Broccoli Microgreens: How To Grow

Broccoli is a vegetable not loved by everyone, but how about consuming all its nutrients in a different way like microgreens?

Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, are located at the top of the list of foods that fight cancer, but you would have to consume ten servings of broccoli per day to get all its benefits. However, broccoli microgreens contain up to 50 times more antioxidant sulforaphane than adult broccoli.

Nutrients

A broccoli microgreen is the baby version of the final plant that you know of broccoli. An 85 gram serving of microgreen provides 35 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber.

Stomach Cancer Prevention

Gastric cancer is normally associated with a bacterium called H. Pylori. Researchers at Cancer Prevention Institute fed broccoli sprouts to mice for two months and observed a reduction in H. Pylori bacteria and an increase in stomach health.

Respiratory health

Sulforaphane can reduce asthma symptoms and other lung problems. Broccoli microgreens reduced the oxidative stress and inflammation in the airways of participants in a study published in “Clinical Immunology” in 2009. Similarly, in a 2011 review of the literature in the “Journal of Medicinal Plant Research” concluded that sulforaphane potentially fights respiratory disorders.

Heart health

Broccoli microgreens are rich in sulforaphane, which may be the key to reducing the risk of heart disease. High blood pressure and high triglyceride and cholesterol levels are strong risk factors for developing heart disease and people with diabetes are at an even higher risk. The broccoli outbreak reduced blood triglyceride levels in people with type 2 diabetes in a 2012 study in “Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.” In another study, a diet supplemented with dried broccoli sprouts significantly reduced rat blood pressure in a 2004 study of “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”

That’s a lot of reasons to grow broccoli microgreens at home, right?

Growing broccoli microgreens at home are very easy, the most important thing is to use the best germination method for this non-mucilaginous seed, and that is just what you will find in this article. Keep reading!

SPROUT, GERMINATED OR MICROGREEN?

Before starting, a small distinction, between microgreens, sprouts, and germinated seeds:

• The seed that begins to develop a little root and a small stem is called germinated.
• If we let that same seed follow its growth process until it develops a longer stem and the first cotyledons (tiny leaves), then it is an outbreak.
• If we let that bud continue to grow until it develops the first true leaves, then it is a micro-vegetable or microgreen.

The nutrients that the plant contains in each of these stages vary. In the specific case of broccoli, we are interested in consuming the plant in all its forms, since adult broccoli contains micronutrients that are not in the outbreak, but the outbreak is especially powerful in regards to its sulforaphane content – between 20 and 100 times more than the adult plant! That is, 100 grams of broccoli sprouts provide the same sulforaphane as approximately 1 kilo of broccoli.

Sulforaphane Benefits

Sulforaphane is a powerful genetic modulator capable of activating an antioxidant pathway called NRF2.

The list of benefits of sulforaphane continues to increase as new studies are carried out, but here are some highlights:

• Kill cancer cells and protect healthy cells.
• Prevents obesity by decreasing the formation of visceral fat.
• Protects against harmful intestinal bacteria and reduces intestinal inflammation.
• It improves the functioning of the liver.
• It contributes to the elimination of toxins from the air.
• Prevents autoimmune diseases.
• Protects against skin damage caused by UV rays.
• It reduces inflammation in the brain.

Germinate Your Broccoli Microgreens At Home

UTENSILS AND INGREDIENTS

A germinating jar. We recommend a jar that is large and has ceramic support that is perfect for collecting the water that can be filtered through the mesh of the lid.

If you do not want to buy a specific jar you can always create a solution similar to what you have at home: a glass jar, a cotton cloth or a mesh, and a rubber. It is important to be able to leave the jar tilted to filter excess water. The seeds have to remain moist but not flooded.

Broccoli seeds to germinate. Be careful because conventional broccoli seeds (those that are for sowing in the garden) do not work. Sometimes they are given some antifungal treatment that would not make them suitable for consumption as microgreens.

The Process

• Activate your seeds by placing two tablespoons of seeds in the jar and filling it with water halfway. Keep the seeds soaked for 12 hours in a dark place (this simulates the conditions that the seed has underground).
• After 12 hours, discard the water and rinse the seeds with fresh water, which you will also discard.
• Place the jar upside down in the holder so that the excess water falls.
• Rinse the seeds every day twice in the morning and at night.
• Approximately on the 5th or 6th day, the shoots will appear; these are the outbreaks.
• If they have germinated in a dark place, put them near a sunny window for a few hours to activate the chlorophyll and turn them green.
• Wait for 30 to 40 days for the first leaves to appear, and that is when your broccoli microgreens will be ready for consumption.

Once ready, we recommend eliminating the husks of the seeds. Here’s how to do it:

• Place the microgreens in a bowl and add fresh water until completely covered.
• In a couple of minutes, you will see how the shells float and the buds sink.
• With the help of a spoon, remove the shells from the surface. It is impossible to eliminate them all, but removing the vast majority will do.
• Drain the microgreens in the jar or strainer and keep them in the fridge to store them.