Sprouted seeds: nutrients, varieties and how to grow them at home

Which seeds should you sprout?

The ideal seeds to start with

If you are a beginner, I recommend starting with these three varieties, which are easy to sprout and mild in taste:

• Alfalfa (lucerne): discreet, slightly sweet taste, sprouts in 5 to 7 days, ideal for salads and sandwiches, with a good density of vitamins and minerals made assimilable by germination. Discover our organic alfalfa seeds
• Green lentils: mild flavour and crunchy texture, sprouts in 2 to 3 days
• Fenugreek: slightly spicy taste, sprouts in 3 to 4 days, traditionally associated with digestive comfort as part of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. See our fenugreek seeds

These seeds forgive beginner's mistakes and give satisfying results even without prior experience. For the complete list of seeds to sprout, see our article Which seeds can you sprout? The complete list by category.

Three other common seeds

Here are three other seeds that are easy to find:

• Sunflower: nutty taste. Sunflower seeds for sprouting
• Chickpeas: firm texture, excellent in salads
• Mung beans (green soy): the famous bean sprouts

Mucilage seeds (special technique)

Some seeds produce a mucilage (gel) on contact with water and cannot sprout in a standard jar. They require a sprouting tray:

• Flax: mucilage seed
• Chia: mucilage seed

• Watercress: peppery flavour
• Rocket: pronounced taste, excellent for lifting dishes

Which seed for which use?

Once you are past the first jar, the question becomes: which one to continue with? Here is how we guide our customers, according to what they are looking for.

• Broccoli, for its slightly peppery taste, close to radish: it goes very well with raw vegetables.
• Fenugreek and alfalfa, for their taste. Sprouted fenugreek is slightly spicy and sweet; alfalfa (lucerne), very mild, remains the most eaten in the world and the easiest for beginners.
• Sunflower and quinoa, for their taste. Sprouted sunflower tastes like fresh walnut. Sprouted quinoa is mild and quick to sprout.

Regularity matters more than quantity: one to two tablespoons a day, every day, are worth more than a big portion now and then.

Depending on who eats it: guiding the choice

The choice depends not only on the goal, but also on the person, and above all on their palate. A few pointers from what we hear at the counter.

• For children, start with mild seeds: barley, quinoa, lentil. Sprouted barley has a little sweet taste that goes down very well, where radish or mustard are too sharp for them.
• For older people, texture matters as much as content: sunflower and barley give tender shoots, easy to chew, to be added to a warm soup rather than a crunchy salad.
• For busy days, revision, exams, long weeks, lentils and fenugreek have the advantage of being quick to sprout, three to four days, and of slipping in anywhere without preparation.
• For very active people, parsley, spelt and sunflower are easy to slip into meals, as part of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
• For sensitive palates, mung bean, coriander and caraway are the mildest, and the easiest to fit into daily life.

There is no bad seed, only seeds badly chosen for the person who eats them. Start with the one whose taste you like: it is the only one you will sprout a second time.

The three families of seeds to sprout

Not all of them are grown in the same way, and this is the number one cause of sprouting failures.

• Non-mucilage seeds: radish, broccoli, clover, alfalfa, red cabbage, sunflower, lentil, mung bean, chickpea, leek, fenugreek… They sprout in a jar without difficulty: regular rinsing is enough. Allow 3 to 10 days depending on the species.
• Mucilage seeds: watercress, rocket, chia, flax, basil, some mustards. They produce a gel on contact with water. In a jar, this mucilage blocks air circulation and encourages mould: you need to spread them on a flat surface, use a sprouter with a growing support, or mix them with standard seeds in a proportion of about 15%. For watercress, Biovie offers watercress seeds for sprouting.
• Young shoots: sunflower, green pea, unhulled buckwheat. These are sprouted seeds that you let grow longer, up to the stem and the first leaves. Crunchier and milder, they are grown on a thin bed of potting soil or in a dedicated sprouter.

How to sprout your seeds in 5 days

Germination is child's play. Here is a step by step process to succeed with your first sprouted seeds.

The equipment you need (with or without a sprouter)

To get started, you do not need to invest in expensive equipment. A simple glass jar with a piece of gauze or tulle held in place by a rubber band is more than enough.

If you want to equip yourself for regular production, a tiered sprouter will let you sprout several varieties at once, more conveniently. We make, by the way, the Easygreen Sol sprouter, the only low tech autonomous sprouter in the world that works without electricity for a week thanks to an ingenious system using gravity and the siphon effect.

Step 1: soaking

• Put 2 to 3 tablespoons of seeds in a jar
• Rinse them under clear water
• Cover with water (3 times the volume of the seeds)
• Leave to soak overnight (8 to 12 hours)

This soaking is fundamental because it triggers the germination process and reduces part of the phytic acid.

Step 2: daily rinsing

• Drain off the soaking water
• Rinse the seeds generously
• Drain well and place the jar tilted (45°) so the excess water runs off
• Repeat this rinse 2 times a day (morning and evening)

Rinsing literally takes 30 seconds. That is all you have to do: 1 minute a day in total.

Step 3: exposure to light

After 2 to 3 days, when the sprouts start to appear, expose your seeds to indirect light. This allows the shoots to turn green.

Avoid direct sunlight, which could dry out your seeds.

Step 4: harvesting and the final rinse

When your sprouted seeds have reached the desired size (generally 1 to 5 cm depending on the variety):

• Rinse them generously one last time
• Drain them carefully
• Gently dry them with a clean tea towel
• Keep them in the refrigerator in an airy container

And there you go, your sprouted seeds are ready to enjoy!

Sprout them yourself or buy them ready-made?

Both have their merits, but not for the same reasons. Sprouting at home costs a few cents a portion, guarantees absolute freshness and leaves you in charge of the variety: in exchange for two minutes of attention a day. Buying ready-to-use sprouts saves that time, but costs noticeably more and assumes an impeccable cold chain: shop-bought sprouts travel, and their freshness is a matter of days.

Our advice: start with a jar and an easy variety, alfalfa or lentil. If the habit takes hold, an automatic sprouter removes the chore of rinsing and lets you run several varieties in parallel.

Common mistakes to avoid

After years of practice and of passing on what we know to our customers, here are the mistakes I see most often:

• Too many seeds: seeds swell a lot, never fill more than a third of the jar
• Insufficient rinsing: twice a day at least, otherwise there is a risk of mould
• Poor draining: stagnant water is enemy number one, tilt your jar well
• Temperature too high: ideally between 18 and 22°C, avoid heat sources
• Poor quality seeds: always use certified organic seeds intended for sprouting

Hygiene and food safety

The essential precautions

Frankly, with quality organic seeds and rigorous hygiene, the risks are minimal. Indeed, the vast majority, if not all, of the problems are linked to transport issues. Since 2011, the French Association of Sprouted Seed Producers (AFPGG) has put strict controls in place. ANSES also notes an "absence of previous French outbreaks linked to industrially produced sprouted seeds".

Here are the golden rules:

• Use certified organic seeds, specifically intended for sprouting
• Always wash your hands before handling your seeds
• Clean your sprouting equipment regularly
• Rinse your seeds twice a day
• Eat your sprouted seeds within 5 to 7 days. Rinse them every day if you keep them in the refrigerator once sprouted.

Optimal storage in the refrigerator

Sprouted seeds keep in the refrigerator in a slightly open container to allow air circulation (above all, no closed container!). They stay fresh for 5 to 7 days. Beyond that, they lose freshness.

How to include sprouted seeds in your daily life

The beauty of sprouted seeds is their versatility. Here are a few ideas that Aurélie and I put into practice every day:

• At breakfast: add them to your smoothies or on your toast
• In salads: they bring crunch and freshness
• In sandwiches: replace the lettuce with sprouted seeds
• On soups: add them at the last moment to keep their crunch
• As a side: a handful next to your main dishes

The recommended amount is 2 to 4 tablespoons a day (30 to 50 g), for a trifling cost.

To go further into living food, also discover our articles on activated almonds and spirulina.

In short

Sprouted seeds are probably the best value for money in living food. For a few cents, you get a fresh, living food.

The routine is disarmingly simple:

• Day 1, evening: soaking (2 minutes)
• Days 2 to 4: rinsing morning and evening (1 minute a day)
• Day 5: harvest and enjoy

For thousands of years, sprouted seeds have accompanied humankind. The Essenes made their famous Essene bread with sprouted seeds.

Try it and you will adopt it! Start with alfalfa or lentils, you will be surprised how easy it is. And if you would like to explore the subject further, do not hesitate to read our other articles on living food.

Discover our selection of organic seeds for sprouting

FAQ, Your questions about sprouted seeds

How long does it take to sprout seeds?

Germination time varies from 2 to 7 days depending on the variety. Lentils sprout in 2 to 3 days, while alfalfa takes 5 to 7 days. Most common seeds are ready in less than a week.

Which sprouted seeds should you choose to start with?

For your first experiments, I recommend alfalfa, green lentils and fenugreek. These seeds are easy to sprout, have a mild taste and forgive small handling mistakes: this is always where we steer new Biovie customers who ask us for advice.

Are sprouted seeds dangerous?

With certified organic seeds and rigorous hygiene (rinsing twice a day, clean equipment), the risks are minimal. Since 2011, the AFPGG has put controls in place for seeds intended for sprouting.

Can you sprout seeds without a sprouter?

Absolutely. A simple glass jar with a piece of gauze held by a rubber band is enough to start. Exception: mucilage seeds (flax, chia, watercress) require a specific sprouting tray.

How many sprouted seeds should you eat per day?

The recommended amount is 2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 50 g) a day. This amount remains reasonable for daily consumption.

What happens inside the seed during germination?

During germination, the seed's enzymatic activity is multiplied by 6 to 20 and its phytic acid content decreases (-56 to -76% according to studies on fenugreek).

Which seeds should you never sprout?

Nightshade seeds (tomato, aubergine, pepper) and rhubarb are toxic once sprouted and must never be eaten. If in doubt about a seed, refrain from sprouting it.