Kohlrabi, popularly known as German turnip, is originally a German word for cabbage turnip. It belongs to Brassicaceae and takes the name of Brassica oleracea var. It is the same family as that of cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower.
However, they do not belong to the same species as a turnip.
The leaves and stems of kohlrabi microgreens are edible. Kohlrabi microgreens are ready to eat in about 2 weeks when their first leaves appear. You’d be amazed by the color combinations they show with the green leaves and lavender-colored stems.
These microgreens are sure to be in your shopping cart when you go to the market for their health and nutritional benefits. Let’s learn about these microgreens in detail.
Table of Contents
What Are Kohlrabi Microgreens?
As mentioned earlier, kohlrabi goes by the scientific name of Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group. These are also known as purple kohlrabi for the purple color of their stems. Kohlrabi microgreens are essentially baby plants harvested before they attain total maturity.
Kohlrabi usually takes 8-12 days for harvest, after which you can consume these easy-to-grow microgreens. These nutrient-dense healthy microgreens are close relatives of cabbage but are the smaller leafy variants of the bigger vegetable.
The flavor of kohlrabi is similar to that of broccoli. However, it has a relatively sweeter flavor.
Purple Vienna kohlrabi microgreens are vibrant leafy microgreens with tints of purple hues, having rose-colored stems along with dark green leaves. The stem carries its purple color through the cotyledons, and even some of the leaves have shades of purple.
Initially, the Purple Vienna kohlrabi microgreens breeding developed a flattened meristem on the taproot deep into the soil. Also known as German Turnips, these Purple Vienna kohlrabi microgreens are rich in vitamin C and potassium.
The flavor of the Purple Vienna kohlrabi microgreens resembles that of a mild cabbage with a crispy and crunchy texture. Read on to learn how to grow kohlrabi microgreens and their benefits and nutritional value.
Kohlrabi Microgreens Health Benefits
You must add these microgreens to your cart when you go to the market for the variety of benefits they provide through their greens and the purple stems.
1. Better Digestion
The broccoli and kohlrabi microgreen hailing from the same species share similar health benefits as well. These are rich in fiber which is essential for a healthy digestive system.
2. Weight Loss
Consuming these microgreens keeps you full for a long time without the urge of a temptation to eat more later. This is incredibly helpful in losing weight. It does need the support of well-monitored food intake for the microgreen to be better effective.
3. Bone Strength
Amazingly, this microgreen is rich in calcium, iron, and manganese that help boost your bone strength. These greens also help fight old age problems, making the microgreen the elixir of life.
4. Energy Increase
Being rich in potassium, consuming kohlrabi microgreen is helps develop muscle strength and nerve activity. Potassium in the daily diet keeps you energetic and sharp all day.
5. Blood Pressure
Potassium is also essential for the heart and blood circulation and eases artery tensions or stress in other blood vessels. This lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease through the better flow of oxygen.
Kohlrabi microgreens are highly rich in this mineral, so it would be the best decision to add the microgreen to your shopping cart.
6. Reduces Cancer Risk
To your surprise, adding the Purple Vienna kohlrabi to your diet helps prevent the risks of cancer, specifically prostate or breast cancer. The plant contains potent phytochemicals.
Nutritional Benefits
Growing these Vienna microgreens would be a great decision. Kohlrabi has a high content of minerals and vitamins in their microgreens. These are protein-rich food with low calories.
Vitamin B6 is present in 12% of the DV, and vitamin E is present in 4% of the DV.
Potassium and manganese are present in 10% and 8% of the DV, respectively. Moreover, the microgreens contain 6% of the DV of both thiamin and magnesium. They also include 5% of the DV of both phosphorus and folate. Kohlrabi contains 3% of the DV of iron and 2% of the DV of calcium.
Additionally, pure kohlrabi microgreens contain a natural compound of anthocyanin that adds the reddish-purple pigment to it and helps prevent heart diseases.
What To Use To Grow Kohlrabi Microgreens
Growing kohlrabi microgreen plants needs a few supplies. You do need to order some items for proper planting and caring for these microgreens.
The first of the items you need to get is purple kohlrabi seeds. You can order from the organic stores you read about online or the local store that maybe delivers it to your doorstep. You can even pick it up yourself. The seeds you order need to be good quality seeds.
One good place to shop for seeds is the Hudson Valley Seed Company of New York which manufactures quality kohlrabi seeds.
When you browse through the products on their website, you can add your desired seeds into the cart, provided it is in stock. The shipping does not take many days, depending on your location.
You then need a microgreen growing tray along with a cover to plant the microgreen seeds after placing the soil into it. What you require next is the growing medium, which is the potting mix or the soil of your choice. You must select organic soil or coconut coir, or even a hemp mat would work fine.
Don’t forget to order a water mister to moisten the soil and the greens from the initial point of planting the seeds into the soil.
How to Grow Kohlrabi Microgreens
The Purple Vienna kohlrabi microgreens seeds in your cart are the storehouses of several health benefits and nutritional value. Let’s start with the growing process of these microgreens.
Step 1:
First, prepare the tray with the growing medium. Fill the tray with the organic planting medium below the brim and press it down a little. Moisten the soil with water for the seeds to easily seep through the top surface of the soil. Make sure it is sufficiently wet and not soggy.
Step 2:
After the first step of preparing the base, now is the time to plant the seeds. The seeds of the Purple Vienna kohlrabi are to be spread on the top surface of the soil.
Once you plant the seeds, press them inside lightly with your hand or cardboard. You can even use paper towels to press the seeds gently. They are mainly used to control the surface moisture on the seed. Later, mist the seeds using the water mister.
An important point to note here is that since you are growing microgreens, you want to have a dense tray of these plants. For that, make sure that there is a seed in every corner of the tray. Also, ensure there is enough space for the leaves to spread out.
Step 3:
On you are done planting each seed, you need first to cover the tray. After that, you need to place the growing tray planted with the kohlrabi seeds in a cold, dark place for about 3-4 days for the germination process.
You must keep misting the seeds during the germination process at least once every day.
Step 4:
After the period of germination, bring the growing tray out in the light. You can place them under artificial light, or a grow light. You’ll see that the seeds have hulled, and the sprouts have grown on the seeds. You’ll also notice a change in the color of their leaves during the growing period in the light.
Use a spray bottle to water the plants every day. The flavor of the microgreens depends greatly on how you have taken care of the plant in its growing stage.
Step 5:
Note that the harvest period for the Vienna microgreens depends upon you. It generally takes place when it grows its first leaf after 7-14 days of its growth. The young plants are then 1-3 inches tall, and you can see their leaves open up fully.
It is essential to stop watering the plants 12 hours before the harvest period. This way, you make sure that you do not destroy the microgreens. Make sure you cut the stem before it reaches full maturity just above the soil without uprooting it.
Summing Up
Once done with all the harvest procedures, if you plan to consume these microgreens later, make sure you store them in an airtight container without wetting them.
The Purple Vienna microgreens are to be consumed within 3-4 days of their harvest. This way, they’re more effective with their nutritional value.
You can eat these microgreens raw in the form of salads or cook them in Mexican food or any other favorite dish. Brassica oleracea var.has a mild flavor of the cabbage vegetable that contributes freshness to the food you add them to.
Overall, adding these beauties to grow at home is an excellent decision for your health. Good wishes on the journey of growing these microgreens!
James Fields is the founder of Gardener to Farmer. His passion for gardening goes back to his childhood days when he would visit his grandfather during the holidays and help him with the plants in the backyard. This has now translated to creating a dependable resource for gardening.