Sprouting 101: Seed Storage

The first thing you will need in order to get started with sprouting are obviously, the seeds. Not all seeds are created equal. You will want to be sure your seeds are 100% organic and they are commercially distributed with the intention of sprouting. They must be whole, raw, fresh, and not heat processed, pasteurized, or irradiated.

If you go to your local grocery store you will find beans and legumes in the soup isle. However, these seeds are sold with the intention of making soups and stews. Chances are they have been:

1. Pasteurized
2. Heat processed
3. Irradiated
4. Crushed (such as rolled oats)
5. Split (such as split peas)
6. Cut (such as steel cut oats)

All of the above processes kill the life force energy in the seeds and will prevent them from sprouting. If you intend to make soup or stew, this is irrelevant since the seeds will be cooked. However, you’re not reading this article to learn how to make soup - you want to start sprouting!

The Hippocrates Wellness store is an excellent source for your sprout seeds. https://www.hippocratesstore.org. All seeds sold here are 100% organic and are carefully selected for the best performance. They will ship to your USA address.

Seeds have a shelf life. They will last for a few hours or a few years depending upon the type of seed and the amount of exposure to heat, humidity, and bugs. When you purchase your seeds, keep them cool and dry. Don’t leave them sitting in the car while you do other shopping or run more errands. The temperature in your car will quickly get above 160 degrees F while parked in the hot sun. This will cook your seeds. Treat your seeds like supplements. Take them home right away or use a cooler with ice.

Seeds are often sold in plastic bags, which is fine if you plan on using them in a few months. If you plan on keeping them longer than that you should transfer them out of plastic bags and into dry glass containers with a tight sealing lid with a gasket (such a Mason jar). If you leave your seeds in plastic bags, bugs will eventually eat right through the plastic to get to them. Keep your seeds in the pantry at room temperature. Better yet, keep them in the refrigerator if you have space. However, you do not want to store your seeds in the freezer. Doing so for a long enough period of time will eventually cause them to go bad due to the regular defrost cycle in the freezer.

Different seeds have different shelf lives. For example, if kept dry and in tightly sealed glass containers your seeds will last approximately:

Seed Type                   Refrigerator       Room temperature      Outside (summer)

Alfalfa                         8 years             12 months                   2.25 months

Clover                         8 years             12 months                   2.25 months

Radish                         7 years             10.5 months                2 months

Broccoli                       6 years             9 months                     1.75 months

Adzuki                        5 years             7.5 months                  1.5 months

Peas                             5 years             7.5 months                  1.5 months

Garbanzo                     5 years             7.5 months                  1.5 months

Lentils                         4 years             6 months                     1 month

Mung                           4 years             6 months                     1 month

Wheat                          4 years             6 months                     1 month

Sunflower                   2 years             3 months                     18 days

Refrigerator (40 degrees F.)

Room Temperature (80 degrees F.)

Outside Summer (100 degrees F.)

By Brian Hetrich, Greenhouse Manager