When considering microgreens, corn is not typically the first type of plant that comes to mind.
But, believe it or not, it’s one of the top microgreens you should be considering growing/adding to your diet.
Can you eat corn microgreens? Corn microgreens are not only edible, but they are also tasty. Further, they are extremely healthy for you as well. Corn microgreens are rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, and magnesium and calcium as well. However, once cooked, they lose most of their nutritional value, so it’s best to eat them raw.
Read on below to discover the full story of corn microgreens, from start to harvest!
Corn Microgreens
These microgreens might not be the first on people’s grocery lists or growing lists, but there’s no reason they should not be!
Corn microgreens are easy to grow, taste really good, and are packed with essential vitamins and other good stuff.
In the following sections, we cover everything you need to know about growing them.
Are Corn Microgreens Healthy?
Corn microgreens are very healthy. They are loaded with essential nutrients like calcium and magnesium as well as vitamins A, B, C, and E.
Besides having more protein and fiber, they couldn’t much healthier for you if they wanted to be.
Corn Microgreen Benefits
The benefits of corn microgreens are even more impressive than many of the microgreens you may already be familiar with:
- Boosts your immune system
- Reduces hypertension
- Prevents anemia
- Improve your bone health
- Rich in antioxidants
- High amounts of vitamins
- Packed with nutrients
- Easy to grow
- Can grow indoor or outdoor
What Do Corn Shoots Taste Like?
Corn shoots, for the most part, taste just like you’d expect them to taste: like corn. – more specifically, like young corn.
They are said to have a slightly sweet and bitter aftertaste. These microgreens make a fresh and crispy addition to most salads and dishes too.
How Do You Use Corn Microgreens?
To use your corn microgreens, simply cut them, rinse them thoroughly, and add them to your favorite foods. Many people add them to eggs, salads, soups, sandwiches, and other dishes.
They also make an excellent garnish as well. Store leftovers in the fridge for a day or two.
Corn Microgreen Recipes
It’s true, corn microgreens have a bit different taste than the other microgreens you’re used to growing and eating, but they are just as tasty in their own way.
Here are a few of the simple corn microgreen recipes to enjoy:
Stir Fry
Your favorite stir-fry just got a whole lot healthier, especially if you enjoy the kind with those cute little baby corns.
Add a handful of corn microgreens to the skillet and watch the meal take on a whole new nutritional value.
That said, you need to wait until after everything else has finished cooking, or the microgreens will lose all of their healthy goodness.
Salad
Almost any salad is ripe for adding a dash of corn microgreens. They go really well with fresh tomatoes, spinach, a bit of cheese, sea salt, and crushed black pepper!
Sandwiches
Corn microgreens are also a great ingredient for most sandwiches. They add a bit of crunch to the toppings and a fresh garden taste to your sandwiches overall, whether burgers or hot ham-n-cheese.
Eggs and Omelets
Forget the oregano, basil, or parsley on your next omelet, and throw in a few corn microgreens once it’s almost finished cooking. Onions and tomatoes make good companion ingredients.
Smoothies
If you’re a smoothie kind of person, corn microgreens could be your new best friend. They can be added to just about any smoothie that already has room for a veggie or two on its ingredients list.
How Long Do Corn Microgreens Take To Germinate?
Once prepared and planted, corn microgreens take around two to three days to germinate.
However, depending on the species and other factors, like the humidity and light level, some seeds may take between 4 and 10 days to germinate fully.
Should Corn Seeds Be Soaked Before Planting?
Unlike normal corn plants, which don’t require presoaking before planting, corn seeds destined to be grown as microgreens should be soaked.
Give your corn seeds anywhere from 8 to 24 full hours of soaking before planting them as microgreens. Cold water works best.
When Do You Harvest Corn Microgreens?
Corn microgreens are best harvested as soon as they turn from a solid yellow color to slightly greenish. They should also be at least a few inches tall before being cut and harvested.
Typically, corn microgreens are ready for harvesting one to two weeks after sprouting.
Will Corn Microgreens Regrow?
Most microgreens are done once you harvest them, including corn microgreens. When you cut them down, there isn’t enough energy left in the roots and remaining stems to produce new growth.
That said, in some rare cases, especially if you’ve let your plants get too big, they may be able to grow back.
Can You Grow Corn Microgreens From Popcorn?
Corn microgreens are one of the easiest to grow, period. Yes, you can even plant them from popcorn seeds.
They’ll still grow into the healthy and nutritious microgreens you know and love, even when planted from popcorn!
Best Corn Varieties for Microgreens
Any variety of corn works just fine for growing corn microgreens. That said, sweet corn varieties are preferred by many home gardeners.
A few of the most popular corn varieties for microgreens are:
- Golden Bantam
- Country Gentlemen
- Kandy Korn
- Ambrosia hybrids
- Honey Select hybrids
- Blue Hopi
- Any other sweet corn varieties you enjoy!
How To Grow Corn Microgreens
Growing corn microgreens is far easier and quicker than growing the fully mature version of the plant. From planting to the plate, corn microgreens only need 3 to 4 weeks.
First, make sure that you have all the necessary supplies:
- Seeds
- Grow tray or containers
- Growing medium
- Water source
- Spray bottle or sprayer
- Grow lights (like these) or a location with sunlight
Once you’ve gathered the supplies, it’s time to get on to the fun part:
- Prepare your corn seeds by soaking them in water for several hours
- Prepare/sanitize the containers or trays you’ll use for growing
- Water the trays and add growing medium on top of the water
- Spread the seeds across the top of the damp growing medium
- Mist the seeds with water and add a thin layer of growing medium if needed
- Cover the trays and place them somewhere warm and dark
- Apply water daily as needed
- Within a week or two, move the sprouted corn and place it under the lights
- Continue watering for two to three weeks
- Harvest when the microgreens are a few inches tall
How To Grow Corn Microgreens Without Soil
Growing corn microgreens without soil isn’t all that different. In place of soil in containers, you use a special tray that has a lid with lots of slits in it (similar to the net pots used in hydroponics).
Other than that, everything else is pretty much the same albeit a bit more streamlined:
- Sanitize/sterilize your equipment
- Add water to the special microgreen trays
- Sprinkle seeds into the trays
- Place the domes over the trays, and place them somewhere dark
- Keep the trays watered
- Remove the domes and move the trays under the lights/outside
- Continue watering the trays as needed
- Harvest the microgreens when they are a few inches tall
Conclusion
Corn microgreens are a great gardening practice and dietary supplement, to say the very least.
They are easy to grow and are packed with vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and a bunch of other good stuff, and they taste great as well.
You can grow them with soil, without soil, indoors, and outdoors. Plus, there are a ton of tasty ways to serve them up in meals, on the side of dishes, and as an ingredient in salads, soups, and smoothies.