Let's grow your sunflower shoots
Soak today. Your shoots are typically ready in 8 to 14 days.
- Soak8 to 12 hours
- RinseWater 2 times a day
- Typically ready8 to 14 days
Please read the food safety box before you eat your first batch. Always cook sunflower 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.
-
Soak
Cover the seeds with clean drinking water and soak for 8 to 12 hours, then drain.
-
Grow
Spread the seeds on a clean tray lined with a growing mat. Water 2 times a day.
-
Harvest
Typically ready in 8 to 14 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 sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus) for growing shoots 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 soak. Every kitchen is different, so your tray may be a day or two ahead or behind. That's fine.
Day 0: Soak
- You will see
- Whole sunflower seeds in their black shells.
- What to do
- Wash your hands, and wash a bowl and the tray in hot soapy water. Cover the seeds with clean drinking water and soak for 8 to 12 hours, then drain. Don't soak them for longer than that.
Day 1: Spread on the mat
- You will see
- Plumper seeds. A few may already show a small white tip.
- What to do
- Line the tray with a growing mat dampened with drinking water. Spread the seeds in a single, even layer, close together but not piled up. Cover the tray loosely. Water 2 times a day.
Days 2 to 4: Roots
- You will see
- White roots growing down into the mat. You may spot fine, fuzzy white root hairs on them. These are normal (see the checker below).
- What to do
- Keep the tray loosely covered and out of direct sunlight. Water 2 times a day so the mat stays damp. Don't let water pool in the tray.
Days 5 to 7: Shoots stand up
- You will see
- Pale stems standing up, many still wearing their shells on top.
- What to do
- Take the cover off and give the tray bright, indirect light so the leaves turn green. Keep watering 2 times a day. Give the tray a quick sniff: it should smell clean and fresh.
Days 8 to 14: Typically ready
- You will see
- Green shoots with two thick, rounded seed leaves. Most shells have fallen off by now.
- What to do
- Harvest from day 8 or let them grow a few more days. Pick off any shells still stuck to the leaves. 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 | Soak 8 to 12 hours, then drain | ||
| Day 1 | Spread on mat, cover loosely | ||
| Day 2 | Water 2 times a day | ||
| Day 3 | |||
| Day 4 |
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 after the roots show.
- Water them gently: root hairs flatten and almost disappear when wet, then come back as they dry.
- Smell: clean and fresh.
- What to do: nothing. Carry on watering.
Mould: bin it
- Often grey, green, black or blue, or white and cottony or slimy.
- Spreads over the seeds, shells and the mat rather than along the roots.
- Does not disappear when you water.
- Usually smells musty.
- What to do: throw the whole tray of shoots away, with the mat. 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 spread the seeds in a single layer.
Not sprouting?
- Cover the seeds with clean drinking water and soak for 8 to 12 hours, then drain.
- Spread the seeds on a clean tray lined with a growing mat.
- Water 2 times a day.
- Cover the tray loosely at first, then give it bright, indirect light.
- Typically ready in 8 to 14 days.
- Store seeds sealed in a cool, dry, dark place.
Didn't sprout? Tell us about your batch
Recipes
Sunflower shoots have a mild, nutty flavour and a crunchy stem that holds up well in a hot pan. Every idea below cooks the shoots until they are steaming hot.
Sunflower shoot, mushroom and ginger stir-fry
Serves 2
You need
- 2 good handfuls of sunflower shoots (about 80 g)
- 150 g mushrooms, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- A thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Cooked rice or noodles, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the mushrooms for 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.
- Add the sunflower shoots and soy sauce and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the shoots have softened and everything is steaming hot.
- Serve with rice or noodles.
Sunflower shoot and sweetcorn soup
Serves 2
You need
- 2 good handfuls of sunflower shoots (about 80 g)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 200 g sweetcorn (tinned and drained, or frozen)
- 700 ml vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan and soften the onion for 5 minutes.
- Add the sweetcorn and stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the sunflower shoots and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the soup is steaming hot. Season and serve.
Sunflower shoot omelette
Serves 1
You need
- 1 good handful of sunflower shoots (about 40 g)
- 2 to 3 eggs, beaten
- A knob of butter
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the sunflower shoots for 2 to 3 minutes until softened and steaming hot.
- Pour in the eggs, season, and cook gently until set.
- Fold and serve hot.
Quick idea: stir a handful of shoots into a soup for the last 2 to 3 minutes and simmer until steaming hot.
Check the labels of your other ingredients, such as soy sauce, noodles, stock, eggs and butter, for allergens.
About Sunflower seeds
These sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus) are sold in their shells, which you soak for 8 to 12 hours before spreading them on a tray. The shoots grow thick, juicy stems and two broad seed leaves, and some shells may stay on the leaves as they open.
Questions
How long do I soak sunflower seeds?
Soak for 8 to 12 hours in clean drinking water, then drain. Overnight is fine. Soaking far longer can stop seeds growing.
Can I grow sunflower in a jar?
Sunflower is grown as shoots on a tray, not in a jar. Your pack's directions are for a tray lined with a growing mat.
How much seed should I use?
Spread the seeds in a thin, even layer so they are close together but not piled up.
How do I get the shells off?
Most shells fall off as the leaves open. Pick off any that are still stuck before you cut, or rinse the cut shoots in a bowl of drinking water and lift the shells out.
How often do I water them?
Water 2 times a day so the mat stays damp. Don't let water pool in the tray. Cover the tray loosely at first, then give it bright, indirect light.
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. Drying out: water 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?
Fresh sprouts smell clean and mild, a bit like fresh peas or cut grass. A sour, rotten or musty smell, or a slimy feel, 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 bowl for soaking, a clean shallow tray, a growing mat, clean drinking water and clean scissors.