In this post we’ll be showing you exactly how to easily sprout buckwheat for use in your raw food recipes. It’ a very simple process that anyone can do at home with minimal equipment. We’ll cover exactly how to turn raw buckwheat groats into sprouted buckwheat with ‘tails’.
Let me start with the good news about buckwheat; it’s not wheat at all, but a seed. This means it’s perfectly fine to use if you’re trying to avoid gluten.
Sprouted buckwheat is so great for raw food recipes. It can be used as a base in recipes for raw pizza, raw breads and even raw crackers.
The protein in buckwheat is relatively low, but is high quality. However, the digestibility of the is low because of the anti-nutrients. It’s my understanding that by soaking and sprouting, we make these more digestible because we neutralising the enzyme inhibitors.
For more information on buckwheat nutrition, check out: Buckwheat 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
To successfully sprout buckwheat you’ll need the unroasted kind. They look like little beige pyramids. . .
The roasted variety will not sprout. They are brown rather than beige and are often called kasha.
How to Sprout Buckwheat
Refer to the instructions below (and the video) for full instructions, but the basic steps for sprouted buckwheat are:
- Soak the buckwheat for a short period.
- Rinse them off and leave them at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Continue to rinse them once or twice daily during that 2 to 3 days.
- Use the sprouted buckwheat immediately or keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Use before they go green.
Once the buckwheat is sprouted they’ll have grown little tails and will ready to use in your raw food recipes. . .
How to sprout buckwheat
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat groats
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Soak the buckwheat groats in the water for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer to a sieve and rinse thoroughly to get all of the starchy residue washed away.
- Place the sieve on your counter top in a bowl to allow excess water to drain off, whilst covering with a kitchen towel.
- Rinse the buckwheat twice a day until they grow small 'tails'. This should take around 2 days.
Hi Russell
Thanks very much for this short video. You have clearly explained all the steps, simplifying the sprouting process and giving that much needed guidance for buckwheat sprouting first timers.
I see you have some delicious recipes too. Am looking forward to trying them
Thanks, Naomi. Do let us know how you get on.
Hi Russell, I soaked the buckwheat for only 15 minutes, but it they still came out VERY goopy. Basically when straining the liquid was very gel like. Does this mean I should throw away and start over, or just rinse real well and continue the sprouting process?
No, that’s normal, just keep rinsing.
Thank you so much for this Russell. I’ve been advised that buckwheat is a good replacement for grain, which I can’t eat. I wasn’t fussed with cooking buckwheat, so now I have a very simple and attractive way to eat it in my salads. So very grateful to you for your generosity and clarity in your videos. I’m going to dehydrate them and put them in my breakfast as well. So I’m excited to have another healthy addition to my eating plan. 🙂
Thanks, Stephanie 🙂
Help! My buckwheats did not sprout! Did my buckwheats go bad? I have had them stored in the pantry for about 3 years now. I remember following your method before and they did sprout and I used the same buckwheat groats as before. Mine are from whole foods btw.
Hey Kelley, yes they’re not likely to be much good after 3 years 🙁
you dehydrate them to store? If so can you use them again to make more bread
Yes, you can use them dry to make bread.
Do you dehydrate them to store them? if so – do you re-soak when you want to use them again?
You can dehydrate them to last longer yes. But don’t resoak to use, just use them dry.
Hi Russell
I just want to say that as a non raw foodie, I have become intrigued with the whole idea of moving to a raw food diet. I find your videos invaluable and I am trying out your macadamia cheese as I write this message. My next project will be to make your bread using sprouted buckwheat groats. They are not easy to come by in my location so I will have to rely on the Internet. I note that some products are from China which is a very polluted part of the world so I would rather avoid buying any from there. Do you have a preferred supplier that you can recommend? Finally, I would like to say thank you for your inspirational web site and videos. Keep them coming. ????????
Hey Annette, thanks! 🙂
I like Tree Harvest here in the UK
Than you Russell
Hi Russell,
Great video, its simple and easy to follow – I really enjoyed sprouting some buckwheat!
I am wondering if I sprout and then dehydrate them would you recommend storing them in the fridge, and how long do you think they would last?
Sprouting buckwheat is great but it only lasts 2-3 days without the drying process, so its quite hard to have it on hand daily for breakfast.
Thanks,
Sarah 🙂
If you completely dry them and store in an airtight container, they should last weeks. No need for the fridge, but they have to be completely dry for that.
Hi,
When you say to leave them covered with a towel, for about 24-48 hours, and THEN wash them twice a day – does that washing have to happen during those 24-48 hours of AFTER those 24-48 hours after they have been sprouted? Im about to to it myself but wanted to clear that doubt !
Hey Sofia, you want to wash them twice a day during that 24 to 48 hours.
Got this information just a bit too late. I recently threw out some buckwheat because I bought when I began this journey and couldn’t find any simple instructions that zi could understand as to what to do with it. Now I know. I just want to say how AI wish I could accept your offer I received today in my email. However being a pensioner I just can’t afford to pay for it. I will have to be like Ruth in the Old Teatament and glean. You have an abundance of free recipes and ideas and samples of courses for me to learn a lot and I did just pay a few dollars for your simple fermentation of veg course. Just trying to get my sauerkraut right now. Thank you for all share.
Thanks, Jennifer.
I wonder how much buckwheat has been thrown away unnecessarily! 🙂
Thank you so, so much for taking the time to reply and for the beautiful photography and generous tips. I heard about you but did not realize that the vibe is so professional yet caring and relaxed. Newest little fan.
Thanks for stopping by, Rozanna.
Hi Russell! Your website is absolute gold. Just recently made the switch to a plant based diet and am now trying to do as much raw food as possible and your wisdom has made this switch so much easier and richer!!! Thank you!
Amazing! Thanks so much, Suzann 🙂
Hi, I was just wondering, is there a difference in nutrition between soaking for 30 minutes then sprouting them vs soaking overnight then sprouting them? Because some videos i see say to soak overnight and some say that 30 minutes is enough. which is best for optimal nutrition? Thanks.
I don’t know that anyone’s done any testing on the difference in nutrition, but I go for 15 to 30 mins, just because it’s quicker.
Firstly, I’d like to say that I’m well pleased that I’ve come across your website – luv the idea of turning into a Raw Foodie as the food Really looks delic!. Anyway Russell could you tell me how to turn Raw Buckwheat into flour please – I have read that you just grind the buckwheat after a 15m soak – is this correct? I wish to soak and prepare some steel cut oats for breakfast and have now read that an acid soak is not strong enough to break down phytic acid in the oats (oats being low in phytase ) and that another source of phytase is required to assist phytic acid breakdown. Hence my question as I wish to add a small amt of flour to the soaking process of steel cut oats.
Hi Connie. Yes, you just need to ground up the buckwheat in a coffee grinder or Vitamix. But they have to be dry to do that.
OK Great – Soak raw buckwheat for 15m, Dry then Grind Thankyou Russell 🙂
Great! Thanks Connie!
Russell,
Your sprouting buckwheat info is fantastic. I would like to take the sprouted groats and make a granola with them. How could I go about doing that? Would a dehydrator work?
Yes, mix your sprouted buckwheat seeds with date paste, raisins, cinnamon, apple and maybe some pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Then dehydrate for 8 to 12 hours.
Hey Russell,
Thanks for your great insight. I would like to make a granola form the sprouted buckwheat, how could I do that? Dehydrate the sprouted groats somehow?
Yes, mix your sprouted buckwheat seeds with date paste, raisins, cinnamon, apple and maybe some pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Then dehydrate for 8 to 12 hours.
Hi Russell,
I just found your great website! My question is that I’ve tried to sprout buckwheat for a few times. After about 24hrs I notice that my buckwheats are starting to grow a tail but they also look like they are going bad the same time. They look like they are growing mould. Am I imagining this or are they sensitive to this kind thing? What am I doing wrong? I try not to water them too much either. I only have experience of sprouting alfa alfa and that’s super easy.
Thanks in advance for your reply.
I think I mention this issue in the video actually 🙂
If your sprouts get too dry, they grow micro roots off of the root itself. This is to try and get more of the water from their environment. These are so small that they look like a light mould, but they’re not. I suspect this is what is happening, since you said you try not to water them too much.
Soak for 15 mins, then give a really good rinse twice a day and you probably won’t see those fuzzy roots.
thanks for the video. i get buckwheat groats from my local store in bulk (raw) and eat them as is without sprouting them. i enjoy the taste and texture. are there any nutritional benefits to sprouting them as opposed to eating them as stated?
Yes, definitely. By sprouting you are improving the overall nutritional quality if the seed. For example, the animo acids are increased and the fibre is easier to break down, aiding digestion by binding to fats and toxins. EFAs are increased, as are the overall vitamin content.
I also personally look at it as eating something that is dormant, Vs eating something that is coming alive.
Hi Russell!
When I was living in the US I used to buy what I thought was sprouted buckwheat and use it like a cereal with almond milk. .Can yours be used in the same way? Also, once sprouting complete how long does it stay good for and does it need to be kept in the fridge? The one I bought in US was dried so that it could be kept out of the fridge… I’m thinking they used a different proces…
Thanks!
Lucy
Yes, it can be used the same way.
If it’s completely dehydrated it will be able to be kept in an airtight container outside of the fridge, yes. If it’s not dehydrated, then keep it in the fridge, washing every day or so for about a week.
This is a great video, so glad I found it, and thanks so much! The kids and I will be doing this tomorrow! We’re a vegan family trying to move to higher and higher raw foods. 🙂 One question: what’s the best way to store the sprouted groats, and how long do they keep? Many thanks, we’ll be back!
Definitely in the fridge in a sealed container. If you rinse them daily, they should be good for a week.
Thank you!
thankyou! have been wandering how to do this
Russell, I had read that it was best to get rid of the gelatinous phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, a soapy like substance that protects the groats from being eaten before they are ready to sprout in the wild, and which is particularly hard for humans to digest. My understanding was that this was one of the reasons one would sprout all nuts and seeds…could you please comment? Thanks. PS I love your recipes!
Hi, yes, we soak and spout nuts and seeds to germinate them and get rid of those enzyme inhibitors.
Though it is a real pain to soak and rinse the buckwheat groats repeatedly until the soap suds are gone…and then sprout, I was afraid this is what it took to get rid of the nasty enzyme inhibitors. Does your 15 minute soak with no rinsing accomplish the same thing (as they do sprout)? Could you explain…many thanks in advance.
The enzyme inhibitors are what keep the sprout from sprouting, so by getting the buckwheat to spout (whatever the method) you are removing the enzyme inhibitors.
Thank you so much! Very excited about stumbling onto your site! Such fabulous looking recipes. Cannot wait to try them.
Thanks, Morgan.
Let us know how your creations turn out!
I am so excited! I just got my first raw buckwheat groats yesterday, and my son and I watched this video… and we put out buckwhweat to sprout yesterday evening – Now they are all with the little ‘tails’! It’s so amazing. I, too, never thought it was so easy! Thanks 🙂
Hi Brandie, that’s so cute, thank you for this.
I just love the thought of you teaching your son some empowering, healthy habits and the excitement of seeing your first sprouts grow.
Loved it! 🙂
Thanks Russell. I attempted to sprout buckwheat groats and was disappointed. Thanks to you I now recognize that I over soaked the buckwheat. I most definitely will try it again
Sheila
Super :)) now I know exactly how this is done :)) thank you very much
Thanks, Mateja.
Love this site!
Thanks, Alicia 🙂
Great info Russell thanks so much : ) the steps to doing things are often not shown…..easy and yummy
Thanks, Roanne 🙂
Thanks so much for showing how to sprout buckwheat. I never thought it was this easy.
No problem, Ann.
I think there is a tendency to overcomplicate these things, but just keeping it simple is the way to go.