Professor Produce

I have heard a lot of conflicting information about alfalfa sprouts and was wondering if they're safe to eat. Could you also comment on salmonella in sprouts?

Why don't you carry organic sprouts? I've seen them elsewhere.

Do you know that feeling, when the first tips of tulips and other bulb plants start poking from the soil - the feeling that you're so relieved to see something living and green again that you'd like to just sit down and eat it in gratitude that the long, long winter is finally over? No? Well, I do. Maybe I was a rabbit in a former life (it would potentially explain some things about my nervous system), or maybe I'm just a sucker for spring and that first refreshing glimpse of green things growing. Either way, at this time of year, sprouts strike me as delicious. Of course, I'd recommend you stick to the, er, more domesticated varieties.

So far as those are concerned, you're right. There is a lot of conflicting information out there surrounding alfalfa sprouts, those crunchy wisps of white and green you find tucked into sandwiches and salads in healthier restaurants or your secretly-hippie friend's house. Most sources I've read describe them as a superfood with a high nutritional density compared to full grown vegetables, and one of the best sources of vitamin K outside of dairy products (vegans take note!). However, owing to a particular non-protein amino acid L-Canavanine, alfalfa seeds and sprouts can be contraindicated for people living with immune system disorders like lupus. For those with healthy immune system function, however, L-Canavanine can actually work to protect the pancreas from carcinogenic action. From my perspective, alfalfa sprouts are safe to eat in moderation. A pound or two per day of anything is usually ill advised, unless it's water.

As for the rest of your question, I went straight to the source, Joe Mahoney from Jack and the Green Sprout. This independent sprout "farm" in River Falls, Wisconsin has been in business since 1977 and has been supplying the Wedge since 1978. These days, we receive twice-weekly deliveries from Jack and the Green Sprout of fresh alfalfa, spicy daikon radish, broccoli and sunflower sprouts. We also order a bagged sprouted bean mix comprised of budding lentils, soybeans, peas and chickpeas, and wheatgrass in cups and tray flats for home juicing (or kitty treats). If his sprouts were any fresher we'd have to slap them (ah, the sprouts, not Joe and his crew).

I spoke with Joe about the possibility of salmonella and E.Coli tainting in sprouts. He assured me that sprouts are now about the safest thing you can eat where harmful bacteria is concerned. This is because before sprouting, the seeds must be soaked in a weak bleach solution. Each full-grown batch of sprouts is then tested in what Joe calls the "hold and release program." When the results of each batch come back negative for E. Coli., the sprouts are packaged and shipped out, but not before. This is per FDA standards and inspections. Joe went on to say, "Our business is third party audited by the A.I.B., an organization which is responsible for maintaining food safety standards, and we recently achieved a rating of 950 out of 1000, which is really outstanding." That comes as no surprise to me, because Jack and the Green Sprout's operation is as top-notch and professional as they are conscientious and friendly!

Many folks ask us about the organic status of sprouts. Joe says, "It was the case that you couldn't certify sprouts because they're presanitized with a bleach solution, but now the FDA has okay'ed it again. We were certified in the late 80's, but I haven't renewed that, though I might in the future. We use organic seeds, well water and don't spray anything on them." This echoes what I've been telling customers about Joe's operation for years- one nice thing about having a personal relationship with someone who grows your food is that you can trust the integrity and quality of what you're eating.

When it comes to eating this good stuff, Joe and I agreed that our personal favorites are the sunflower "Sunny" sprouts- growing like crazy in their own little cube of soil. They have a pleasing, hydrating crunch surrounding a nutty, sweet and overpoweringly alive taste. Throw some of these on top of a simple salad and you will know the pleasures of being a lithe foraging deer in a spring meadow, tasting a flavor so simple and vibrant it radiates health. And health they give, packed with vitamin A, B1, B2, Niacin, Folate, C, E, and trace minerals calcium, iron and selenium. You have to try these if you haven't already, they're kind of the sleeper hit for the produce department.

But if it's nutrition you're after, you'll want to try broccoli sprouts. Hailing from the gold star of health brassica family (cabbage, collards, kale, broccoli, et al), broccoli sprouts provide the maximum benefits of their kin with virtually none of the bitter flavor that is responsible for making some folks think they don't like these vegetables. Broccoli sprouts are notoriously high in the antioxidants vitamin C and sulforaphane, an element unique to cruciferous vegetables that gives the sprouts their slightly peppery flavor. Sulforaphane is the big deal here; in 1992 nutrition researchers at John Hopkins University discovered this component of broccoli sprouts has a detoxifying effect on cellular tissue, purging carcinogenic material. Now that's a spring-cleaning everyone can use.

Not just for bunnies and hippies anymore, sprouts are a safe, nourishing and fresh addition to most people's diets. Just make sure you're eating the kind that come out of containers, and not the ones growing in people's gardens...