A mild mix containing broccoli raab, crimson clover and, purple kohlrabi.

Benefits of Broccoli Raab Sprouts

Broccoli raab, also known as rapini, is a leafy green vegetable from the cabbage family. It's a common ingredient in many Italian and Chinese dishes, and it has a distinct, slightly bitter flavour. But did you know broccoli raab sprouts have numerous health benefits?

High Fibre Content

The high fibre content of broccoli raab sprouts is one of their key benefits. One serving of these seeds contains a high amount of fibre, which is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive tract and preventing constipation. Broccoli raab sprouts are strong in fibre and protein, making them a great vegetarian or vegan supplement.

Vitamins and Minerals

Broccoli raab sprouts are high in vitamins and minerals, as well as having digestive benefits. They are abundant in vitamin C, which is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system and skin. They are also high in iron, which is required for oxygen transfer to the cells, and calcium, which is required for strong bones and teeth.

Other Health Benefits

But wait, there's more! Broccoli raab sprouts have also been shown to have a number of other health benefits. Some studies have found that they may help to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, while others have found that they may have anti-inflammatory properties and may even help to protect against some types of cancer.

Adding Broccoli Raab Seeds to Your Diet

Consider adding broccoli raab sprouts to your diet the next time you're looking for a nutritious, fiber-rich snack. These tiny seeds pack a nutritional punch whether sprinkled on a salad or blended into a smoothie.

health benefits of kohlrabi microgreens?

Microgreens are considered to be superfoods due to their high concentration of nutrients and antioxidants. Kohlrabi microgreens, in particular, are:

• High in vitamins and minerals: Kohlrabi microgreens are an excellent source of vitamins C, E, and K, as well as calcium, iron, and potassium, which are essential for maintaining healthy bones, skin, and immune function.

• Rich in antioxidants: Kohlrabi microgreens are high in antioxidants, such as carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds, which can help protect against cellular damage and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.

• Low in calories and high in fiber: Kohlrabi microgreens are low in calories and high in dietary fiber, which can help support healthy digestion, promote satiety, and support weight management.

• Helpful for healthy vision: Kohlrabi microgreens are high in vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining healthy vision and may help reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

• Supportive of brain health: Kohlrabi microgreens contain compounds, such as choline, which may support healthy brain function, including memory and cognitive function.

Mighty microgreen facts

As the speediest grower among the  baby greens, kohlrabi microgreens are packed with facts: 

• Kohlrabi microgreens are one of the fastest-growing microgreens and can be ready to harvest in as little as 7-10 days.

Red Clover Benefits: 

1. Detoxification 

Clover sprouts can get rid of numerous toxins in your body. They do so by improving liver function and helping it cleanse your blood, all the while taking the strain off of your circulatory and immune system.

2.  Prevention of Cancer

These tiny thin strands are rich in anti-oxidants such as phytochemicals and isoflavones. These compounds have a direct link to the reduction of cancer cells forming in the body. They also slow down the spread of cancer inside our bodies by decreasing the oxidative stress.

3. Prevent Anemia

Anemia occurs when there aren’t enough red blood cells in your body. Anemia of iron deficiency is the result of your body not having enough iron to keep up with the production of hemoglobin, which is an integral component of the blood. Clover sprouts are rich in iron. They can take care of about five percent of your daily iron intake. Making sure that you consume iron regularly helps you prevent anemia.

4. Weight Loss

Obesity is a serious problem, not just for adults but also for adolescents. One way of dealing with it is going on a diet, but the key to any diet is maintaining your nutrition.

Whenever you go on a diet, the main idea is to cut down on fats and carbohydrates and increase proteins. With clover sprouts, you don’t just avoid unnecessary calories, but you can also suppress hunger for a while due to the fiber present in it.

5. Brain Health

The iron present in clover sprouts makes sure that you do not have to suffer from memory loss diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. The iron also helps with the supply of oxygen in our bloodstream.

As you may have heard before, our brain uses 20 percent of the oxygen in our blood; you can make sure that your brain functions properly by making iron-rich diets an integral part of your daily diet. One way of managing that situation is by including clover sprouts in your diet.

6.  Skin Health

Our skin is the largest organ that we have. It keeps us protected from numerous harmful bacteria. Therefore, it only makes sense that we make sure that our protective layer is also safe and protected. These microgreens can be used to treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

It targets the inflammation of the skin that is causing these problems and gives relief from the inside. The sprout is also a good source of Vitamin C which protects your skin from sun damage and ultraviolet rays.

7. Good Source of Vitamins

It is very important to make sure your body is not deficient in vitamins so that it keeps functioning properly. A hundred-gram serving of clover sprouts contains 38 percent of your daily vitamin K intake along with 14 percent of vitamin C. These help lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Vitamin K also takes care of blood clotting inside our bodies.

8.  Good Source of Minerals

Your body needs a variety of minerals in it to make sure that it continues to function properly. Fortunately, clover Sprouts are rich in quite a few minerals. These include calcium, iron, and phosphorus along with zinc, selenium, and magnesium. You need these minerals in your body to make sure that all your basic bodily functions continue normally.

9. Fights Cancer

Cancer is a scary disease; thankfully, there are ways in which you can prevent it to some extent. Clover sprouts are rich in phytochemicals, such as genistein. This particular photochemical can help in the prevention of new blood vessels forming in cancer tumors, which means that the chemical can obstruct their growth. Clover sprouts are also a rich source of isoflavones which according to studies can reduce the risk of cancer.

10.  Fights Bone Loss and Osteoporosis

It is a condition arising from an extreme reduction in the production of bone, which results in bone brittleness. As a result of this brittleness, bones can break from anything like a fall to something as small as a sneeze. Clover sprouts are a good source of calcium and can make sure that you do not lose out on your bone density as a result of the disease.

 11.  Helps with Hot Flashes and Menopause Symptoms in Women

The plant estrogen found in red clovers is similar to that found in humans. Including clover sprouts in your diet can help with symptoms of PMS and hot flushes. It is also a good way to deal with menopause and fibrocystic disease.

Grow Microgreens!

Soilless Method 

Soak. Using a tray with drainage holes, rinse enough seed to cover the bottom of the tray. Soak the seed for 4-6 hours. Use a jar with a sprouting lid for soaking if the tray holes are too large. Drain, rinse and drain holding at an angle to remove excess water. Spread the seed evenly on the bottom of the tray and cover with a lid top and bottom or put in plastic bag.

Rinse. Rinse with cold water twice a day, using either a gentle flow from a tap, dipping in a sink, or spraying. Drain thoroughly.

Grow. The roots will form a mat from which the microgreens will emerge. At that point, put in indirect sunlight, florescent/LED lights or grow lights. The watering is then easy: fill the container 1 cm deep with water and allow to sit for a few seconds in the water and then tilt on an angle to decant the water until only some moisture is remaining in the root area. Continue to rinse twice a day as described above.

Harvest!

Typically, microgreens grown without soil are harvested at 8-10 days. Harvest before the next expected rinse so the shoots are dry.  Harvest microgreens using scissors or knife.

Instead of harvesting all at once, you can start to harvest microgreens as soon as the first two leaves are spread out. Take only what you need for your meal and allow the rest to keep growing or put the tray in the fridge loosely covered and a plastic bag or dome to harvest another day.

Storage:  To prolong viability, it is best to store them in the fridge. If you store your seeds in the freezer, they’ll last indefinitely!

Grow Microgreens!
Soil Method

You will need:

• 10” x 20” gardening trays (1-inch-tall preferred), 1 with
holes + 1 without. Smaller microgreen trays also work well.
• Good quality organic starting soil mix
• Parchment paper or unbleached paper towel (optional).
• Dome lids (clear or black) or plastic sheet
• Organic seed
• Mister bottle, cup measures, garden spray nozzle (optional)
• Scissors or sharp knife

1. Don’t soak small or medium size seed. Small seed such as broccoli and arugula are easier to sprinkle on top of the soil if they are not soaked.

2. Prepare Soil
Add water to top of the bag (or each tray) 12 hours ahead of use until almost fully hydrated. Rehydrate the bag as necessary. If you were to put the soil in your hand and squeeze it, you should not be able to get much more than a drop of water out of it for the perfect moisture content. If you want to mist the seed after putting it on the soil, reduce the water hydration of the bagged soil a bit.
TIP: To check for overwatering, tip the tray to one end. Water should not pool enough to drip out of the tray.

3. Fill Trays with Soil
Use a tray with holes. Fill with 3/4-1.5” of soil. The closer to the top of the tray the better aid to air circulation. Use a block or your hand to smooth and flatten the soil without compacting it. The back of a tablespoon or spatula smooths out the valleys. You can wait to put the tray without holes under until after unstacking/uncovering or add it to the bottom now.
TIP: Place a layer or two of paper towel on the bottom of the tray before adding soil for easier cleanup.

4. Sow the Seed
Sprinkle the seed evenly over the soil in the tray (pizza cheese shaker, spoon). The seeding density depends on the stage at which you’re planning to harvest. For small seeds for 1-week microgreens, start with approximately 15 -28 grams (1.5 – 2 Tbsp). Sow slightly less seed for 2-3 week microgreens.

Seeds do not need misting if the soil has enough moisture. Mist if you need more moisture. Use a spray bottle or a garden spray nozzle set to light mist. The soil should be moist throughout, but not soaking wet.

5. Cover the Seed
Doing away with soil as a seed cover decreases the work and time it takes to grow the greens. If stacking the trays on top of each other, use a cover directly on the seed like parchment paper, a plastic sheet or wet unbleached paper towel layer. When not stacking trays, the seed will need protection from drying out by using a dome/lid. Use a clear dome or an inverted 10 x 20” tray without holes. For smaller trays, use several layers of unbleached paper towels folded onto itself with or without a plastic sheet covering the top.
TIP: Most microgreens will grow taller when you keep the light out at the beginning, but this may make the stem weaker. Most seeds germinate in the light no problem.

6. Stack Trays or Cover with Lids
Stacking helps to quickly force the roots into the soil, provides darkness, promotes even germination/growth. Stack 2-5 filled trays on top of each other with an empty tray on the top of the stack with a weight in it. Check at least once a day to see if the trays need water. Cabbage family seed sprouts quickly, so stack for 2-3 days. Others stack 3-5 days.

If choosing not to stack, simply cover the trays with clear or black-out plastic, a lid or dome. Check at least once a day to see if the trays need water. Cover for the same number of days as above.

7. Expose to Indirect Sunlight, Florescent/LED or Grow Lights.
After 2-5 days, the microgreens should be ready for light. If the microgreens begin to get quite tall and leggy, this is an indication that they may need a bit more light.

8. Water the Growing Microgreens
Check the seed once or twice daily and water as needed. The soil should be moist, not wet. Once trays are unstacked, add water from below into the no holes tray as necessary.

9. Harvest!
Microgreens are harvested at 1-3 weeks with scissors or a sharp knife. Make sure microgreens are not damp before storing. If needed, you may use a small fan or salad spinner to dry the microgreens before storing in a sealed container in the fridge.

Instead of harvesting all at once, you can start to harvest microgreens as soon as the first two leaves are spread out. Take only what you need for your meal and allow the rest to keep growing or put the tray in the fridge loosely covered and a plastic bag or dome to harvest another day. Water as necessary.

10. Enjoy!
Microgreens make everything better, so have fun with them and add them to your favourite dishes!

Helpful tips:

• To moisten your bag of soil, add water ahead until almost fully hydrated.
• The roots grow under the soil so it works well to water from below if the tray has holes in it, or open the side of the tray and pour water beside the soil when using flexible plastic trays. Otherwise misting or watering from the top works well too.