Grow Nutritious Alfalfa Sprouts in Just 5 Days

Waiting out winter can be hard, but the time goes faster when you grow crunchy alfalfa sprouts for salads, sandwiches, or for topping off winter soups. The nutty sprouts are ready to eat in only 5 to 6 days, and then they will store in the refrigerator for several days longer. Growing your own sprouts is a money saver, too, because a small container of organic alfalfa sprouts costs as much as a season’s worth of sprouting seeds.

We eat the sprouted seeds of alfalfa, also known as lucerne (Medicago sativa), but the plant itself is a forage crop grown to produce nutritious hay. A hardy perennial legume that looks like a giant clover, alfalfa fixes nitrogen as it grows. Alfalfa hay is high in protein and other nutrients, making it a popular choice for feeding to horses and cattle. Sprouted alfalfa seeds are rich in Vitamin K and other nutrients, and they are a good source of fibre.

Are Alfalfa Sprouts Safe?

Alfalfa sprouts have been linked to numerous outbreaks of salmonella and even E. coli over the last 20 years, in part because bacteria can be carried by contaminated seeds. So are alfalfa sprouts safe?

Many commercial producers sanitise their alfalfa seeds with calcium hypochlorite before sprouting. Should you wish, you can dunk your seeds in a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution just to be safe, as described below.

I don’t bother to sanitise my alfalfa seeds, because certified organic seeds are grown in fields where animals are kept fenced out. Food borne pathogens are minimised when there are no large animals relieving themselves among growing plants. In addition, sellers of sprouting seeds routinely test their seeds for bacterial freeloaders.

It’s also important to sprout at temperatures below 75°F (24°C), because warmer temperatures can promote the growth of unwanted microbes. Grow alfalfa sprouts in a cool room, and use cool water when rinsing them.

So, to answer that question: If you grow your own alfalfa sprouts from organic seeds at cool room temperatures, the answer is yes, they are safe to eat.

Growing Alfalfa Sprouts

Alfalfa seeds can remain viable for decades, but their germination rate drops by a few percentage points each year. I like to start the season with fresh seeds in the interest of fast, uniform germination. You won’t need many! A small, 4-ounce or 100-gram package will easily get you through sprouting season, because it takes only 1 heaped tablespoon of alfalfa seeds to grow a quart-size batch. And, while sprouting lids and jars are nice, you can grow perfectly good sprouts in a glass jar covered with a piece of lightweight cloth held in place with a rubber band. I did it this way for years.

Day 1

Place a generous tablespoon of dry seeds in a metal strainer, and use your fingers to gently abrade the seed coats by swishing them around in the strainer. This step knocks off any debris and helps the seeds absorb water. If desired, sit the strainer in a bowl of lukewarm 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution for five minutes to sanitise them. Rinse with cool water.

Place the seeds in a clean glass jar and cover with cool water. Let sit for several hours, or overnight.

Days 2-3

At least twice a day, fill the sprouting jar with cool water, and swish the sprouts to give them a good swim. Drain off the water. Keep in a place that does not get direct sun, which can cause the jars to overheat.

Days 4-5

Continue to rinse and drain twice a day. Did you accidentally start too many seeds? If the sprouts stick together in a clump when immersed with water, simply divide the batch into two. Dump the sprouts into a big bowl of cold water, and tease the mass apart with a fork. Drain off water and divide the sprouts into separate clean jars with room to grow.

Days 5-6

On day 5 to 6, sprouts double in size and are ready to enjoy! Give them a final rinse, drain well, and move to the refrigerator. Chilling makes alfalfa sprouts crisp up nicely and extends their shelf life to as much as a week. When stored sprouts show brown tips, dispatch them to the compost.

Once you’ve harvested the first batch, it’s time to sprout more seeds or switch to sprouting mung beans, which are different and hugely useful in the kitchen. I’ve tried many other sprouting seeds, but the tastiest and most productive species are alfalfa and mung bean. While I wait for spring, my sprouting jars will stay busy growing both.