Cress Microgreens: Grow An Intense Burst of Nutrition in Days

Cress is an excellent microgreen choice if you want to add a little spice. These easy-to-grow cress microgreens will wake up your taste buds with their intense peppery flavor. 

• Cress seeds do not need to be soaked before sprouting. 
• Spread the cress seeds onto a damp growing medium. 
• Cover the seeds and keep them away from light for 4 - 5 days. 
• This is the blackout period referred to on the seed packet. 
• Keep the seeds moist by misting them with water from a spray bottle. 
• Maintain an average room temperature. 
• Check daily and mist as needed to keep them moist. Cress seeds don’t need much water to sprout. 
• Once the cress seeds have sprouted, remove the cover and expose the seedlings to direct light. 
• The light during this growth period is vital for cress microgreens. The bright green color that develops during the photosynthesis process creates higher levels of vitamins and nutrients. 
• Continue keeping the microgreens moist until they’re ready to harvest.

Within 8-12 days, when cress seedlings are about 2 inches tall, they will be ready to harvest. The seed leaves (cotyledons) will be fully grown, and the first set of true leaves will be growing. 

• Use scissors to cut the greens just above the soil. 
• Then rinse in cool water if needed. 
• Use immediately or place in the fridge and consume within a few days.

Microgreens are a powerful way to increase your fresh vegetable consumption. All the nutrition is packed into a miniature plant. 

Cress microgreens are an excellent source of vitamins C and E. They also have high amounts of carotenoids that become vitamin A when consumed.