Alfalfa Sprouting Seeds
Untreated seed for sprouting, from 2,000 seeds to 4 kg
Alfalfa sprouts are fine and crisp, with a mild, faintly nutty taste. They are sprouted in a jar on the kitchen bench and are ready 5 to 8 days from the start of the soak.
How to sprout alfalfa seed in a jar
- Put about 30 g of seed (3 level tablespoons) in a clean 1 L jar with a mesh lid, or 15 g in a 500 mL jar. Rinse the seed, skim off anything that floats, and drain.
- Cover the seed with two to three times its volume of cool drinking water and soak for 6 to 12 hours, overnight, out of the sun.
- Drain hard and prop the jar mouth down at an angle in a bowl so the water runs out and air gets in.
- Rinse with cool drinking water and drain hard two to three times a day. Roll the seed along the glass after each rinse so it does not clump.
- When the small leaves open, around day 4 or 5, move the jar into bright, indirect light to green them. Keep it out of direct sun, which heats the glass and can spoil the jar.
- Tip the sprouts into a bowl of cool water, skim off the loose seed coats, then dry the sprouts in a salad spinner or on clean kitchen paper.
Store the dried sprouts in a clean, sealed container in the fridge at 5°C or colder and eat them within 4 to 5 days. Throw out any that smell sour or musty, feel slimy or darken. Fine white root hairs appear along the roots on day 2 or 3: they are even, lie flat when rinsed and are not mould.
Food safety
Raw sprouts can carry Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, even when grown with care at home, and alfalfa sprouts have been linked to food poisoning in Australia. The NSW Food Authority advises cooking all sprouts thoroughly before eating. People who are pregnant, aged 70 or over, children under 5 and anyone with a weakened immune system should not eat raw sprouts. Wash your hands and equipment before each batch, sanitise the jar between batches, and use water fit to drink.
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