Broccoli Sprouting Seeds
Untreated seed for sprouting, from 2,000 seeds to 20 kg
Broccoli sprouts are crisp, with a mild radish-like bite, and they add crunch to salads, sandwiches and wraps. Grown in a jar on the kitchen bench, they are ready to eat 4 to 6 days after soaking. The same seed can be grown on as microgreens and cut 8 to 12 days after sowing.
How to sprout broccoli seed in a jar
- Put 15 to 20 g of seed (1.5 to 2 level tablespoons) in a clean 1 L jar with a mesh lid, or muslin held on with a rubber band. Rinse the seed and drain.
- Cover the seed with two to three times its volume of room temperature drinking water and soak overnight, 6 to 12 hours, out of direct sun.
- Drain hard, then 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. Shake the seed along the glass after each rinse so it does not clump.
- When the first leaves open, around day 3 or 4, move the jar into bright, indirect light for a day or so 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 on a clean cloth.
Store the dried sprouts in a clean, sealed container in the fridge at 5°C or colder and eat them within about 4 days. Rinse each serve under cool running water just before eating. Throw out any that smell sour or musty, feel slimy or turn dark. Fine white root hairs appear 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. Food Standards Australia New Zealand and the NSW Food Authority advise that people who are pregnant, aged 70 or over, children under 5 and anyone with a weakened immune system should not eat raw sprouts, and should cook them until steaming hot instead. The NSW Food Authority advises cooking all sprouts thoroughly before eating. Wash your hands and equipment before each batch, sanitise the jar between batches, and use water fit to drink.
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