Harvest is the point where a growing project becomes food. Prepare the bench, tools and storage container before cutting. A little organisation helps you keep growing medium out of the greens and get the crop to the plate or fridge promptly.
Follow the variety’s harvest guidance. Cut healthy shoots above the growing medium with clean tools, wash under running water before eating and keep perishable greens refrigerated at 5°C or colder.
Check the crop, not just the date
Use the supplier’s harvest stage as your starting point. Different crops do not all reach the same size on the same day. Look across the tray and decide which healthy shoots meet the instructions rather than cutting everything because a reminder appeared.
Do not harvest a crop you suspect is spoiled. Growing longer, rinsing or cutting away a visible patch is not a reliable way to make a questionable crop safe.
Set up a clean cutting station
Iowa State University Extension recommends clean, sharp scissors or a knife, with attention to hygiene during harvest and storage. Wash your hands and prepare a clean container. Keep the tray separate from the bowl that will hold the food.
- Move the tray onto a cleanable surface.
- Hold a small group of shoots gently without pulling up the roots.
- Cut above the growing medium, keeping roots and loose material in the tray.
- Place cut greens into the clean container rather than back on the growing surface.
- Return tools and the work surface to a clean state when finished.
Wash for eating and manage moisture
Food Standards Australia New Zealand advises washing fresh produce under running water and not using soap or household disinfectants on food. Handle delicate greens gently. After washing, remove excess water carefully so the leaves are not sitting in a puddle.
Keep refrigerated greens in a clean food container and separate from raw meat. Label your harvest date. Follow any supplier storage directions, use the greens promptly and discard them if they deteriorate. There is no single guaranteed shelf life for every variety, fridge and handling method.
Cut with a meal in mind
Before harvesting a whole tray, decide how you will use it. A handful for tonight’s bowls may be a better fit than a large container you forget behind the milk. If you do harvest the whole crop, put it somewhere visible in the fridge and plan the next few meals around it.
A quick note about how many meals the crop supplied is useful for your next sowing. It is a better guide to tray quantity than a generic promise of servings.
Will the tray grow back?
Do not plan your supply around regrowth. Many common microgreens are managed as a single harvest. Follow the variety-specific instructions if a crop can be cut again. For a dependable beginner routine, clean the tray and sow a fresh crop.
Our repeat-growing guide shows how to space new sowings around the amount your household actually uses.
