Short answer: soak ½ cup of whole dried peas in plenty of cool water for 4 to 8 hours. For pea sprouts, drain and rinse them twice a day in a jar and eat them in 2 to 3 days. For pea shoots, spread the soaked peas on moist soil in a tray, cover them for 2 to 3 days, then give them light and cut the shoots at 8 to 10 days.
Pea sprouts vs pea shoots
The same dried pea (Pisum sativum) gives you two very different foods.
| Pea sprouts | Pea shoots | |
|---|---|---|
| Grown in | A jar | A tray with soil or a mat |
| Ready in | 2–3 days | 8–10 days |
| What you eat | The whole pea with its short root | Stems, leaves and tendrils, cut above the roots |
| Taste | Crunchy, starchy, like a raw pea | Sweet, leafy, like fresh garden peas |
| Best for | Soups, stir-fries, salads | Salads, sandwiches, quick sautés |
This page covers both. For a step-by-step on shoots alone, see how to grow pea shoots.
Which peas to use
Use whole, dried peas. Frozen peas are blanched and split peas are hulled and halved, so neither will grow.
| Pea | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Green peas | Sprouts and shoots | Sweet and reliable |
| Yellow peas | Sprouts and shoots | Mild; Sprouting.com gives 2–3 days for sprouts, 8–10 for shoots |
| Speckled peas | Shoots | A classic shoot pea, fast and sweet |
| Dwarf grey sugar | Shoots | Pretty tendrils and a sweet taste |
| Oregon Giant | Short sprouts | Sprouting.com suggests it as a short sprout |
How to grow pea sprouts, day by day
- Day0
Rinse and soak for 4–8 hours
Peas absorb a lot of water, so cover ½ cup of peas with at least 2 cups of cool water. Soak for 4 to 8 hours.
- Day1
Drain and rinse
Drain, rinse with fresh water and drain again. Set the jar upside down at an angle, out of direct sun.
- Day1–2
Rinse twice a day
Rinse and drain morning and evening. In a warm room, add a third rinse.
- Day2–3
Harvest
When the tails are about as long as the pea, rinse them once more, drain well and refrigerate.
Sprouting.com lists 2 to 3 days for pea sprouts and a soak of 4 to 8 hours for yellow peas.1
How to grow pea shoots, day by day
- Day0
Soak for 6–8 hours
Soak about 1 cup (200 to 275 g) of peas for a 10 × 20 inch tray. Use plenty of water, because the peas will swell to about twice their size.
- Day1
Spread on soil
Spread the soaked peas in a single, tightly packed layer over 1 inch (2.5 cm) of moist soil. Press them in lightly.
- Day1–3
Cover and weight
Cover with a second tray and a light weight. Mist daily. The weight helps the roots grip the soil.
- Day3–8
Light and water
When the shoots push up the cover, remove it. Give them bright light and water from below once a day.
- Day8–10
Cut
Cut the shoots above the lowest leaves when they're 3 to 5 inches (8 to 12 cm) tall. They may regrow once.
Cut above the lowest leaf. Pea shoots can regrow from the leaf nodes left on the stem. Cut just above the first set of leaves and you may get a second, smaller harvest a week later.
How much you get
Sprouting.com gives a yield of 4 to 5 cups of pea shoots from ½ cup of dry peas.1 For sprouts, ½ cup of dry peas makes about 1½ to 2 cups.
Pea sprouts nutrition
Pea sprouts are more filling than leafy sprouts. Here's what USDA FoodData Central lists for 100 g of raw pea sprouts.2
| Nutrient | Per 100 g raw |
|---|---|
| Calories | 124 kcal |
| Protein | 8.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27.1 g |
| Vitamin C | 10.4 mg |
| Folate | 144 µg |
| Iron | 2.3 mg |
| Potassium | 381 mg |
| Magnesium | 56 mg |
Pea shoots are much lighter, more like a leafy green, because they're mostly stem and leaf.
Safety
Food safety: raw sprouts can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli. The FDA says higher-risk groups, including young children, pregnant people, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system, should not eat raw or lightly cooked sprouts.3 Health Canada advises everyone to cook sprouts well.4
Pea sprouts are great cooked: steam them for 2 to 3 minutes or add them to soups and stir-fries. Pea shoots are cut above the soil and usually eaten raw like salad greens. Grow them in clean trays and wash them before eating.
Problems and fixes
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Peas won't sprout | Split, frozen or very old peas | Use whole dried peas sold for sprouting |
| Sour smell | Not enough water in the soak, or poor draining | Use plenty of soak water. Drain well after each rinse |
| Moldy shoot tray | Peas too thick, or water pooling | Use one layer of peas. Water from below and add airflow |
| Tough, stringy shoots | Harvested too late | Cut at 3 to 5 inches, before they get woody |
| Pale shoots | Not enough light | Give them bright light as soon as you uncover them |
How to store pea sprouts and shoots
Refrigerate pea sprouts in a covered container and eat them within 3 to 5 days. Cut pea shoots keep 5 to 7 days in the fridge, wrapped loosely in a paper towel inside a container or bag.
How to eat pea sprouts and shoots
- Pea sprouts: add them to soups, curries and stir-fries, or steam them as a side.
- Pea shoots: use them in salads, on sandwiches, or sautéed with garlic for 1 minute.
Try these recipes:
Where to buy peas for sprouting
We link to Sprouting.com, a Canadian company that sells green, yellow, speckled and dwarf grey sugar peas for sprouts and shoots. For shoots, buy a larger bag: a full tray uses about a cup of peas.
Store dry peas in a cool, dry place in a sealed container.
What to sprout next
- Speckled peas: the classic pea shoot variety.
- Sunflower: crunchy shoots grown the same way.
- Lentils: quick, filling sprouts.
- Chickpeas: bigger sprouts for hummus.
Browse every seed in the Seed Library.
Recipes with peas
Peas FAQ
How long does it take to sprout peas?
Pea sprouts are ready 2 to 3 days after a 4 to 8 hour soak, when the tail is about as long as the pea. Pea shoots grown in a tray take 8 to 10 days.
Can you sprout frozen or split peas?
No. Frozen peas have been blanched, and split peas have been hulled and halved, so neither can grow. Use whole, dried peas, ideally sold for sprouting.
What's the difference between pea sprouts and pea shoots?
Pea sprouts are whole peas with a short root, eaten after 2 to 3 days. Pea shoots are the green stems, leaves and tendrils of the young plant, cut after 8 to 10 days in a tray. Sprouts are crunchy and starchy; shoots are leafy and sweet.
Which peas are best for pea shoots?
Speckled peas and dwarf grey sugar peas are popular for shoots because they grow fast and taste sweet. Dwarf grey sugar peas also grow pretty tendrils. Green and yellow field peas work too and are often cheaper.
Are pea sprouts healthy?
Yes. USDA data for raw pea sprouts lists about 124 calories, 8.8 g of protein, 144 µg of folate and 2.3 mg of iron per 100 g. They're one of the more filling sprouts, closer to a bean than to a leafy green.
Can you eat pea sprouts raw?
Many people do, but raw sprouts carry a food-poisoning risk. The FDA says higher-risk groups should not eat raw sprouts, and Health Canada advises everyone to cook them. Pea sprouts are great lightly steamed or stirred into soup.
Written by Michael
A passionate sprouting professional sharing practical tips for growing sprouts and microgreens at home. More about Michael
Sources
- Sprouting.com (Mumm's Sprouting Seeds). Pea product pages (yellow, green, Oregon Giant, dwarf grey sugar, speckled): days to sprout, soak time and yield. Link
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central (SR Legacy and Foundation Foods), values per 100 g. Link
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Selecting and Serving Produce Safely. Link
- Health Canada. Food safety tips for sprouts. Link
