You can grow sunflower sprouts at home in one to three days. You can then blend them into smoothies, salad dressings, patés, sauces, raw vegan cheese, and other things.
Sprouted sunflower seeds are small and tender, and they taste slightly nutty and earthy. They are great for adding extra nutrition to salads or your morning cereal.
Sunflower sprouts are just sunflower seeds that you soak and allow to germinate. These can be harvested at an early stage, and enjoyed before their first leaves form. This is my preferred way to enjoy them. A little more than a soak. Theyre quick and versatile.
These differ from sunflower microgreens because there are no green leaves on these sprouts. If you want to know how to grow those longer, more beautiful sunflower greens instead, (YUM!) here is my full guide to growing sunflower microgreens.
If you want to learn more about sprouting, check out my sprouting series on this blog.
Have you ever wondered, “What do sunflower sprouts look like?” As a tasty and nutritious addition to salads, sandwiches and more, these young plants emerging from sunflower seeds have a distinct appearance that makes them stand out. In this guide, we’ll explore the look, size, color and texture of sunflower sprouts to help you identify and appreciate these delicious greens.
An Overview of Sunflower Sprouts
Sunflower sprouts are simply sunflower seeds that have been germinated under proper conditions to produce young seedlings. The sprouting process allows the seeds to activate enzymes and increase their nutritional value. Sunflower sprouts can be harvested just a few days after sprouting once the seed coat cracks open and a small white stem and leaves begin emerging. They have a mildly nutty taste reminiscent of sunflower seeds.
Sunflower sprouts pack a nutritional punch, containing vitamins C, E and B complex, minerals like calcium, iron and zinc, antioxidants, chlorophyll, amino acids, and more. They have multiple health benefits including reducing inflammation, boosting immunity, improving eyesight and digestion, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and detoxifying the body.
These tasty and crunchy sprouts can be eaten raw in salads and sandwiches or lightly cooked in stir fries soups and other dishes. Their versatility and nutrition make them a valued addition to any diet.
Now let’s look at what makes sunflower sprouts so easily identifiable
Appearance of Sunflower Sprouts
Delicate Green Stems and Leaves
The most distinctive part of sunflower sprouts is the vibrant green stems and small emerald leaves that unfurl as the seed germinates. The sprouts emerge from the sunflower seed attached to a white stem that quickly turns light green and grows longer, producing two seed leaves.
The green color comes from chlorophyll, which gives sunflower sprouts their nutritional value The tender stems provide a satisfying crunch, while the tiny round leaves have a more delicate texture. These embryonic leaves are usually about 1-2 inches long.
Short and Slender
Sunflower sprouts are quite diminutive, rarely exceeding 3 inches in height once mature. Their green stems are slender, ranging from 1-3 mm in diameter. When just emerging from the seed, the sprouts are only a few millimeters tall.
This petite size makes them perfect for garnishing dishes or adding to sandwiches without overwhelming other ingredients. When just beginning to sprout, they can be difficult to see with the naked eye.
Fuzzy Appearance
Looking closely at a sunflower sprout, you may notice a slightly fuzzy appearance. This is due to tiny colorless hairs coating the stem and underside of the embryonic leaves. These non-glandular trichomes help protect and retain moisture in the tender young sprouts as they grow.
Upright Orientation
Mature sunflower sprouts stand upright on the plate or soil surface rather than drooping or spreading horizontally. Their stems continue reaching vertically for sunlight as the leaves unfurl. This upright orientation gives meals decorated with sunflower sprouts a sense of vibrancy and volume.
Size of Sunflower Sprouts
Now that we’ve explored their appearance, let’s look at the size of sunflower sprouts.
1-3 Inches Tall
As mentioned earlier, sunflower sprouts reach a height of just 1-3 inches once fully sprouted. Even on the taller end of the spectrum, they are still petite greens.
Stems Less Than 1 mm Thick
In addition to their short height, sunflower sprout stems have a very slender diameter of less than 1 mm. This contributes to their delicate, slender appearance.
Leaves Around 1-2 cm Broad
The pairs of round seed leaves unfurling from sunflower sprouts are each about 1-2 cm or 0.4-0.8 inches broad. Contrasting against the thin stems, the leaves give the sprouts some volume and a layered look.
Small and Tender
Overall, the diminutive size of sunflower sprouts results in a tender, delicate texture and appearance that contrasts against their crunchy stems. Their petite nature allows them to be sprinkled across dishes as garnishing.
Color of Sunflower Sprouts
Sunflower sprouts showcase a beautiful palette of colors. Let’s look at what hues you can expect.
Bright Green Stems
As chlorophyll begins developing in the stem, it changes from an off-white to a vivid light green. This bright color is indicative of the sprout’s freshness and nutritional content.
Pale Green or Yellow Leaves
While the stems are a deeper green, the small seed leaves are more of a pale green or light yellow in color. There may be subtle brown flecks across the surface of the leaves as well.
Yellow Sunflower Seeds
Attached to the base of each sprout is the original sunflower seed. These seeds are a tan or yellow color and provide a high contrast next to the green sprouts. As the sprouts mature, the seed detaches.
Red or Purple Varieties
Some varieties of sunflowers produce sprouts with deep red or purple stems and leaves rather than green. These sprouts showcase exotic colors that can create an eye-catching dish.
Texture of Sunflower Sprouts
In addition to their distinct look, sunflower sprouts have an appealing crunchy texture that contrasts nicely with their tender leaves.
Crisp, Crunchy Stems
When you bite into a sunflower sprout, the first thing you notice is the satisfying crunchiness of the stem. The crisp texture adds freshness and vibrancy to any dish.
Soft, Delicate Leaves
While the stems are crunchy, the young leaves have a more tender, delicate texture. They almost melt in your mouth as you eat them.
Juicy and Hydrating
Due to their high water content, sunflower sprouts have a hydrating, juicy texture that provides moisture and refreshment.
Easy to Chew
The tiny size and short length of sunflower sprouts means they are easy to chew. You get an explosion of flavors and textures with minimal effort.
How to Enjoy Sunflower Sprouts
Now that you know what to look for when seeking out sunflower sprouts, let’s explore the many ways you can enjoy their flavor, textures and nutrition:
-
Add them raw to green salads, grain bowls, wraps, sandwiches and burgers for crunch.
-
Garnish finished dishes like soups, noodles and rice bowls with them.
-
Include them in veggie-heavy juices and smoothies.
-
Mix them into hummus, pesto or salad dressings.
-
Lightly wilt them into stir fries, pastas and frittatas at the end.
-
Sprinkle them over avocado toast or breakfast dishes like oatmeal.
-
Microgreen trays allow you to grow and harvest your own sunflower sprouts at home for maximum freshness.
With their delicate green stems, tiny emerald leaves and crisp texture, sunflower sprouts have a beauty that matches their nutrition. Now that you know exactly what to look for when seeking them out, you can appreciate their appearance and savor their flavor. Bring some crunch and vibrancy to your next meal with these powerful sprouts.
Are sunflower seeds good for you?
Yes, sunflower seeds are healthy and a great source of protein and fibre. They have a lot of good things for you in them, like calcium, iron, selenium, copper, zinc, antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins C and E, and more.
If you want to read about sunflower sprouts nutrition, and a review of sunflower sprouts benefits, check out this article in the National Library of Medicine for more information.
More benefits of sunflower seeds are also shared in the book Nuts and Seeds In Health and Disease Prevention published by Elsevier Inc. 2011. To find out more visit ScienceDirect.
I like to use organic hulled sunflower seeds that don’t have a shell on them because you don’t have to take the shell off before eating them.
However, black sunflower seeds are great for growing sunflower microgreens!
Hulled sunflower seeds and black sunflower seeds below. The black outer shell isnt edible.
See recipe card for quantities.
For how to grow sunflower sprouts in jar, you’ll need the following:
- a good-sized jar or a wide-mouthed mason jar
- a rubber band and muslin cloth, or a sprouting lid that fits the bill
- a bowl to keep the upturned jar at an angle
- raw hulled organic sunflower seeds for eating/sprouting
Step By Step Instructions
- Soak. Fill a jar with fresh water and add sunflower seeds. Allow the seeds to soak in preparation for germination. You can soak them for as little as 1-2 hours. I prefer to to leave them overnight (8 hours). When I first started growing sprouts and microgreens, I did this all the time. Now I do it with most of my seeds too. But if you’re still not sure, sprouting seeds usually come with instructions on the back of the package. Experiment and do what works best for you.
- Rinse. Rinse the seeds, and drain well. Return them to the jar and attach the lid. Put the jar on its side in a small bowl to catch any extra water, and then leave it on the counter out of direct sunlight.
- Sprout. Your seeds should start to grow in the next three days, depending on how warm the room is. Two to three times a day, (morning and evening work well), rinse and drain the seeds. When a little shoot shows up, your sunflower seeds are ready to be planted. You can eat them now or wait a day or two.
- Harvest. Rinse and drain your sunflower sprouts before you use them. I like to use a salad spinner to clean them and get rid of some of the soft brown shells. They are completely edible. There will be some that float to the top, and you can remove those with a slotted spoon if you wish. Roughly dry them on kitchen paper before using.
It is very important to drain all sprouting seeds well while they are sprouting so that they don’t stay wet after being soaked. This is to avoid wet seeds going bad.
You should keep an eye on their growth and smell them every day (yes, really) to get used to the process.
Step 1. Soak sunflower seeds overnight.
Step 2. Rinse and drain well.
Step 3. Leave to sprout in a jar and rinse/drain twice daily.
Step 4. Harvest sunflower sprouts when ready.
You can store sunflower seeds sprouts in a lidded container in the fridge. If you place them on top of kitchen paper that will soak up any excess moisture. Sunflower sprouts are best consumed on the day you harvest them or use within 2 – 3 days. Please give them a quick rinse before use.
The sprouting sunflower seeds will change colour with flecks of brown to red even.
On the last day, put your sprouted sunflower seeds in direct sunlight. On that day, the shoots will begin to turn a light green color. Theyre quite pretty and earthy loooking.
This is what my sprouted sunflower seeds look like after I rinse them and pinch off the grayish layer on the outside, but you don’t have to do this.
As they soften, the seeds change colour speckled with brown and hints of red even. They have a pale cream coloured shoot a couple of centremeters long.
Sunflower sprouts are ready when a small shoot starts to grow from the seed. The shoots are pale in colour and grow longer each day until their first two leaves appear.
You can add sunflower sprouts to cereal, salads, wraps, or your favorite smoothies, dips, and more to make them creamy.
How to Grow Sunflower Sprouts and Microgreens
FAQ
How long do sunflower sprouts take to grow?
What do you do with sunflower sprouts?
What to do when sunflowers sprout?
Are sunflower sprouts good to eat?