You started down the rabbit hole of microgreen production. Now you're confused about packing your product by weight versus volume. "How much product should I put in a container of X size?" "How do I know how much product will fit inside a 16, 24, 32, or 64-ounce container?" You've heard other people say, "I use a 24-ounce container for our cilantro microgreens." Does that mean they're putting 24 ounces of cilantro microgreens into that container? Not quite.
You’re not alone because everyone gets confused by this in the beginning.
Most people discuss container sizes using their volume. For example, a 64-ounce container can hold 64 ounces of water, by volume. Volume, if you remember, is a measure of three-dimensional space. However, people discuss the amount of product packed into those containers using weight. For example, it's likely that a restaurant buying eight ounces of pea shoots is receiving it packed in a 64-ounce container. Unfortunately, both weight and volume can be measured in ounces. This is where the confusion happens.
Want to know the quickest way to know how much product to put into a container?
For every eight ounces of packaging volume, use one ounce of microgreens.
| Product Weight (g) | Product Weight (oz.) | Package Volume (oz.) |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | 1 | 8 |
| 57 | 2 | 16 |
| 85 | 3 | 24 |
| 114 | 4 | 32 |
| 142 | 5 | 48 |
| 170 | 6 | 48 |
| 199 | 7 | 64 |
| 227 | 8 | 64 |
As you can see, the rule isn’t perfect. Why? Certain crops, like sunflower and pea shoots, are more dense than other crops, like basil and shiso. Density is defined as something's weight divided by its volume. So, a higher density crop will weigh more, compared to a lower density crop, given the same volume. For example, sunflower shoots are high density, but basil microgreens are low density. Thus, I would pack two ounces of basil or four ounces of sunflower shoots in a 32-ounce package. Another important thing to note is that most people use 16, 24, 32, or 64-ounce packaging. 48-ounce packaging isn’t as common. The other gaps in the packaging sizes (40, 56, 72+) either don’t exist or they’re hard to find. Likewise, it’s common to offer your microgreens in increments of two ounces - 2, 4, 6, or 8. These aren’t hard and fast rules. It’s how the industry developed and it’s what most people expect.
Below is our full list. It shows the weight of each variety we could pack into each container size. Keep in mind, though, that some people are comfortable packing their product tighter. Some want more air space to cushion the product. What does this mean? It means we put six ounces of radish in a 64-ounce container, but we could comfortably fit up to 8 ounces in the same container. To each their own.
| Variety | Product Weight (oz.) | Package Volume (oz.) | Loose or Tight? | Customer Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arugula, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Kohlrabi, Radishes | 3 | 24 | Tighter | Restaurant |
| Arugula, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Kohlrabi, Radishes | 3 | 32 | Looser | Restaurant |
| Arugula, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Kohlrabi, Radishes | 6 | 64 | Looser | Restaurant |
| Arugula, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Kohlrabi, Radishes | 8 | 64 | Tighter | Wholesale |
| Pea Shoots, Fava Shoots, Sunflower Shoots | 3 | 24 | In the Middle | Retail (Grocery Store) |
| Pea Shoots, Fava Shoots, Sunflower Shoots | 4 | 32 | In the Middle | Restaurant |
| Pea Shoots, Fava Shoots, Sunflower Shoots | 8 | 64 | In the Middle | Restaurant & Wholesale |
| Basils, Celery, Lettuce, Nasturtium, Parsley, Shiso | 2 | 32 | Looser | Restaurants |
| Beet, Chard, Chervil, Cilantro, Mustard | 2 | 24 | In the Middle | Restaurants |
| Dill, Fennel | 2 | 32 | Looser | Restaurants |
| Onion | 3 | 24 | Tighter | Restaurants |
| Brassica Blend - Broccoli, Cabbage, Kohlrabi | 6 | 64 | Looser | Restaurants |
| Brassica Blend - Broccoli, Cabbage, Kohlrabi | 8 | 64 | Tighter | Wholesale |
| Radish Trio | 6 | 64 | Looser | Restaurants |
| Radish Trio | 8 | 64 | Tighter | Wholesale |
| Spicy Salad Mix - Arugula, Radish, Mustard | 6 | 64 | Looser | Restaurants |
| Spicy Salad Mix - Arugula, Radish, Mustard | 8 | 64 | Tighter | Wholesale |
| Taco Mix - Cilantro, Cabbage, Radish | 6 | 64 | Looser | Restaurants |
| Taco Mix - Cilantro, Cabbage, Radish | 8 | 64 | Tighter | Wholesale |
The ounces used to describe packaging are a measure of volume. The ounces used to describe microgreens are a measure of weight. Growers should aim to pack one ounce of microgreens for every eight ounces of packaging volume.
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