How to Harvest Seed Sprouts

Seed sprouts add crunch to garden salads.

Seed sprouts contribute nutritional value, spicy flavor, texture and crunch to sandwiches, salads and many Asian dishes. Mung bean, adzuki, buckwheat, radish and alfalfa sprouts are among the most commonly eaten varieties, but you can experiment with other bean and vegetable seeds. Sprouts are produced by soaking seeds for several hours to initiate germination, draining them, then placing them in a sprouting container with an optional weight to enhance thickness. Most sprouts are ready for harvest four to five days after germination.

Things You'll Need

• Colander or sieve
• Clear plastic containers

Instructions

1. Inspect sprouts to determine whether they're ready for harvesting and suitable for consumption. They should be clean and bright in color with tiny white roots. If most sprouts in the container meet these criteria, transfer them to a colander or sieve over a sink.

2. Pick through the sprouts and throw away any that appear decayed or undeveloped.

3. Wash the remaining sprouts to remove their seed coats.

4. Drain excess water and use or store the sprouts. Any sprouts not used immediately must be stored in clear plastic containers, preferably perforated containers, and kept in the refrigerator. Sprouts will stay fresh for up to five days in a refrigerator set to 36 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tips & Warnings

• Store sprouting containers out of the sun to prevent chlorophyll development, which is undesirable in edible sprouts.

References

• Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center; Seed Sprouts Produce Facts; Trevor Suslow and Marita Cantwell
• University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources; Sprout Production; Wayne L. Shrader; 2002