Let's grow your rocket shoots
Start your tray today. Your shoots are typically ready in 7 to 12 days.
- SoakNo soaking needed
- RinseMist 2 times a day
- Typically ready7 to 12 days
Please read the food safety box before you eat your first batch. Always cook rocket shoots until steaming hot before eating.
Show me the 3 steps3 steps
Everything you need is on your pack. Here it is again, step by step.
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Prepare
Line a clean tray with a growing mat or kitchen paper dampened with drinking water. No soaking needed: these seeds turn sticky when wet, so a jar is not suitable.
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Mist
Scatter the seeds thinly and evenly. Mist 2 times a day to keep damp, not wet.
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Harvest
Typically ready in 7 to 12 days. Cut with clean scissors, rinse and refrigerate.
- Cover the tray loosely at first, then give it bright, indirect light.
- Store harvested shoots covered in the fridge and use within a few days.
Food safety
Raw sprouts and shoots can carry harmful bacteria and rinsing does not remove all risk. Always cook them until steaming hot before eating. This applies to everyone, including pregnant people, young children, older people and anyone unwell. Use clean equipment and drinking water, refrigerate harvested sprouts and shoots promptly and discard any that smell off or show mould.
- Wash your hands before handling seeds and shoots.
- Wash trays and spray bottles in hot soapy water before and after every batch.
About these seeds (from your pack)
- Ingredients: Organic rocket seeds (Eruca vesicaria) for growing on a tray.
- May contain cereals containing gluten, soya, celery and mustard.
- Storage: Store seeds sealed in a cool, dry, dark place.
- Country of origin: Italy.
- Organic: Certified organic by the Soil Association, control body GB-ORG-05.
Day by day
Day 0 is the day you scatter the seeds on the tray. Every kitchen is different, so your tray may be a day or two ahead or behind. That's fine.
Day 0: Prepare and scatter
- You will see
- Small, dry seeds on a damp mat. Where they touch water, they soon turn sticky and get a clear coating. That's normal for rocket, and it's why it isn't grown in a jar.
- What to do
- Wash your hands, and wash the tray in hot soapy water. Line it with a growing mat or kitchen paper dampened with drinking water. Scatter the seeds thinly and evenly so they are close together but not piled up. Don't soak them first. Cover the tray loosely.
Days 1 to 3: Sprouting
- You will see
- Tiny white roots reaching down into the mat. You may spot fine, fuzzy white root hairs on them. These are normal (see the checker below).
- What to do
- Mist 2 times a day to keep the mat damp, not wet. Don't let water pool in the tray. Keep the tray loosely covered and out of direct sunlight.
Days 4 to 6: Seed leaves
- You will see
- Short shoots standing up, with a pair of small seed leaves opening. They may look pale at first.
- What to do
- Take the cover off and give the tray bright, indirect light so the leaves turn green. Keep misting 2 times a day. Give the tray a quick sniff: it should smell clean and fresh.
Days 7 to 12: Typically ready
- You will see
- Green shoots a few centimetres tall with open leaves.
- What to do
- Harvest from day 7 or let them grow a few more days. Cut just above the mat with clean scissors, rinse, and drain well. Store them covered in the fridge and use within a few days. Cook them until steaming hot before eating.
Rinse tracker
| Day | Morning | Evening | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Scatter seeds, cover loosely | ||
| Day 1 | Mist 2 times a day | ||
| Day 2 | Mist 2 times a day | ||
| Day 3 | Mist 2 times a day |
Is it mould or root hairs?
This is the question new growers ask most. Here's how to tell.
Root hairs: fine
- Fine, fuzzy and white, along the young roots near the mat.
- Usually appear in the first few days.
- Mist them: root hairs flatten and almost disappear when wet, then come back as they dry.
- Smell: clean and fresh.
- What to do: nothing. Carry on misting.
Mould: bin it
- Often grey, green, black or blue, or white and cottony or slimy.
- Spreads over the seeds and the mat rather than along the roots.
- Does not disappear when you mist.
- Usually smells musty.
- What to do: throw the whole tray of shoots away, with the mat or paper. Do not try to cut around it. Wash the tray in hot soapy water before starting again.
- you see mould;
- the shoots or mat smell sour, rotten or musty;
- the shoots feel slimy;
- you're not sure. If in doubt, throw it out.
Keep the mat damp, not wet, don't let water pool in the tray, keep the cover loose so air can flow, and scatter the seeds more thinly.
Not sprouting?
- No soaking needed: these seeds turn sticky when wet, so a jar is not suitable.
- Line a clean tray with a growing mat or kitchen paper dampened with drinking water.
- Scatter the seeds thinly and evenly.
- Mist 2 times a day to keep damp, not wet.
- Cover the tray loosely at first, then give it bright, indirect light.
- Typically ready in 7 to 12 days.
- Store seeds sealed in a cool, dry, dark place.
Didn't sprout? Tell us about your batch
Recipes
Rocket shoots have a peppery flavour and wilt in seconds in a hot pan. Every idea below cooks the shoots until they are steaming hot.
Spaghetti with rocket shoots, garlic and lemon
Serves 2
You need
- 2 good handfuls of rocket shoots (about 60 g)
- 200 g spaghetti
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
Method
- Cook the spaghetti as the packet says. Keep a cup of the cooking water.
- Warm the olive oil in a large pan and fry the garlic gently for 1 minute.
- Add the rocket shoots and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until wilted and steaming hot.
- Toss in the drained spaghetti, a splash of the cooking water and the lemon zest, and stir over the heat until everything is steaming hot. Top with Parmesan.
Potato and rocket shoot soup
Serves 2 to 3
You need
- 2 good handfuls of rocket shoots (about 60 g)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 800 ml vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan and soften the onion for 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and stock. Simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
- Stir in the rocket shoots and simmer for 2 minutes until wilted and the soup is steaming hot.
- Blend if you like a smooth soup, then bring it back to a simmer so it is steaming hot before serving.
Rocket shoot and cheese omelette
Serves 1
You need
- 1 good handful of rocket shoots (about 30 g)
- 2 to 3 eggs, beaten
- A knob of butter
- A little grated cheese
Method
- Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the rocket shoots for 1 to 2 minutes until wilted and steaming hot.
- Pour in the eggs and cook gently until set.
- Add the cheese, fold, and serve hot.
Quick idea: stir a handful of shoots into a soup for the last 2 minutes and simmer until steaming hot.
Check the labels of your other ingredients, such as pasta, stock, eggs, butter and cheese, for allergens.
Like your sprouts cold? Cook them first, then cool them.
Sprouts blanched until steaming hot, then cooled, in a sandwich. Image for illustration.
Blanched rocket shoot sandwich with chicken and tomato
Serves 1
You need
- 2 slices of seeded wholemeal bread
- A little butter or spread
- A few slices of cooked chicken
- 1 tomato, sliced
- A good handful of rocket shoots (about 50 g), blanched as below (the method calls them sprouts)
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil.
- Add a good handful of sprouts (about 50 g) and stir to separate them. When the water is back at a rolling boil, boil for 2 minutes, until the sprouts are soft and steaming hot all the way through.
- Wash your hands. Drain the sprouts in a clean sieve that has not touched raw sprouts, then cool them quickly under cold running drinking water. Shake off the water and pat dry with clean kitchen paper.
- Use straight away in your sandwich, or keep covered in the fridge, away from raw sprouts, and eat the same day.
- Spread the bread with a little butter or spread. Layer the chicken, tomato and cooled shoots, season with salt and pepper, and top with the second slice.
Check the labels of your other ingredients, such as bread and butter or spread, for allergens. Seeded breads often contain sesame.
About Rocket seeds
Rocket (Eruca vesicaria), also called arugula, is a peppery leafy plant from the cabbage family. On a tray its seeds grow slim shoots with small, rounded seed leaves that already taste of rocket. You cut them with clean scissors just above the mat.
Questions
Do I need to soak rocket seeds?
No soaking needed. Rocket seeds turn sticky when wet, so scatter them dry onto a damp mat and mist them instead.
Can I grow rocket in a jar?
No. These seeds turn sticky when wet, so a jar is not suitable. Use a tray lined with a growing mat or damp kitchen paper.
How much seed should I use?
Scatter the seeds in a thin, even layer so they are close together but not piled up.
How often do I mist them?
Mist 2 times a day to keep the mat damp, not wet. Don't let water pool in the tray. Cover the tray loosely at first, then give it bright, indirect light.
When are they ready, and how do I harvest?
Typically ready in 7 to 12 days, when the shoots are a few centimetres tall with green leaves. Cut just above the mat with clean scissors, rinse, drain well and refrigerate.
My seeds aren't growing. What's wrong?
Too cold: seeds grow well at a comfortable room temperature, around 20 to 25°C. In a cold kitchen they can take a day or two longer. Too wet: water pooling on the mat can stop seeds growing, so mist rather than pour. Drying out: mist at least twice a day. Seed storage: seeds kept warm, damp or open to the air grow less well. A few seeds that don't grow are normal.
Some seeds are slow or never come up. Is that normal?
Timings are typical ranges. Your shoots may be a little faster or slower depending on how warm your kitchen is. In a cold kitchen they can take a day or two longer. A few hard seeds are normal: a small number of seeds may not sprout.
They smell bad or feel slimy. What went wrong?
Sticky seeds are normal: these seeds turn sticky when wet. But fresh sprouts smell clean and mild, a bit like fresh peas or cut grass. A sour, rotten or musty smell, or slimy shoots, means something has gone wrong, so throw the whole tray of shoots away and wash the tray in hot soapy water. If in doubt, throw it out.
Which directions should I follow?
Always follow any directions on your pack.
How do I store the shoots, and for how long?
Store harvested shoots covered in the fridge and use within a few days. Cook them until steaming hot before eating. Store the unused seeds sealed in a cool, dry, dark place and use them by the best before date on the pack.
Can I eat the shoots without cooking them?
No. Cook the shoots thoroughly until steaming hot before eating. Please read the food safety box above.
Do I need special equipment?
A clean shallow tray, a growing mat or a few layers of kitchen paper, a spray bottle for misting, clean drinking water and clean scissors.