If you have ever tried roasted cauliflower, you know how delicious and versatile this vegetable is to use in meals. As microgreens, you can enjoy the mild peppery taste of these beautiful green leaves with a white stem and pink highlights.
What are Cauliflower Microgreens?
Cauliflower microgreens are as healthy as their full-grown shape, low in calories, and loaded with vitamins and minerals. It belongs to the Brassicaceae family, alongside cabbage and broccoli.
Growing cauliflower microgreens is easy, and you will be able to enjoy these pretty green leaves with white stems within two weeks.
| Growing period | 9-12 days |
| Flavor | Mild peppery cabbage flavor |
| Growing difficulty | Easy |
| Buy seeds | Cauliflower seeds from True Leaf Market |
Description
Cauliflower has been around since the middle ages, and it’s claimed to have its origin in Cyprys. It’s one of the more nutrient-dense vegetables you can eat and enjoy in many different ways; roasted, steamed, grilled, boiled, fried, or eaten raw.
Cauliflower is commonly known as a large and round vegetable with its white head surrounded by green leaves. However, it also comes in a variety of green, orange, and purple heads.
Growing cauliflower in the garden is considered relatively difficult, and that could be because it thrives best in mild daytime temperatures. Growing them as microgreens is however easy.
General Nutrition & Benefits
The cauliflower is packaged with healthy benefits and contains some of almost every vitamin and mineral that you need.
It has a high concentration of vitamins C, K, and B6. It’s also high in fiber and contains folate, potassium, manganese, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.
RELATED: The Most Nutritious Microgreens to Grow and Eat
How to Grow Cauliflower Microgreens
Growing Cauliflower microgreens is fast and simple. The seeds are fairly large, easy to manage, and you can with ease sow them thickly.
| Growing timeline (estimated) | |
|---|---|
| Presoak | No |
| Preferred medium | Soil or coconut coir |
| Avg. seeds per tray (10/20 tray) | 42,5 gram |
| Germination period (blackout) | Day 1-5 |
| Growth time (sunlight) | Day 6-8 |
| Harvest | Day 9-12 |
Preparation
You don’t need to presoak the seeds. Simply fill a tray or other container with the medium of choice (preferably coconut coir or sterilized soil) and lightly compress it. Then sprinkle the seeds evenly across the surface. As these are larger seeds, they are easy to distribute, but if any of them have clumped together, gently use your fingers to spread them out.
Finish off by providing the seeds with water. You can use a spray bottle to give them a good mist.
Germination period (blackout)
Cauliflower seeds need to be placed in the dark for around five days.
You can cover your tray with another tray on top. After two to three days, when you see that the seeds have germinated, you can flip the cover tray and give the seedlings more hight to grow.
Growth time (sunlight)
After the germination, you need to expose the growth to light for another 3-4 days. You will see that when the cauliflower seeds have grown to around 2-3 inches high, you can remove from the dark. Place the tray in indirect sunlight or under an artificial grow light. During this period, the microgreens will change from being yellow into green beautiful leaves with white stems and a hint of purple.
You should water your microgreens every morning and evening. Ensure they are not dried out, but as well you cannot oversoak them. The latter may cause them to grow mold and wilt.
RELATED: Why Microgreens Mold and How to Prevent It
RELATED: 10 Reasons Your Microgreens Are Wilting
Harvest
As you have reached around day 9, you will find that your cauliflower microgreens have grown tall enough to be harvested. The time when you can harvest may vary depending on the conditions they have grown in.
Cut them using a sharp knife or scissors just above soil level, and you will have a nice batch of greens! Store them dry in a sealed container, and they will last you longer.
RELATED: How to Store Microgreens After Harvest
Culinary Guiding
Cauliflower microgreens make a great addition to any salad. Use them in a sandwich, on your soup or omelet. They add great taste to almost any dish.
You can also enjoy them raw as a healthy snack!
Why not make this Cauliflower Avocado Micro Green Salad!
