The fast-growing rocket can be harvested 4-6 weeks after sowing. The fresh leaves taste mild and nutty or spicy and enrich our menu from April to October. The harvest is plentiful if you follow a few tips.
Healthy and tasty rocket
Rocket - better known by its Italian name rocket - has a high content of mustard essential oils, which are responsible for the spicy aroma and savory taste. It also contains iodine, beta-carotene and folic acid. Rocket is mainly used to prepare salads. In Mediterranean cuisine, they are often found as a fresh topping on pizza and pasta dishes. It is also suitable for making pesto.
When and how is rocket harvested
In favorable weather conditions, the young plants develop quickly so that, depending on the variety, they can be harvested for the first time about a month after sowing. Do not cut too radically so that the plant will sprout again. Over time, lush rosettes develop and the rocket can be animated to sprout again and again through skillful pruning.
If you sow them again and again during the summer, you have fresh leaves available well into the autumn. If the weather is suitable, the last sowing can take place in September, so that the harvest can take place at the end of October.
For the best taste experience, young, tender leaves are harvested and served as a salad. The older the leaves are, the stronger and sharper they taste and are then more suitable for seasoning like herbs. It is essential to ensure that the rocket is harvested before it blooms, otherwise the leaves will taste very pungent to bitter.
tips and tricks
Rocket plants should not be fertilized. Above all, fertilizers containing nitrogen should be avoided, as the nitrate content may increase as a result.