits'. Only half kept up with it but were so thankful during covid lock-down. Salads for days in rotation. They were familiar with the process. 

One ex-chef friend took my gift further and has never looked back. Grows 24-7. 365 days in rotation. 

 

 

Love this.  Been wanting to get into growing micro greens for a while.  Any suggested web resources for learning?  Where do you order your seeds from? 

 

I think the kiddies would have a blast with this.

[FauxPas]

1 hour ago, TicTac said:

Love this.  Been wanting to get into growing micro greens for a while.  Any suggested web resources for learning?  Where do you order your seeds from? 

 

I think the kiddies would have a blast with this.

 

I'm not Annie, but I've been using Mumm's Sprouting Seeds in Canada and Sprout People in the US for my seeds and supplies. They have quite a lot of info on their sites also. Lots of other sites and sources, of course, but these ones have served me well. 

 

Mostly I just grow sprouts using an Easy Sprouter (or here in the US) but I also grow pea shoots. I just grow my pea shoots in water (no soil or growing medium), using a SproutMaster tray, which unfortunately doesn't seem to be available anymore at my usual sites. I didn't want to fiddle around with soil, but there are several options for growing shoots and microgreens. 

 

I'm sure @Annie_Hwill have more to add. 

Edited November 9, 2022 by FauxPas (log)

[KennethT]

If you want to grow a lot of sprouts, the way to do it is using a capillary mat, which fits in a standard plug tray.  I've even seen people use plastic windowscreen material over a perforated flat - the roots grow through the screen and the flat into the water in teh tray below.  Tons of videos on youtube