BIO Cress

The garden cress or Lepidium sativum is a herbaceous annual plant, which is valued above all for its highly aromatic taste and is cultivated in many households.

The robust and undemanding garden cress reaches heights of up to half a metre in the wild and produces bare, upwardly branched stems, at the tips of which grow small alternate leaves.

The flowers, which are about half a centimetre wide, are white, sometimes light reddish or pale pink in colour and produce pods that contain the seeds.
In nature, the plant grows in bird feeding areas, in gardens and courtyards as well as on roadsides and waste dumps.

Garden cress has been used as a spice plant since ancient times.
The cultivation of garden cress proves to be extremely easy and problem-free. The seeds can be cultivated in a bowl placed near a window, on soil or a special plant fleece made of hemp fibres, as well as on damp cotton wool or kitchen paper. Garden cress does not need fertiliser or direct sunlight and germinates after just a few days with sufficient water supply. After about a week, the delicate plants can be harvested and used in a variety of ways in the kitchen.

The mustard seed glycosides contained in the cress give this plant its slightly pungent taste, reminiscent of radish. Garden cress is used to refine spreads, butter or lard sandwiches, egg dishes, soups and salads.