The #1 Mistake You're Making with Watercress Harvesting

Watercress hydroponics, hydroponic greenhouse growing, winter greens, and harvesting watercress — today I’m walking you through exactly how I harvest and package watercress, the most nutrient-dense leafy green in the world.

Watercress grows fast, loves moisture, and stays hydrated beautifully for storage when harvested early in the day. I’ll show you how I bunch it, bag it, box it with liners, and prepare it for delivery so it lasts two full weeks in the cooler.

Then come along for a full greenhouse update! I walk through:
• Mini bok choy
• New toca bakana (fast-growing cabbage)
• Dandelions
• Chrysanthemum greens
• Basil
• Romaine & lettuce trials
• Chinese open-head cabbage
• Swiss chard
• Leeks, kale, spinach harvest numbers
• Red cat soy
• My CSA box workflow
• Greenhouse sanitation & reuse strategies
• And a look at my leather crafting hobby between harvests

Watercress is incredibly nutritious — even more than kale — and the whole plant is edible. I also share how we cook it: egg sandwiches, fritters, and my favorite watercress soup recipe.

If you enjoy this style of greenhouse tour + harvest videos, please consider subscribing!

Recipe links mentioned:
• Watercress Soup
• Watercress Fritters
• Leafy greens bags & liners (links below)

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Our Webpage: https://www.bradwoodfarm.com

Our Address: 1130 E. Main Street Suite 118 Ashland, OH 44805.

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Doug's Starting Leather Kit:
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Rapid Rooter Link:
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NextLight Grow lights: https://amzn.to/3Bt056F

Heavy Duty Grow bags: https://amzn.to/35URRZh

Dutch Bucket: https://amzn.to/34KuFwJ

Dutch Bucket System: https://amzn.to/3h8DWBv

Microgreen emitters: https://amzn.to/3LHC14Q

Watercress Soup
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups white or yellow onion, chopped
Salt
1 cup white wine, chicken stock, or vegetable stock (wine or veg stock for vegetarian version)
1-pound potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 cups water
6 cups fresh watercress, about 1/2 pound, chopped, stems included
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
About 6 tablespoons sour cream, stirred in, or for garnish

Cook the onions in the melted butter:
In a large pot, heat the butter until froth. Then, add the onions, cooking over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Salt the onions as they cook.
cook onions for base of watercress soup
Add the wine and potatoes and simmer:
Add the wine (or stock), potatoes and water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.
potatoes cooking in stock in pot for watercress soup
Add the watercress:
Add the watercress to the pot. Stir well and cook for 2 more minutes.
add chopped watercress to soup in pot
Purée the soup:
Turn off the heat and purée the soup with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, pour the soup in batches into a regular blender and transfer the blended soup to a clean pot.

Be very careful when blending hot liquids to only fill the bowl a third of the way, and to hold down the blender's lid while you purée.

puree watercress soup
Season and garnish before serving:
Add salt to taste, then, add the black pepper.

You can either stir the sour cream into the whole batch of soup or serve a tablespoon in the center of each person's bowl.

00:00 — Watercress Harvest Day Intro
00:26 — Why I Harvest Early (Shelf Life Tip)
01:05 — Greenhouse Tour: Mini Bok Choy
02:02 — Clogged Emitter Fix
02:33 — Toca Bakana & Dandelions
03:15 — Chrysanthemum Greens
03:45 — Basil Update
04:12 — Lettuce & Cultivar Trials
04:49 — Chinese Red Cabbage & Swiss Chard
05:30 — Leeks, Tarragon & Kale
06:18 — Red Cat Soy
06:50 — CSA Boxes & Reuse System
07:45 — Box Liners & Packing Tips
08:35 — How I Harvest Watercress (Under the Channels!)
09:40 — Roots & Bunching Technique
10:22 — Why Watercress Is So Nutritious
11:05 — How We Cook Watercress
12:02 — Packing, Folding & Cooler Storage
12:58 — Leathercraft Hobby
14:15 — Final Boxes in Cooler
14:45 — Outro + Call to Subscribe