Diary of a Zesty Mix Microgreen🌱

Diary of a Zesty Mix Microgreen🌱

Did you know? 

Our Zesty Mix Seed Quilt is a bolder mix of sweet, peppery, & mildly spicy greens. It includes a mixture of broccoli, kale, arugula, kohlrabi, cabbage, and mustard (The mustard & arugula add a nice little zip)!  The combination provides a unique punch of flavor when used as a garnish on sandwiches, wraps, eggs, pizza, and just about any savory meal!

These Zesty microgreens will be ready for peeling about 5-6 days after planting and will be ready for harvest in about 10 days!

Sometimes we get asked if our Seed Quilts can be cut into sections so that a variety of greens can be grown out at the same time. This is great for a bit of variety if growing with 1 tray (we do offer extra trays for those who want to grow out several Seed Quilts simultaneously 😁). While you may experiment with this method of course, mixed Seed Quilt options like the Zesty Mix & Super Salad Mix allow you to have a beautiful harmony of flavors & nutrients all from one Seed Quilt! Score! 

Here are the flavor profiles of the greens included in the Zesty Mix:

Broccoli– Mild, fresh, & slightly bitter

Kale– Similar flavor as adult kale (or spinach), but slightly milder & sweeter with a slightly nutty aftertaste

Arugula – Nutty, peppery

Kohlrabi – Mild, sweet

Cabbage- Mild, earthy & refreshing

Mustard – Sweet, mildly spicy, zesty

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Day 1- Let’s get Zesty 

For setup, just follow the regular simple Hamama instructions like you always do! Here is an electronic version of our instructions if you need a quick refresher :D  

 

The initial soak is always the most important step in the process as it provides the seeds in your quilt with the water to jump-start the germination process. To ensure that it is adequately soaked, be sure to hold it down long enough for the Seed Quilt to turn a shade darker. A good trick is to flick the Seed Quilt! If the seeds roll around in their pods, that is a good sign it is too dry and could soak for just a little longer. After the soak, you want to be sure that the quilt is properly propped on the tray's bottom ribs so that neither side of the quilt is dipping into the water. You also want to be sure the seed pockets are not underwater after the dunk! Here are some extra watering tips!  

 

 

Day 2- No big changes yet!

You won’t see much happening on day two but I do want to share some important things to note:

-The water level may have gone down significantly from day one. That’s totally normal! Our Seed Quilts and trays are designed to provide the seeds with enough water to last them from day one until harvest day. No need to add additional water at this point!

-Another thing to note is the environment where you keep your greens! When referring to temperature, anywhere between 60-80 F is best. The warmer they are in that range, the faster they will grow on time with predictable health. Cooler temps can stunt the growth and it'll take a little longer for the seeds to germinate. Microgreens don't necessarily need a lot of light to grow but will halt if they are too cold so I would prioritize warmth over light! Remember our rule of thumb: if it’s comfy for you, it’ll be comfortable for your little plant babies!

Curious what that top layer is for?  It's important to have a weighted black-out period for the first few days of growing microgreens. The weighted black-out period (seeds held down + darkness) encourages the seeds to send their roots downward, as opposed to growing outward and sending out root hairs to grab moisture from the air.

Zesty Mix Pictured on Top

Day 3- Puffy Goodness! 

On day 3 you should start to see your seed quilt starting to balloon up! This means your seeds are starting to germinate and produce small roots!

 

Day 4- I see you green goddesses! 

You can see that the paper has ballooned up even more and that the germinated seeds are growing beautifully. Some are even breaking through the top paper! The peel time for this Seed Q uilt is 5-6 days, so I am going to let these cook a day or two more before I pull the top parchment paper back. Look how cute those little early-risers are! :D 

Day 5: Time for the PEEL!

Whoo-hoo, time to set your babies free! There are two ways in which your Seed Quilt can peel as demonstrated in the image below.

This particular Zesty Mix Seed Quilt is a great example of a “ballooned” quilt (with just a touch of ripping) which allows you to just peel the cover off in one motion! Depending on growing conditions, some quilts will rip through the top layer rather than balloon. All you have to do in that case is remove the pieces individually. If you are curious to see what the ripping looks like in more detail, check out our refreshing cabbage growing diary! 

 

Day 6- Voila! 

After peeling & giving these microgreens the necessary airflow and light they needed to keep growing strong, they shot up quickly! Yeah, microgreen growth- spurt! 💪

Our system is meant for indoors as that is where you will have the most predictable & constant growing environment. Harsh direct sunlight, strong wind, precipitation, temperature fluctuations, critters, etc outside will not result in predictable growth for the microgreens. The north-woods just made for a really pretty backdrop :D 

 

Day 7- Hello My Pretties 

The Zesty microgreens are now measuring over 3 inches already! It takes major constraint to not snack on these right from the tray (normally I would but I need to take nice pictures for ya'll! :D These microgreens are super tasty on their own for snacking! Look at that lovely mix of greens and purple (from our red cabbage)! 

This micro mix has slightly varying heights & colors due to the different varieties.

 

Day 8- Grow, baby, Grow!

 

Day 9- Almost ready to harvest!

These are almost 3.5 inches now, and quite dense! For me, the Zesty Mix variety tends to reach about 4 inches at maturity. Check out these nice strong roots! Many people ask if it is okay to eat them. The best harvesting practice is to cut the mature microgreens at the base of the felt pad. You can eat the roots if you want (by pulling up the greens rather than cutting), but make sure your water source is really clean as they are sitting in that, and give the roots a quick rinse prior to eating! 

Day 10- HARVEST DAY!!!!!!! 

For me, these look perfectly mature on day 10. They have a rich green color, soft lush leaves, and are just over 4 inches tall (reminder that they have varying heights). Use this mature height as a general rule of thumb!

  

Storing your Zesty Mix Microgreens: 

These can be harvested at around 3-4 inches. They can be harvested by cutting or even pulling up, & stored in a ziplock bag (or the Stasher bag) in the fridge for abut 10 days like that. If you prefer to munch on them while they are in the tray, the mature greens can remain there for a few extra days, but please periodically check that they have enough water to drink! Otherwise, they will wilt over from thirst! 😢

Should you rinse your harvested microgreens before use?  When the microgreens are ready to harvest you don't need to wash them, but you can if you want. Whatever you feel comfortable with! Since there’s no soil, they’re already super clean. Most folks who do rinse do so if they have pets who might be snooping around in them :D The most important thing you should do for cleanliness is to treat them just like any other food item and always wash your hands when handling!

*For longer storage, don’t rinse the harvested microgreens before storing. Instead, put them in your ziplock bag in the fridge & rinse just before eating, if desired!


Some folks ask if the mature microgreens should be rinsed before use! When the microgreens are ready to harvest you don't need to wash them, but you can if you want. Whatever you feel comfortable with! Since there’s no soil, they’re already super clean. Most folks who do rinse do so if they have pets who might be snooping around in them lol :D The most important thing you should do for cleanliness is to treat them just like any other food item and always wash your hands when handling! *For longer storage, don’t rinse the harvested microgreens before storing. Instead, put them in your ziplock bag in the fridge & rinse just before eating, if desired!

 

  How to Eat your Zesty Mix Microgreens  


These Zesty Micros are great for garnishing any meals like pizza, soups or pasta, or for tossing in salads, wraps, & sandwiches for a fun mix of colors, flavors & nutrition. You get mild, spicy, earthy, bitter, sweet, & peppery notes all in 1 bite!! They are awesome on their own for snacking too :D 

Standout Zesty Micro Recipe 1 - Fire Roasted Chicken Tortilla Soup

Standout Zesty Micro Recipe 2 Loaded Zesty Steak Salad

 

Standout Zesty Micro Recipe 3 -  BBQ Chicken Cauliflower Crust Pizza

 

Check out other Hamama Zesty Mix recipes & blog posts here!

Don't forget to check out ZESTY-related posts on our Hamama Friends Facebook Page!  

We just love our community of growers & eaters! 

Thanks for popping by! Happy growing!   Allie 

  

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