Once your sprouts have finished growing, there is one final step before they are ready for the fridge: harvesting, washing and removing the loose seed hulls.
For leafy sprouts such as broccoli, alfalfa, clover and radish, many of the empty seed coats naturally separate from the sprouts as they grow. Transferring the finished crop to a large bowl of water makes these hulls much easier to remove.
The basic process is simple: remove the sprouts from the jar, wash them in a large bowl of clean water, skim away the floating hulls, drain thoroughly and refrigerate in a clean covered container.
This guide explains the complete OzSprout method.
When Are Sprouts Ready to Harvest?
Harvest time depends on the seed you are growing. Some legumes are eaten after only a few days of growth, while leafy sprouts such as broccoli, alfalfa and clover are normally allowed to develop longer.
Rather than relying only on the number of days, look at the condition of the sprouts. Healthy finished sprouts should generally be:
- Fresh and crisp
- Well developed for the particular variety
- Free from slime or obvious decay
- Free from strong sour, rotten or musty smells
If you are still growing your crop, see our How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar guide for the complete soaking, rinsing and growing process.
How to Harvest & Wash Sprouts Step by Step
1. Start With Clean Hands & Equipment
Wash and dry your hands before handling finished sprouts.
You will need:
- A large clean bowl or cooking pot
- Clean drinking-quality water
- A large spoon
- A sieve or colander
- A clean food-safe storage container
The bowl should be large enough for the sprouts to move freely through the water rather than being tightly packed together.
2. Remove the Sprouts From the Jar
Take the finished sprouts out of the sprouting jar and transfer them directly into the clean bowl or pot.
Do not worry if there are still plenty of seed hulls mixed through the sprouts. The next step makes most of them much easier to separate.
3. Fill the Bowl With Clean Water
Fill the bowl with enough cool drinking-quality water to completely surround the sprouts.
Gently move and mix the sprouts around with your hands or a clean utensil.
As the sprouts move through the water, many of the loose seed hulls will separate from the stems and leaves.
How to Remove Seed Hulls From Sprouts
The easiest way we have found to remove loose seed hulls is to let water do most of the work.
Once the sprouts are floating freely in the bowl, gently mix them around. Many of the empty hulls will rise towards the surface of the water.
Use a large spoon to skim the floating hulls from the top.
Continue gently moving the sprouts, allowing more hulls to rise, then scoop these away as well.
You do not need to remove every last hull. The aim is simply to remove most of the loose hulls and other material that separates easily.
This method works particularly well with small leafy sprouts such as:
- Broccoli sprouts
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Red clover sprouts
- Radish sprouts
Larger seeds and legumes may behave differently because their seed coats are larger and heavier, but the same bowl-washing method can still help remove loose material.
Do You Have to Remove Every Seed Hull?
No.
A few seed hulls remaining amongst the finished sprouts are normal. You do not need to spend time picking out every individual hull.
The water method is mainly intended to remove the bulk of the loose hulls quickly and easily.
If a hull is still firmly attached to a healthy sprout, there is generally no need to damage the sprout trying to remove it.
Give the Sprouts a Final Rinse
Once you have removed most of the floating hulls, gently move the sprouts through the clean water one final time.
If the water has accumulated a large amount of hulls or debris, drain it and refill the bowl with fresh drinking-quality water before the final rinse.
The sprouts are then ready to drain.
Drain the Sprouts Thoroughly
Pour the sprouts into a clean sieve or colander and allow the water to drain completely.
Gently shake or turn the sieve occasionally to help trapped water escape from between the sprouts.
This is an important step because you do not want to put sprouts into the refrigerator while they are dripping wet or sitting in pooled water.
Excess surface moisture can cause sprouts to lose quality more quickly during storage.
Should Sprouts Be Dry Before Going in the Fridge?
They do not need to become completely dry, but they should be well drained with as little free surface water as practical.
After sieving, allow the sprouts to continue draining for a short period while you prepare the storage container.
Do not deliberately leave harvested sprouts sitting at room temperature for several hours just to dry them. Once excess water has drained away, move them into refrigeration promptly.
A useful rule is:
Drain thoroughly rather than trying to air-dry sprouts completely.
How to Store Fresh Sprouts in the Fridge
Transfer the well-drained sprouts into a clean food-safe container and cover or seal it.
Store the container in the refrigerator at 5°C or below.
For best results:
- Make sure the sprouts are well drained before storage.
- Use a clean container.
- Keep the container covered.
- Do not allow sprouts to sit in pooled water.
- Keep them refrigerated until needed.
- Return unused sprouts to the refrigerator promptly.
The NSW Food Authority classifies sprouted seeds as potentially hazardous food and recommends keeping cold foods of this type at 5°C or below.
How Long Do Home-Grown Sprouts Last in the Fridge?
When harvested cleanly, drained thoroughly and kept consistently refrigerated, sprouts can often remain fresh for up to about 7 days.
This should be treated as a practical maximum rather than a guaranteed shelf life.
How long a batch actually lasts depends on factors including:
- The type of sprout
- How fresh it was when harvested
- How thoroughly it was drained
- Refrigerator temperature
- Growing and handling hygiene
- How frequently the container is opened
Use sprouts while they remain fresh and crisp rather than automatically keeping them for seven days.
How Can You Tell When Stored Sprouts Have Gone Bad?
Discard sprouts if they develop clear signs of deterioration such as:
- Slime
- Soft or collapsing sprouts
- Obvious decay
- Strong sour, rotten or musty odours
- Significant abnormal discolouration
Do not taste a suspicious batch to determine whether it is still suitable.
If you are trying to distinguish normal white root hairs from mould during the growing stage, see our Mould vs Root Hairs on Sprouts & Microgreens guide.
Why Does Removing Seed Hulls Help?
Removing loose seed hulls is not just about appearance.
The harvesting wash also removes loose plant material from the finished crop and gives you an opportunity to inspect the sprouts before refrigeration.
For small leafy sprouts, removing most of the hulls can also make the finished crop:
- Cleaner looking
- Easier to serve
- More pleasant to eat
- Easier to inspect during storage
There is no need to obsess over removing every hull. A quick water wash and skim is usually sufficient.
Should You Use a Salad Spinner?
A salad spinner can be useful for some sturdy sprouts if used gently, but it is not essential.
For most home growers, allowing the sprouts to drain thoroughly in a large sieve or colander is enough.
Very delicate leafy sprouts can be bruised by aggressive spinning, squeezing or handling, so gentle drainage is preferable.
Can You Wash Sprouts Under Running Water Instead?
You can rinse sprouts under clean running water, but washing them in a large bowl has an important advantage: it allows loose seed hulls to separate and float away from the sprouts.
A sieve rinse alone tends to leave many hulls trapped amongst small leafy sprouts.
For this reason, the bowl method is particularly useful as the final harvest wash.
Should You Wash Sprouts Again Before Eating?
You can give refrigerated sprouts another gentle rinse with drinking-quality water immediately before use if desired.
Drain them well afterwards.
Keep in mind that rinsing cannot make contaminated raw sprouts completely safe. The warm and humid conditions required for sprouting can also allow bacteria to multiply if contamination is present.
Raw Sprout Food Safety
Raw sprouts require more care than many other home-grown foods.
The NSW Food Authority advises that sprouts can become contaminated with bacteria including Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, and that even very hygienic growing conditions cannot guarantee that sprouts are bacteria-free.
For safer home growing and harvesting:
- Use seed suitable for edible sprouting.
- Wash and dry your hands before handling sprouts.
- Use clean jars, bowls, sieves and storage containers.
- Use drinking-quality water.
- Drain sprouts thoroughly.
- Refrigerate harvested sprouts promptly at 5°C or below.
- Discard crops showing spoilage or suspicious deterioration.
People at increased risk from food poisoning, including pregnant women, young children, some older people and people with weakened immune systems, should follow current Australian food-safety advice regarding raw and lightly cooked sprouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to remove seed hulls from sprouts?
Place the harvested sprouts in a large bowl of clean water and gently mix them around. Many empty seed hulls will float towards the surface. Scoop the hulls away with a spoon and repeat until most have been removed.
Do all seed hulls need to be removed?
No. Removing most of the loose hulls is sufficient. A small number remaining amongst healthy sprouts is normal.
Why do my seed hulls float?
Many empty seed coats become relatively light after the seed has germinated and can separate from the sprouts when agitated in water. This allows them to collect near the water surface where they can be skimmed away.
Should sprouts be completely dry before refrigeration?
No. They do not need to become completely dry, but they should be thoroughly drained so they are not dripping wet or sitting in pooled water.
Can I leave sprouts out for a few hours to dry?
It is better to drain them thoroughly and refrigerate them promptly rather than deliberately leaving harvested sprouts at room temperature for several hours.
How long do sprouts last in the fridge?
Well-grown and well-drained sprouts can often remain fresh for up to about seven days under good refrigeration, although there is no guaranteed storage period. Discard them earlier if they become slimy, soft, decayed or develop an unusual smell.
What temperature should sprouts be stored at?
Keep harvested sprouts refrigerated at 5°C or below.
Why shouldn't I store sprouts wet?
Excess free moisture can contribute to faster deterioration and leaves water trapped around the sprouts during storage. Drain them thoroughly before placing them into their storage container.
Harvesting Sprouts: The Simple Method
Once your sprouts have finished growing, the final harvest process does not need to be complicated:
- Remove the sprouts from the jar.
- Place them into a large clean bowl or pot.
- Fill the bowl with drinking-quality water.
- Gently mix the sprouts to loosen the seed hulls.
- Allow the empty hulls to float towards the surface.
- Scoop away most of the floating hulls with a spoon.
- Give the sprouts a final rinse.
- Drain thoroughly through a sieve or colander.
- Allow excess surface water to drain away.
- Transfer to a clean covered container and refrigerate promptly at 5°C or below.
When properly drained and refrigerated, fresh home-grown sprouts can often keep for up to about a week, although they should always be used while they remain fresh and crisp.
Ready to grow another batch? Browse our Sprouting Seeds or see our complete jar-sprouting guide.