Preparing microgreens is simple: rinse them gently in cold water, pat or spin them dry, and add them to your food right before serving. The key is keeping them raw and fresh, since heat destroys many of the nutrients that make microgreens worth eating in the first place. Beyond that basic process, a few details around washing, removing seed hulls, storing, and pairing with dishes will help you get the most out of these tiny greens.
Washing and Drying
Place your microgreens in a bowl of cold water and swish them gently with your fingers. This loosens any soil, seed hulls, or debris clinging to the stems and leaves. Lift the greens out of the water (rather than pouring them through a strainer, which can bruise them) and repeat with fresh water if you see sediment at the bottom of the bowl.
If you’re dealing with varieties like sunflower microgreens that tend to hold onto their seed coats, a slightly more vigorous wash helps. Submerge them and agitate the water so the hulls float to the surface, then skim the hulls off. You can also lightly rake your hand across the top of a tray before harvesting to knock loose hulls free.
Dry your microgreens in a salad spinner on its gentlest setting, or spread them on a clean kitchen towel and blot carefully. Excess moisture shortens shelf life and makes the greens wilt faster on a plate, so this step matters more than it seems.
Why You Want to Keep Them Raw
Microgreens are nutrient-dense, but many of those nutrients are heat-sensitive. When radish microgreens were exposed to temperatures as low as 45°C (113°F), their protective plant compounds started breaking down. Flavonoid levels dropped because enzymes that degrade them are most active between 25°C and 55°C. Vitamin C took the hardest hit of all: hot air drying reduced it by 57% to 67%. B vitamins like riboflavin and niacin dropped by 35% to 40% at moderate to high heat.
Some vitamins, like B1 and folate (B9), held up well across temperatures. But the overall picture is clear: if you’re eating microgreens for their nutritional punch, raw is the way to go. Add them as a finishing touch after cooking is done, not during.
How to Use Them in Food
Think of microgreens as a fresh ingredient you add last. Scatter them over a bowl of soup after it’s been ladled, pile them on a sandwich, toss a handful into a salad, or use them to top tacos, grain bowls, omelets, or pizza right as it comes out of the oven. The residual warmth of a dish won’t cause significant nutrient loss the way sustained cooking would.
Different varieties bring different flavors. Radish and mustard microgreens are peppery and sharp, pairing well with rich or creamy dishes. Pea shoots taste sweet and grassy, working nicely in lighter salads. Sunflower microgreens have a mild, nutty crunch. Broccoli microgreens are subtly earthy. Red beet microgreens tend toward a slightly tart, citrus-like flavor due to their higher citric acid content. Experimenting with pairings is part of the appeal.
There’s no established daily serving recommendation for microgreens, but because they’re so concentrated in nutrients, even a small handful (around 25 to 50 grams) adds meaningful vitamins and minerals to a meal. Broccoli microgreens, for example, contain protective compounds at concentrations 10 to 100 times higher than mature broccoli heads. Red cabbage microgreens are notably rich in vitamin K and beta-carotene compared to their full-grown counterparts. Mineral content across several varieties, including lettuce, chicory, and broccoli, runs higher in the microgreen stage than in the mature plant.
Storing for Maximum Freshness
Unwashed microgreens last longer than washed ones, so only rinse what you plan to eat soon. Store the rest in the refrigerator at around 5°C (41°F). At that temperature, research on mustard microgreens found they maintained good sensory quality, stable antioxidant levels, and minimal weight loss for a full 14 days when kept in sealed polyethylene bags. At 10°C or higher, quality declined noticeably faster, with greater chlorophyll loss and tissue breakdown.
If your microgreens came in a clamshell container, you can store them in that. If they came loose or you grew them yourself, place them in a sealed bag or airtight container lined with a dry paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Keep them toward the front of the fridge where the temperature is most consistent, not in the crisper drawer where humidity tends to run higher.
If you’ve already washed and dried a batch, store them the same way but plan to use them within a few days. The clock starts ticking faster once they’ve been wet.
A Note on Food Safety
Microgreens are grown in soil or a growing medium and harvested just above the soil line, which means they can carry soil-borne bacteria. The pathogens of concern are the same ones associated with other fresh produce: Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, all of which are found naturally in soil and water. A thorough cold-water rinse before eating is your main line of defense. If you’re growing your own, keeping trays, tools, and surfaces clean between plantings reduces risk significantly. Clean all growing surfaces at the end of each growing cycle, removing plant debris before sanitizing.
Commercially sold microgreens are generally safer because producers follow food safety protocols, but washing before eating is still a good habit regardless of where your greens come from.