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aka Pepper Grass
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The perfect Micro-Green, Cress is seriously flavorful -
some would say seriously spicy - but it's much more complex than that. Cress is easy to grow and has really unique beautiful leaves too! Seed to Green in 5 - 6 Days Nutritional info: |
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Sprout School & Shop Sprouting Seed Info Center
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Sprouting Instructions
Yields approximately as many micro-greens (by weight) as seed "planted"
This is a mucilaginous seed. Do NOT soak it unless you are performing an experiment!
FYI - when mucilaginous seeds are mixed with non-mucilaginous seeds in the proper proportions (our secret) they can be sprouted using traditional sprouting methods (like in French Garden, Italian Blend and Nick's Hot Sprout Salad)
Grow these on soil or Baby Blanket (soilless medium) in a Tray, on a Hemp Bag, a Miniature Garden or on virtually any moisture retaining medium (as minimal as paper towel or fabric - like cheesecloth) you can think of.
Note: Cress is pretty darn mucilaginous - so we think it best to grow it on a disposable medium like Baby Blanket, our new soilless planting medium, or on soil, in a Tray. You can plant on a Hemp Bag but it can be difficult to clean. If you use the Miniature Garden, use Baby Blanket since it's disposable.
The Basics
Thoroughly moisten that upon which you are going to grow.
If using a Hemp Bag or a small bit of Baby Blanket or similar medium - lay it on a plate or in a pan or something so that you don't end up watering your counter. Likewise, if using a Tray, put it on a plate or in a solid (Drip) tray to capture water runoff.
Spread seeds sparsely on your thoroughly moistened medium/sprouter.
(there should be a bit of space around each seed but you are not expected to place them one at a time - just spread them out as much as you can and as evenly as you can*)
You may cover your seeds:
If planting on soil in a Tray use another tray - up side down.
If using a Miniature Garden you can slide the tray into the central unit for the first 2-3 days.
If using a Hemp Bag or similar medium - be creative.
It is not mandatory when growing mucilaginous Micro-Greens to cover them at all. Experiment for yourself and see what works best in your climate/location.
Place your Micro-Garden in a low-light, room temperature location (70° is optimal).
Keep the medium/sprouter moist - but not soggy - by watering or misting every day or two.
When your plants grow up and begin to shed their hulls they are ready for light so move them (if necessary) to a well lighted location.
If you go with sunlight be prepared to water more frequently. Room light will usually do quite nicely as well and will not dry out your medium as quickly.
Keep the medium/sprouter moist but not soggy by watering regularly.
Water from the side if possible to prevent injuring the tiny plants.
When your plants have open leaves and are green, they are done.
Harvest by cutting just above the medium upon which they have grown.
During the final 8-12 hours minimize the surface moisture of your plants - they will store best in your refrigerator if they are dry to the touch. So if you water try to keep the water off the plants - just water the medium.
Transfer your crop to a plastic bag or the sealed container of your choice - glass is good - and put them in your refrigerator - if you can keep from eating them all first.
Note: If using Single Harvest Pack and a Miniature Garden use the whole bag on 1 tray.
Or Use:
1-2 Tablespoons for our little 5” tray.
1/3-1/2 Cup for an 11inch x 11 inch square tray.
2/3-1 Cups for ours for an 11 inch x 22 inch tray.
The surest way to know what amount of seed to use: Spread dry seed on the bottom of your sprouter so that the seed is spread evenly and sparsely (about 1/16 - 1/8 of an inch of room between seeds is the goal, but don't sweat it, there is no way you can do that even close to exactly - it is just a goal!).
* The first time you grow these you might consider giving quite a bit of space to each seed just to familiarize yourself with the plants' habit.
Not Note: This is not Watercress, which is way too expensive to be used as a sprouting seed. It is also not a seed known in Europe - a non-mucilaginous Cress whose name we don't know but which many of our European customers have told us about and which we continue to search for.
Try this and learn: Plant 1 seed in a tiny pot - something as small as one inch square (bigger is OK too). Use soil for this and bury the seed 1/8 inch deep. Thoroughly moisten the soil before planting and keep the soil moist as it grows and keep it in the light once it emerges from the soil. You can grow this seed into a plant that has several leaves (it will take 3-4 weeks). This is a great way to learn more about plants in general and this seed in particular. You can eat the plant it tastes great! Now you know more about the potential of seeds. Awesome isn't it?!
Description
aka Pepper Grass, this spicy mucilaginous Brassica (the same family as Broccoli, Cabbage, Mustard and Radish...) is, in flavor, something like Watercress and is a very fast grower which doesn't need (and should not encounter) soaking. Just sprinkle some seeds on moist soil or a thoroughly moistened Hemp Bag or a Miniature Garden or Baby Blanket, a great soilless planting medium, and watch your crop grow - in just 5 days - into one of the most intensely flavorful greens you've ever experienced!
A major ingredient in our leafy blends; French Garden, Italian Blend and Nick's Hot Sprout Salad, Cress was not available as an organic crop back in 1994. Working for years with our dear farmer friends Mark + Ila we have established it as a standard certified organic crop.
Cress along with Arugula (which has exactly the same organic history), Onion and Garlic Chive are without a doubt the most essential flavor additions to any sprout kitchen!
FYI - when mucilaginous seeds are mixed with non-mucilaginous seeds in the proper proportions (our secret) they can be sprouted using traditional sprouting methods (like in French Garden, Italian Blend and Nick's Hot Sprout Salad)
Note: US and Canadian researchers have found that many brassicas contain antioxidants -
including Cress.
Sprouting Devices
to use for
Curly Cress
Follow links for detailed information
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Miniature Garden |
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Hemp Bag |
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| Trays This is the way we grow big greens but Trays also work well for big crops of Micro-Greens! Spread seeds on thoroughly moistened soil or Baby Blanket, in one of the several Trays we offer, cover the Tray for a few days and when it's time, un-cover and green your Micro-Greens. Just keep it moist. there is nothing to it! |
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Supplies |
SPROUTPEOPLE®
170 Mendell St.
San Francisco, CA 94124
Toll Free:
877/777-6887
(877/SPROUTS)
We only use the phone for emergencies.
Back in 2001 we were still using the phone. One day I was talking to a long-time customer while pushing my (then 4 year old) daughter on the swing in our backyard (this is what a mom n' pop business is like on the internet). It dawned on me that my priorities were severely messed up, so I stopped using the phone. I love to talk and I love to help, but my family would never see me if I picked up the phone again, and that's just wrong don't you think?!
The very best way to contact us is through E-mail =:-)
We are quite fast and VERY thorough. We love to help.
We have been an internet only business since 2001. We are not a big corporation. We are but 2 people, Mom n' Pop Sprout. We decided after years of juggling our family's (kids, dogs, cats and even our own) needs, and the needs of Sproutpeople, that we had to make more time for our kids, so we stopped talking on the phone. All calls go to voice mail and have since 2001.
We are very fast to fill orders and answer e-mail, and though we wish we could make the time to talk, we just can't seem to get more minutes into a each hour. We are many years older than when we started and our days are too short and made up of too few hours to do everything. This limitation in our business has not kept us from pleasing our customers, nor from growing (as we have every year since 1993). We do what we do as well as we can, and we think we do it very well indeed.
We appreciate your patronage more than we can say. We ask that you use the phone for emergencies only and that you search our site for answers before e-mailing us. This site is bigger than any 4 sprout books put together, it is always available and it is free, and we know that almost all questions are answered here.
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Sproutpeople