Quinoa Sprouts

A 6,000 year old (pseudo) grain which was a sacred staple of the Inca diet, Quinoa produces super nutritious sprouts very quickly.

Note: Quinoa contains a relatively high concentration of saponins, which are a natural occurring compound. Saponins may result in an allergic reaction - including feeling ill. For most of us all they do is make the water sudsy and a bit thick which can make sprouting less easy, but please be aware that Quinoa Sprouts are not for everyone.

Our Quinoa comes from a source which is certified organic.

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$11.55 / Lb.

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Growing Basics

Soak

20 - 30 minutes

The amount of time your seeds should soak in cool water. Soaking is how we begin the sprouting process in most cases.
Rinse / Drain

2 times per day

How often your seeds should be watered. Rinsing thoroughly and then draining as much water as possible are key components to growing great sprouts.
Harvest

1 - 3 days

The time it takes to grow a finished Sprout, or other crop (Micro-Greens, Grass, Greens) from a dry Seed. Note: This "finished" Sprout is our preference. you may grow them for as long as you want! In fact, we suggest that you taste them at every rinse to discover when you like them best.
Yield

1.5 to 1

The amount of Sprouts, Grass, Greens or Micro-Greens produced by 1 unit of Seed. For Example 2:1 means that 1 pound of Seed will produce 2 pounds of Sprouts or whatever crop you are growing. You do not have to grow them all at once of course, unless you wish to =:-D

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Growing Instructions
Detailed Instructions
Growing Photos
About
Notes
Recipes

Print Instructions

Prep 2/3 cup of seeds by running cool water through them for a minute or so.

Soak the seeds in cool water for 30 minutes.

Drain off soak water. Do not ever soak again.

Rinse very thoroughly.

Drain thoroughly.

Keep your Sprouter in a relatively low light location.

Rinse and Drain thoroughly - with cool water every 8-12 hours.

Harvest when your seeds have tiny Roots, and eat or Refrigerate your crop.

Print Instructions

Yields approximately 1 Cup (1/2 lb.) of Sprouts

Seed Prep Measure out 2/3 Cup of seed* Rinse your seeds to remove dust or plant debris - and saponins. Saponins are a natural occurring compound found in higher concentrations in Quinoa which may result in an allergic reaction - including feeling ill. For most of us all they do is make the water sudsy and a bit thick which can make sprouting less easy, so run water through your Quinoa for a while, until the water runs clear and the suds pretty much subside. Please be aware that Quinoa Sprouts are not for everyone.

Soak Transfer your seeds - if necessary - into your Sprouter, or a bowl. Add 2-3 times as much cool (60-70 degree) water. Mix seeds up to assure even water contact for all. Allow seeds to Soak for 20-30 minutes. You don't really even need to Soak Quinoa, but it speeds it up a little to do so.

Sprouting Empty the seeds into your Sprouter (if necessary). Drain off the soak water. You can use it - it has nutrients in it.

Rinse thoroughly with cool (60-70°) water. Drain thoroughly.

Always be sure to Drain very thoroughly. The most common cause of inferior sprouts is inadequate drainage. Even the best designed Sprouting Device holds water, so pay special attention to this step.

Set your Sprouter anywhere out of direct sunlight and at room temperature (70° is optimal) between Rinses. This is where your sprouts do their growing. We use a counter top - in the corner of our kitchen, but where the sprouter won't get knocked over by cats, dogs, kids or us. We don't mind the indirect sunlight or the 150 watts of incandescent light, because light just does not matter much. These Sprouts will never have leaves, and a plant can only perform photosynthesis when it has leaves. Until then light has little if any effect, so don't hide your sprouts. Plus, they like air-circulation.

Rinse and Drain again in 8-12 hours. And, once more... Rinse and Drain again in 8-12 hours. And, perhaps once more... Rinse and Drain in 8-12 hours.

We stop - usually sooner - but definitely no later than here. We like our Quinoa sprouts small. Typically, we sprout for just 2-3 Rinse and Drain cycles. At that point most of the seeds will have sprouted tiny roots. That's the way we like Quinoa sprouts.

Depending on your climate and the time of year you are sprouting and most importantly your personal preference - You may Rinse and Drain again at 8-12 hour intervals for several days. We Do Not recommend doing so, unless you're doing a science experiment. Grow them for as long as you like. As long as you continue to Rinse and Drain every 8-12 hours.

Note: Quinoa can be sprouted quite a bit longer but it's texture changes profoundly, going from a soft crunchy sprout to a very soft sprout. If you sprout it long you'll have to use it soon as it won't keep well. Experiment! Have Fun! It's All Good - if occasionally inedible @;-D

As always, we suggest that you taste your crop at EVERY Rinse - including the very first - just after the Soak period. The soaked seeds are already alive and super nutritious - and - they are without enzyme inhibitors (a very good thing indeed!) so they'll digest themselves and nourish you. So taste them often and find out for yourself when they are most delicious! That's when they're done.

Harvest Your sprouts are done 8-12 hours after your final Rinse. Be sure to Drain them as thoroughly as possible after that final Rinse. The goal during the final 8-12 hours is to minimize the surface moisture of your sprouts - they will store best in your refrigerator if they are dry to the touch.

Refrigerate Transfer your sprout crop to a plastic bag or the sealed container of your choice and put them in your refrigerator. We offer Produce Storage Bags that will extend shelf life substantially. Note: Quinoa - when sprouted very short - can make it in refrigeration for up to 2 weeks. When sprouted longer expect less. If you can use 'em fresher we think you'll like them better.

*Seed to Use

* If using Sproutpeople's Single Harvest Pack - use the whole bag. It will produce a crop of approximately 8 ounces.

These seeds will yield approximately 1.5:1 (you get 1.5 pounds for every pound of dry seed), so in theory you can start with up to as 2/3 as much dry seed as your Sprouter has capacity. We generally advise maxing out at 1/2 capacity, until you get used to growing a particular crop.

Dry Quinoa await their Soak.

20 - 30 minutes later... Soaked, Rinsed and Drained.

12 hours later... another Rinse/Drain cycle. These are tiny seeds with tiny sprouts. Feel free to eat them up now - or....

12 hours later... another Rinse/Drain cycle. You can be done - if you haven't eaten them already, or keep on sprouting.

12 hours later, and another Rinse/Drain cycle. You can be done - now, before, or in another 12 hours.

Quinoa (Keen-wah) is an ancient pseudograin which originated in the Andes region of South America, where our seed comes from even today. Quinoa has been cultivated for 6000 years. It was a staple of the Inca diet, and they considered it sacred. Quinoa is the only sprout which contains every single amino-acid. It is another one of the quickest sprouts, prefering to soak for only 30 minutes and showing roots - sometimes within 24 hours. It is very beautiful as well as nutritious. Like its relative, Amaranth, it has a mild beet-like (they too are related) flavor, though it's also nutty.

As of 2019 we are only selling straight Quinoa when we find an exceptional lot, so you can count on it being a good sprouter if it's available on sproutpeople.org

Our current seed is quick to germinate. It may take 3 days to sprout. Be sure to follow our instructions, on this page. These little seeds are generally very easy to sprout, but they can be tricky.

Seed Shelf Life: 2 years. Store in cool, dark, dry spot. Store in freezer to extend shelf life.

Quinoa is best stored in a cool location - we keep ours in a freezer. If you plan on storing these for more than 6 months you should freeze them. Also, Quinoa is occasionally pleasing to a particular pest - the Indian Meal Moth, which can appear out of nowhere when conditions are right (hot). These are organic seeds after all, so there is no other way to keep your seeds absolutely safe, except to freeze them. Consider yourself further down the trail of sprout education. =:-}