Skip to product information
Seed | Japanese Spinach
  • Seed | Japanese Spinach
Seed | Japanese Spinach

Seed | Japanese Spinach

$3.99 CAD
Format

Quantity

Japanese spinach (Horenso) seeds selected for their optimal yield and resistance. Nutrient-rich, dark green foliage is ideal for spring and fall crops in Canadian climates. Fast harvest and vigorous growth.
A LITTLE HISTORY

Japanese spinach grows in rosettes that produce elongated, erect, slender stems with pointed, multi-lobed leaves. The dark green leaves have 2 to 3 tapered lobes and are uniform in appearance, with semi-serrated edges.

The leaves are also smooth, thick, broad and flexible, with deep veins all over the surface.

The stems are green, long, straight and narrow with a smooth and firm nature. This spinach has a crisp and succulent consistency.

The stems are also edible and have a crisp, slightly fibrous, and chewy texture. The greens have a mild, vegetal flavor when raw and develop a tender, sweet mouthfeel with nutty undertones when cooked. The roots are edible and a delicious pink color.

Many varieties of spinach have been created in China and Japan and have been sold for commercial cultivation and use in home gardens.

Selectively bred as a variety that can withstand extreme temperatures both heat and even cold without bolting.

Today, Japanese spinach varieties are cultivated and produced on a smaller scale than other spinach cultivars.

Fresh green vegetables are available at farmers markets, specialty retailers, and some high-end grocers in China and Japan.

I have been growing this variety for several years, as I received the seeds from a family from Japan who have been growing this variety for several generations.

So I decided to grow it here and to test this extraordinary variety.

I grow this cultivar throughout all our seasons, even during winter.

It's a regrowing variety, so if you take the leaves outside and take the ones that are starting to flower, you'll have spinach for a long season.

I often sow my seeds outside in the spring and eat the same spinach until the end of summer, only to sow more seeds around mid-September.
PROPERTIES

Japanese spinach is a source of:

  • calcium to strengthen bones and teeth,
  • vitamin C to strengthen the immune system and reduce inflammation,
  • and vitamin K to speed up wound healing.
  • The green stem and pink roots also provide vitamin A to maintain proper organ function,
  • iron to develop the protein hemoglobin for transporting oxygen in the blood,
  • folate to produce healthy red blood cells and other nutrients,
  • including manganese, fiber, potassium, magnesium, copper and zinc.
  • They are valued for containing anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Antioxidant:

  • Phytochemicals help neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress.
    Anti-inflammatory:

May help reduce inflammation in the body.
Digestive:

  • Promotes good digestion thanks to its fiber content.
    Immune System Support:
  • Strengthens the immune system due to its richness in vitamins and antioxidants.
    Other Benefits
  • Bone Health: Vitamin K contributes to bone health.
  • Cardiovascular Health: Can help maintain good blood circulation.

These properties make Japanese spinach an excellent addition to a healthy diet.
HOW TO COOK?
  • Can be mixed into salads, a favorite preparation to highlight their unique, pointed leaf shape.

Japanese spinach:

  • can also be layered in wraps, sandwiches and burgers, in smoothies, in dips or mixed into cereal bowls.

In addition to raw preparations, they hold up well in cooked dishes and are used as a topping on pizza or wilted in pasta.

  • The thick leaves can be steamed or sautéed as a simple side dish, cooked in egg dishes including omelets, quiches, and frittatas, or chopped and stuffed with herbs, spices, and other fillings into meats.
  • Japanese spinach can also be simmered in soups, curries, and stews, used as a bed of cooked greens for seafood, or stir-fried with vegetables as a nutritious side.

In Japan, these cultivars are used in gomae, also spelled goma-ae:

  • A spinach salad. Gomae is made from blanched spinach tossed in a dressing of sesame seeds, sugar, water, soy sauce, and dashi powder. It pairs well with herbs like thyme, basil, lovage, and dill; aromatics like garlic, ginger, shallots, and onions; mushrooms; potatoes; turnips; cheeses like Parmesan, feta, and cheddar; and nuts like pine and hazelnut.

Whole, unwashed leaves will keep for 5 to 10 days when stored in a sealed bag between layers of paper towels.

The leaves can also be blanched or wilted and frozen for six months.

Bon appetit
HOW TO GROW?

Our seeds are vigorous, open-pollinated and adapted to the Quebec climate.

  • Species: Spinacia oleracear: Amaranthaceae
  • Sowing: Early April-May (consecutive sowing every 3 weeks until September and October in an outdoor greenhouse or cold frame greenhouse to have this vegetable during the winter with garden cover in the greenhouse)
  • Seeds: 3 seeds per cell or pot in April and put in the ground around mid-May. From mid-May, put the seeds directly in the ground. A little growing tip: put garlic, onions, shallots or leeks between each plant, this will prevent you from having diseases :)
  • Sowing depth: 1-1.5 cm
  • Germination time: 5-12 days
  • Soil: Poor, humus-rich, loose and well-drained
  • Location: Sun and tolerates shade and cold very well
  • Spacing between plants: 20-25cm
  • Height at maturity 35-45cm
  • Maturity: 35-45 days
  • Seed per envelope: +/- 150

Our seeds are guaranteed for the year of purchase.

You may also like