Let's grow your Coriander shoots
Soak today. Your coriander shoots are typically ready in 18 to 24 days.
- Soak4 to 8 hours
- RinseMist 2 times a day
- Typically ready18 to 24 days
Please read the food safety box before you eat your first batch. Always cook coriander 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 4 to 8 hours, then drain.
-
Grow
Spread the seeds on a clean tray lined with a growing mat. Mist 2 times a day to keep damp.
-
Harvest
Typically ready in 18 to 24 days. Cut with clean scissors, rinse and refrigerate.
- Coriander is slow to start: keep the tray damp, not wet, and be patient.
- 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 coriander seeds (Coriandrum sativum) 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
Coriander grows on a tray, not in a jar, so here are the stages rather than a day-by-day diary. Day 0 is the day you soak. Your pack says coriander shoots are typically ready in 18 to 24 days. Coriander is slow to start, so don't worry if nothing seems to happen for a while.
Start (day 0): soak
- You will see
- Round, ridged, pale brown seeds.
- What to do
- Wash your hands. Cover the seeds with clean drinking water and soak for 4 to 8 hours, then drain.
Spread on the tray
- You will see
- Soaked seeds on a damp mat.
- What to do
- Wash a shallow tray in hot soapy water and line it with a growing mat dampened with drinking water. Spread the seeds evenly, mist them and cover the tray loosely.
Slow start
- You will see
- Little or no change for a while. That's normal for coriander.
- What to do
- Coriander is slow to start: keep the tray damp, not wet, and be patient. Mist 2 times a day and tip away any water pooling in the tray.
Roots and first shoots
- You will see
- White roots, often with fine root hairs (see the checker below), then thin shoots pushing up. Some seeds may send up two shoots.
- What to do
- Keep misting 2 times a day. Once most shoots are up, take the cover off and give the tray bright, indirect light, not direct sun.
Seed leaves
- You will see
- Long, narrow green seed leaves. Some may still wear their seed husk on the tip.
- What to do
- Keep misting 2 times a day. Gently pick off any husks that stay stuck.
Harvest window (typically day 18 to 24)
- You will see
- Green shoots a few centimetres tall.
- What to do
- Cut the shoots just above the mat with clean scissors. Rinse, drain well and store them covered in the fridge. Cook them until steaming hot before eating, and use within a few days.
Rinse tracker
| Day | Morning | Evening | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Soak 4 to 8 hours, then drain and spread | ||
| Day 1 | Mist 2 times a day | ||
| Day 2 | Slow start: be patient | ||
| Day 3 | |||
| Day 4 | |||
| Day 5 |
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 roots just above their tips.
- Usually appear once the roots start to grow.
- 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 it.
- Usually smells musty.
- What to do: throw away the whole tray of shoots, mat and all. Do not try to cut around it. Wash the tray in hot soapy water before starting again.
- you see mould;
- the shoots or the mat smell sour, rotten or musty;
- they feel slimy;
- you're not sure. If in doubt, throw it out.
Keep the mat damp, not wet, tip away any pooling water, spread the seeds a little more thinly, and take the cover off once the shoots are up so air can reach the tray.
Not sprouting?
- Cover the seeds with clean drinking water and soak for 4 to 8 hours, then drain.
- Spread the seeds on a clean tray lined with a growing mat.
- Mist 2 times a day to keep damp.
- Coriander is slow to start: keep the tray damp, not wet, and be patient.
- Typically ready in 18 to 24 days.
- Store seeds sealed in a cool, dry, dark place.
Didn't sprout? Tell us about your batch
Recipes
Coriander shoots taste of coriander leaf and work well in hot dishes. Every idea below cooks the shoots until they are steaming hot.
Red lentil dal with coriander shoots
Serves 2
You need
- 1 good handful of coriander shoots (about 50 g)
- 150 g red lentils, rinsed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 600 ml water or vegetable stock
- Cooked rice, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan and soften the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the lentils and water or stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are soft.
- Stir in the coriander shoots and simmer for 2 minutes until they have wilted and the dal is steaming hot. Serve with rice.
Coconut vegetable curry with coriander shoots
Serves 2
You need
- 1 good handful of coriander shoots (about 50 g)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 to 2 tbsp curry paste
- 400 ml tin of coconut milk
- 300 g mixed vegetables (such as peppers, courgette and green beans), chopped
- Cooked rice, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan and soften the onion for 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the coconut milk and vegetables, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the coriander shoots and simmer for 2 minutes until they have wilted and the curry is steaming hot. Serve with rice.
Coriander shoot and noodle broth
Serves 2
You need
- 1 good handful of coriander shoots (about 50 g)
- 700 ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 2 nests of dried noodles
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 spring onions, sliced
Method
- Bring the stock to the boil with the ginger and garlic and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the noodles and cook as the packet says.
- Stir in the soy sauce, spring onions and coriander shoots and simmer for 2 minutes until the shoots have wilted and the broth is steaming hot.
Quick idea: stir a handful of coriander shoots into a soup or curry for the last 2 minutes and simmer until steaming hot.
Check the labels of your other ingredients, such as stock, curry paste, soy sauce and noodles, 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 coriander shoot sandwich with chicken and cucumber
Serves 1
You need
- 2 slices of seeded wholemeal bread
- A little butter or spread
- A few slices of cooked chicken
- A few slices of cucumber
- A good handful of coriander 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, cucumber 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 Coriander seeds
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) seeds are round husks that each hold two seeds, and your pack asks you to soak them for 4 to 8 hours first. Coriander is one of the slowest tray seeds, typically ready in 18 to 24 days, and the shoots taste of coriander leaf.
Questions
How long do I soak Coriander seeds?
Soak for 4 to 8 hours in clean drinking water, then drain and spread them on the tray. Soaking far longer can stop seeds growing, so set a timer if it helps.
How much seed should I use?
Spread the seeds in a thin, even layer so they are close together but not piled up.
Why is my coriander so slow?
Coriander is slow to start: keep the tray damp, not wet, and be patient. It can take a week or more to show its first shoots. Your pack says the shoots are typically ready in 18 to 24 days.
Some seeds never come up. Is that normal?
A few are normal: a small number of seeds may not sprout. If most of your seeds don't come up, please contact us.
My seeds aren't sprouting. What's wrong?
Too cold: most seeds sprout well at a comfortable room temperature, around 20 to 25°C. In a cold kitchen they can take a day or two longer. Too long in water: soaking far longer than your pack says, or leaving water sitting in the tray, can stop seeds sprouting. Drying out: if seeds dry out they can stall, so mist 2 times a day to keep damp. Seed storage: seeds kept warm, damp or open to the air sprout less well. Store them sealed in a cool, dry, dark place.
Which directions should I follow?
Always follow any directions on your pack.
Why do some seeds grow two shoots?
Each whole coriander seed is a small husk holding two seeds, so it can grow two seedlings.
How often should I mist?
Mist 2 times a day to keep the mat damp, not wet. If water pools in the tray, tip it away. Use clean drinking water in the spray bottle.
They smell bad or feel slimy. What went wrong?
Fresh shoots smell clean and fresh. 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.
Is it mould or root hairs?
Coriander roots can grow fine, fuzzy white root hairs. Mist them: if the fuzz flattens and almost disappears when wet, it's root hairs. If it doesn't flatten, looks cottony or slimy, or smells musty, it's mould: throw the whole tray of shoots away and wash the tray in hot soapy water. If in doubt, throw it out.
How do I store the shoots, and for how long?
Cut the shoots with clean scissors, rinse and drain them well. Keep them in a covered container in the fridge, use them within a few days, and 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?
No. A bowl for soaking, a clean shallow tray, a growing mat, a spray bottle of clean drinking water and clean scissors are all you need.