Organic Chioggia Swiss Chard seeds for growing microgreens

Both varieties belong to the same botanical species (Beta vulgaris var. cicla), but they differ in colour and intensity of flavour. Ruby Red Chard has intense ruby red stems and a more pronounced, slightly earthy flavour. Chioggia has pale pink stems often streaked with white, and an even milder, subtler - almost sweet - flavour. Visually, one is exuberant, the other all delicacy. In terms of growing, the process is identical: 10 to 14 days, 8 to 9 g of seeds per tray.

This variety takes its name from Chioggia, a small fishing town in the Venetian lagoon, in Veneto. It is a traditional Italian variety grown for generations in northern Italy - a true pride of Venetian market-garden heritage. Our seeds come from Geo Bavicchi, based in Perugia in Umbria, who select this variety in keeping with Italian tradition.

Sprouted seeds are harvested very early (2 to 5 days), at the rootlet stage, and are grown in a jar or sprouter with daily rinsing. Microgreens go further: they are harvested at the cotyledon stage (the first embryonic leaves), between 10 and 14 days for Chioggia, and only the aerial part, cut with scissors, is eaten. They are grown on a light substrate - in our case, 100% natural ceramic granules. And with Chioggia, you get as a bonus that elegant pale pink hue that the sprouted seed does not reveal.

Allow about 8 to 9 g of seeds for a standard tray of the GEO Smart Greens. The 15 g bag therefore gives you 1 crop, and the 250 g size about 27 to 31 crops - enough to have fresh Chioggia chard microgreens continuously for more than six months.

In practice, allow 10 to 14 days between sowing and harvest. Chioggia is one of the medium-cycle microgreens - a little slower than mustard or radish (harvested in 6 to 8 days), but the wait is worth it for that pale pink hue that develops gradually over the days. Harvest when the shoots reach 5 to 7 cm.

It isn't compulsory but it is recommended. Chard seeds are actually seed clusters - small irregular clusters containing several embryos. Soaking them for 2 to 4 hours in clean water at room temperature before sowing softens the outer coat and significantly speeds up germination. It's the tip that makes the difference between an average crop and a really successful one.

The pinkish colour of the stems comes from betalains, plant pigments characteristic of the Amaranthaceae family. In Chioggia, these pigments are present in a more moderate concentration than in Ruby Red - hence this paler, more pastel hue. In practice, the more the shoot develops and receives light, the more the colour asserts itself - while always staying in soft shades.

For microgreens, it isn't ideal. Easygreen sprouters are perfect for classic sprouted seeds (alfalfa, broccoli, lentils, fenugreek...) grown by misting or siphon effect, without substrate. Microgreens, on the other hand, need to be grown on a substrate with bottom watering. That is precisely the function of the GEO Smart Greenssprouter, designed for this process.

Yes, it is one of its big assets. After harvest, you remove the roots, rinse the granules in clean water, and you can start a new crop. The porous structure of the ceramic keeps its absorption capacity over the cycles - up to 5 reuses recommended by Bavicchi. It is frankly more eco-friendly than a single-use peat or coir type substrate.

Ideally, cut them just before serving - that way you get all their freshness and vivid pink hue. If you need to store them, put them in the fridge in an airtight box between two sheets of kitchen paper. They keep 3 to 4 days, but their flavour and colour are at their best in the first 24 hours.

A few concrete ideas we use at home with Aurélie: on an avocado toast (on sourdough bread or seed crackers) - the avocado green / shoot pink contrast is of rare elegance; on a courgette or, fittingly, Chioggia beetroot carpaccio (a play of colours between the shoot and the vegetable); in a minimalist raw bowl in soft tones; as a finishing touch on a pinkish-white raw soup (cucumber, pink radish, courgette); on a very finely cut vegetable tartare; in a fresh seaweed salad such as rehydrated wakame or dulse - the marine shades pair wonderfully with the pale pink; as a garnish on a homemade hummus; or in a cold-pressed green juice for a discreet aromatic touch. Always add at the end of preparation, raw, to preserve the aromas and the brightness of the colour.