Grow your own dirt-cheap pea shoot microgreens

By Sari Huhtala

Several times I’ve bought ready-to-eat pea shoots from a grocery store, and it wasn’t until this winter that I realized how easy it is for me to grow my own organic pea shoot microgreens from regular dried peas from the grocery store. It’s a great way to get a chlorophyll boost, along with micronutrients, minerals and antioxidants.

Pea shoots are simply the young, tender shoots you see coming up through the soil in your garden in the spring. They’re a great source of vitamin C, E and A, potassium and fibre, among other nutrients, according to a 2014 study in food research international. Plus, they are chock full of flavonoids, including free radical-fighting quercetin, the study showed.

For the urban gardener, growing pea shoots in the winter is a snap. You don’t even need to invest in any fancy grow lamps or towers. If you live in a rural area without a large grocer near by, like I do, you’ll appreciate the ease and accessibility of growing your own greens.

To grow the sprouts, I simply saved an empty, large plastic salad bin and recycled it into a garden for microgreens. I filled it about one third with potting soil. You can add compost in there if you have some, but it’s not necessary for growing the microgreens.

The first time around I used fresh, dried peas that I had saved from last year’s harvest, and pushed them into the soil, then lightly covered them with more soil. I kept them by a windowsill for sunlight, and watered them daily to keep the soil damp. If you heat your home with a woodstove like I do, you’ll want to stay on top of watering them to ensure the soil doesn’t get too dry.

The second time around I used store bought whole dry peas – yellow or green is fine – and scattered a bunch on top of the soil, then tamped it down. It’s more challenging to get the peas buried into the soil this way, but less time consuming than pushing each one in by hand. Either way will work, but I did find the latter approach took a little longer to grow.

It’ll take about two or three weeks for the tendrils to grow to about four inches in height. Cut them back about an inch from the bottom, just above the first sprouting leaf. Then regrow your sprouts and repeats the process. You might even be able to get a third cutting from the same plant, if you’re lucky.

I also harvested a bunch of sunflower seeds from my plants in the fall, dried them and stored them for winter sprouting. Follow the same growing method as pea shoots, and enjoy scrumptious sunflower sprouts from your windowsill.

Once cut, place in a sealed container in the fridge. If kept dry, they should be fine for at least a week. Any sprouts that become soggy or have a smell to them need to be tossed.

Growing sprouts in soil is a simple and clean way to get your microgreens.

I love to eat the sprouts just as they are, but they do make a lovely salad topping, sandwich booster, not to mention a great Buddha bowl addition.

Happy sprouting!

Sari Huhtala is the creator, publisher and editor of Alive and Fit Magazine, which was created in 2007.  She has over 25 years of experience in journalism and over 15 years of experience as a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, and is a holistic chef, offering holistic cooking and edible wilds workshops. She is an organic farmer, wild-crafter and grandmother, who has spent over 20 years navigating a holistic, healthy path for her family. Reach her at friends@thelaughingforest.ca