Beet Sprouts
Deep red shoots topped with red and green leaves veined in red, and a distinctive earthy flavor. As much a garnish as a green.
Description
What they look like, and what they taste like
Beet is the one you buy with your eyes first. The shoots come up a deep red, topped with tender
leaves that are some red, some green with red veining running through them. Then the flavor catches up:
a clear, sweet earthiness that tastes like beet without the long roast. They work as a sprout and as a
microgreen, and they are one of the most rewarding crops in either category.
In the kitchen
Use the color deliberately. Beet shoots across a pale plate, on a goat cheese salad, over a piece of
white fish, on a beet and citrus salad where you are doubling down on the flavor, or scattered on a
soup where the red reads against the surface. Chefs use these as a finishing green, and that is exactly
what they are good for. The earthiness stands up to sharp vinaigrettes and to creamy cheeses.
Keeping them fresh
Fresh sprouts are a living product and they behave like one. Keep them refrigerated, keep them
in their container or something that lets a little air move, and use them within a few days of
opening. Do not leave them sitting on the counter. If a batch starts to smell sour or feels slimy
rather than crisp, it is past its best and belongs in the trash, not in a salad. Rinse under cool
running water before use and drain them well, because water sitting in the bottom of a container
is what shortens their life.
Nutrition, without the hype
Sprouts and microgreens are harvested very young, and if you want the actual research on what that means, Penn State Extension and Utah State University Extension have both published on it. We would rather point you at them than make promises about a sandwich topping. What is fair to say is that this is a low calorie way to put something fresh and crisp on food you were already going to eat.
How they are grown
These sprouts are grown by people who also build the equipment the industry grows on. That is
not a slogan, it is the actual arrangement: International Specialty Supply supplies sprouting seed
worldwide, manufactures the
Sentrex growing and washing equipment in Cookeville,
Tennessee, and grows finished sprouts here as well. Incoming seed lots are sampled and tested before
they ever reach a grow room, and the FDA regulates sprouts as a covered commodity with their own
dedicated rules under
21 CFR part 112, subpart M.
A straight word about raw sprouts
We would rather tell you this ourselves than have you find it somewhere else. Because sprouts are
grown in warm, humid conditions, the FDA notes those same conditions favor bacterial growth, and that
people who are more vulnerable to foodborne illness
“should avoid eating raw or lightly cooked sprouts of any kind.” That group includes young children,
older adults, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system. The FDA also notes that
“cooking produce thoroughly kills harmful bacteria and reduces the risk of illness.” You can read the
full guidance on
selecting and serving produce safely. For everyone else,
buy from a grower who tests seed and cleans equipment properly, keep them cold and use them fresh.
Or grow them yourself
Beet is a genuinely satisfying home crop, partly because the color develops in front of you. Our red beet sprouting and microgreens seed page covers growing it both ways. For more color on the plate, Rambo radish and red cabbage are the natural companions.
Where to get them
SunGarden sprouts are grown and shipped from Cookeville, Tennessee. For availability, pack sizes,
retail and foodservice ordering, or to find out who carries them near you, call
(800) 277-7688 or get in touch and a real person will answer.
