Treat your taste buds to our Peppery Arugula Seed Quilt!! 🥬

Flavor Profile:

Peppery, Spicy, Zesty & Tangy 

Nutritional Highlights:

🌱 Arugula microgreens contain phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals¹ 

🌱 High in Vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K and calcium¹

🌱 Contain sulforaphane that helps fight against Cancer¹

🌱 Contain Nitrate to lower blood pressure¹

🌱 Low in oxalates, which inhibit the absorption of minerals into the body¹

We love Peppery Arugula microgreens on just about everything! They are an especially delicious addition to salads, pizzas, pastas, wraps and sandwiches. This variety is definitely one you’ll want on-hand at all times, so grab an extra grow tray and get growing!

We’ve put together some delicious recipes using this peppery microgreen in our FREE Recipe eBook...Be sure to download it and give them a go! You’ll 💚 them!

Recipe eBook Sneak Peek:

1. Clams in Buttered White Wine, Thyme & Caramelized Onion Linguine Pasta with Peppery Arugula Microgreens

2. Cucumber, Mint, Feta & Arugula Microgreen Side Salad

3. Turkish Poached Eggs with Garlic-Chili Yogurt & Arugula Microgreens

4. Korean-Style Beef Short Rib Tacos with Peppery Arugula Microgreens

5. Charred Corn, Peppered Bacon & Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad with Arugula Microgreens

6. Wasabi Aioli Cucumber Sushi Roll with Avocado, Blackened Shrimp & Peppery Arugula Microgreens

7. Caprese Salad with Peppery Arugula Microgreens

Onto the growing process!

Let’s unwrap these beauties and get to planting.

Here are a few things you should know before you grow:

1. The peel time is around 5-6 days after the initial soak
2. The grow time is around 10 days
3. Your Arugula will grow to be about 2-3 inches tall at maturity when ready to harvest (this is a rule of thumb as different growing conditions may affect this slightly).
4. Note the Calcium Carbonate on the top of the Seed Quilt (more info below)
5. Growing Level - Expert
1. Pay special attention to the initial soak and water level as the seeds are more susceptible to moisture. Arugula seeds are mucilaginous (kind of like chia seeds!). This means they produce a gelatinous substance composed of proteins (which helps the seed to retain moisture and protects it too!).
2. Fill your tray to a little below the initial fill line on your tray. Soak the Seed Quilt as normal, making sure the top layer turns a shade darker from absorbing water. Gently lift the seed layer of the quilt and let water drip off of it for a few seconds. Reattach the seeds onto the coconut mat in the tray.
3. The water level should remain around the bottom half of the coconut mat for the first few days, slowly receding.
4. If you are growing in the colder months or in a colder climate, check out our Cold Weather Growing Tips!

Day 1 - Planting the Seed Quilt

Just follow the simple Hamama instructions.

* You may notice a small amount of white powder on the top of your Basil Seed Quilt - We put that there for a reason! Calcium carbonate powder is a food-safe addition to this Seed Quilt that controls against excess moisture. It has a wide variety of uses in many types of food, like preserving it without putting any extra chemicals in it. The national institutes of health have approved carbonate calcium’s use in food. Just avoid touching the powder with your hands then touching your eyes.

You’ll want to give your Seed Quilt a quick shake to evenly distribute the seeds, add water to just a bit below the fill line on your tray, then set the quilt on the tray’s bottom ribs. To ensure that it is adequately soaked, press it down long enough for the entire quilt to turn a shade darker.

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 Quilt is not sloshing around in the water (pour some out if this happens) and that no water is left pooling on top of the seeds. Here are some extra watering tips!

Day 2

You won’t see much happening on day two but there are some things to note:

🌱 The water level may have gone down from day one. That’s normal (and good)! 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 65-80 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 (especially pre-peel) 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.

Day 3

You may see that the top paper is puffing just slightly. That’s a good sign of germination! At this point, they are starting to set their roots down into the coconut mat.

Day 4 

You should notice even ballooning across the Seed Quilt more and more each day from the seeds germinating. It’s still too early to peel - We want to make sure we don’t open these before they have finished germinating so we are going to give it another day or two to balloon entirely before peeling the top layer off.

It is super important not to peel too early! As the roots begin to grow, they need that top layer to encourage them to penetrate the bottom of the mat. Without it, the roots risk staying above the mat, which would cause them to dry out.

Not only does it help the roots but it is also super beneficial for the greens themselves! It keeps moisture in from the initial soak, regulates temperature and humidity, and also shields the seeds from light during the germination process!

Day 5 - PEEL DAY!

Each pocket of the Arugula Seed Quilt have evenly ballooned and are now breaking through the top paper. Totally ready to peel!

This particular Arugula Seed Quilt is a great example of a ripped Seed Quilt. If your Seed Quilt is ballooned, you can just peel the cover off in one motion! Some quilts will have microgreens that rip through the top layer rather than balloon. All you have to do in that case is remove the pieces individually.

Day 6 - Soaking in the sun!

Now that your greens aren’t hiding under that top layer, you can see just how much they grow day to day! They will also turn greener as they absorb more light. As the greens get bigger they also tend to take up a lot more water. That makes this the perfect time to check the water level of your greens, especially if you live in a drier climate! If you notice that the water level has gone below the halfway point of the fill line and bottom of your tray, you can add enough water to reach the ridges at the base of the tray. This gives those roots enough water to sustain the greens without over-watering them!

*Remember, this only applies to dry or really hot growing conditions - the normal function is that you just add water once! :)

Day 7 - 8

Just keep an eye on the water level (should be around the tray's bottom ribs) and watch these beautiful greens grow taller for the next couple of days. Sneak tastes as you wish ;)

Day 9 - Harvest Day!

For a general rule of thumb, your Arugula microgreens will range from 2-3 inches tall at maturity. Just like any other microgreen though, this is just a reference as growing conditions (light, temp, etc) will affect the mature height slightly.

Your microgreens can be harvested by cutting at the base & storing them in a glass Tupperware or Stasher Bag in the fridge. They will last for about 10 days that way! If you prefer to munch on your greens while they are in the tray (you know I do), the mature greens can remain there for a few extra days, but you must periodically check that they have enough water to drink! Otherwise, they may prematurely wilt over from thirst. The greens can also become slightly bitter and more fibrous the longer you leave them in the tray after maturing.

* Make harvesting & storing your homegrown greens a breeze! The Hamama Harvesting Kit includes a reusable Stasher Bag®, cute branded harvesting scissors, and natural fiber bamboo scrub brush for cleaning your grow tray!

Do you need to rinse your microgreens before use?

When the microgreens are ready to harvest you don't need to rinse them, but you can if you want. Whatever you feel comfortable with! Since there’s no soil, they’re already super clean. Most folks rinse if they have pets who may have been snooping around in them :D  

*For longer storage, don’t rinse the harvested microgreens before storing. Instead, rinse just before eating, if desired!

What's next?

After harvesting your greens, you can compost or re-purpose the used coconut mat! Learn how to Upcycle your Coconut Mats here! 

Then, you can give your grow tray a quick wash & plant your next Seed Quilt! Learn how to wash your grow tray here.

We hope you LOVE our Peppery Arugula microgreens! 💚

Sources:

1. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shubha-2/publication/337592972_Arugula_Eruca_vesic[…]ia-subsp-sativa-Miller-Thell-A-healthy-leafy-vegetable.pdf