Radiant Amaranth microgreens

Health Benefits

🌱 Rich in nutrients & antioxidants

🌱 Contains vitamin C & K for immune function & blood clotting / bone health 

🌱 Contains iron to promote red blood cell production

🌱 Good source of fiber to aid in cardiovascular health & promote healthy digestion

   

Taste & Appearance

🌱 Amaranth microgreens have a soft texture and vibrant red/pink stems and tiny maroon/green leaves

🌱 They have a mild, slightly earthy, & nutty flavor with a delicate grassy finish; reminiscent of beetroot

🌱 Micro Amaranth adds a fresh pop of color & nutrients to many dishes 

Amaranth microgreens are a wonderful accompaniment to many dishes as they add both color, flavor, and nutrients. Typically they are used as a strikingly beautiful garnish. 

You can find our favorite amaranth microgreen recipes in our curated recipe collection. We hope you love them!

 

 

Follow our Micro-Amaranth Growing Experience

• The peel time is around 5-6 days after the initial soak. 
• The grow time is around 7-8 days. 
• Amaranth microgreens will grow to be about 1½-2 inches tall when ready to harvest.
• As soon as Amaranth microgreens reach maturity, they must be
• harvested immediately and stored in the fridge or they will dry up/wilt. 

 

Day 1 - Planting the Seed Quilt

Just follow the simple Hamama instructions. 

Give your Seed Quilt a quick shake to evenly distribute the seeds, add water to just below the fill line on your tray, then set the quilt on the tray’s bottom ribs. To ensure that it is adequately soaked, be sure to hold it down long enough for the quilt to turn a shade darker. After the soak, 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. Make sure that no water is left pooling on top of the seed pockets. Find more watering tips here.

Day 2 

The Seed Quilt won’t look much different. The water level may have gone down from day one, which is normal [Do not 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 with predictable health. Cooler temps can stunt the growth and it'll take a little longer for the seeds to germinate. 

What’s the top layer 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 - 4 

You should see some germination by day 3 or so. You may see that the top paper is puffing just slightly. At this point, the microgreens are starting to set their roots down into the coconut mat.

 

Day 5

Each pocket of the Amaranth Seed Quilt is evenly ballooning, and slightly tearing open in this case. Give your Seed Quilt a tad more time before peeling if the paper isn’t fully ballooned or ripped open in all areas. 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’s also 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 6 - Peel Day 

Once the greens are pushing through the top layer across the whole Seed Quilt, causing it to either rip or balloon up. If the paper is ballooned, you can peel it off in one motion. If the paper is ripped, just remove the paper pieces individually. Provide your greens with plenty of indirect sunlight or indoor lighting so they can grow taller and greener.

Day 7 - 8

Your micro-Amaranth will continue to grow each day from here on out. As the greens get bigger they also tend to take up a lot more water. This is the perfect time to check the water level in your tray, 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. Never fill the water back up to the fill line. 

For a general rule of thumb, Amaranth microgreens will range from 1.5-2 inches tall at maturity. This is just a reference as growing conditions (light, temp, etc) will affect the mature height slightly. These are meant to be shorter microgreens! 

 

Harvesting & Storing your Microgreens 

Amaranth microgreens MUST be harvested as soon as they reach maturity or they will dry up and wilt, with no chance of recovering. This is a unique trait of this microgreen variety. Amaranth 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.

* 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 microgreens before use?

When the microgreens are ready to harvest you don't need to rinse them, but you can if you prefer. Since there’s no soil, they’re already super clean. 

*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. Give your grow tray a quick wash & plant your next Seed Quilt. Learn how to easily wash your grow tray here.

Reach our team of Grow Coaches at hamama.com/help - we're always happy to answer questions and offer growing support! We hope you enjoy Radiant Amaranth microgreens! 💚🌱