We’ll reveal how you can grow sprouts at home with little to no hassle. Let’s see why you should consider this as your inexpensive and easy-to-grow local superfood. Did you know that with clean and sterile jars, you can start sprouting at home?
Why grow sprouts at home?
Sprouts are germinated and soaked seeds, grains, or nuts. These are rich in beneficial amino acids, vitamins, and enzymes. And the best part about sprouting at home is that they are simple to grow straight in your kitchen. Make your own garden in a jar!
Some of them like lentils or chia you can just pick from your shelf, while other you’ll need to get seeds from the store. Make sure you buy organic or those that are not ment to be for “massive” gardening as those might be treated with some chemicals – you definitely don’t want that on your plate.
Some of the seeds you can use to grow sprouts are:
- Alfalfa
- Broccoli Seeds
- Red Clover Seeds
- Lentils
- Mung Beans
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Sunflower Seeds
- Chia Seeds
What do you need to grow sprouts at home?
Sprouting is a simple and straightforward process. You will need equipment created for such purposes, such as sprouting trays. Also, you will require:
- A wide-mouth quart-size clean and sterile jar
- A sprouting lid or cheesecloth and a rubber band
- A box or bowl to aid the jar stand upside-down
- Organic sprouting seeds for the best results
Some of the seeds and sprouts are more demanding than another. Most of them will grow well in a big jar. Make sure the jar is clean, and before sprouting in them, make them sterile (oven at around 200 ºC for 20 mins will do good). It’s easy for mold to start growing, and you’ll have to throw all the batch away …
How to grow sprouts
Soak your seeds overnight
Firstly, soak sprout seeds overnight – or at around 6-8h. Make sure you position the sprouting screen in place and screw on the canning ring. Add around two cups of non-chlorinated water. Afterward, swirl the seeds, drain and cover with an extra 2 to 4 cups of water.
Rinse and drain seeds
In the morning, drain the water and rinse and swirl again. As soon as you make sure your seeds are drained well, put them in a bowl, and allow the jar to lay upside down.
Keep on Washing them 2x Day
It is highly recommended to pour water through screens at least two times per day (morning and evening). Swirl, and drain well after returning the seeds in your bowl. Each day your sprouts will grow more! This process can take between 3 to 7 days, depending on the seeds.
Store sprouts
When you feel like your sprouts reached the perfect greenness and length, you can store them in the refrigerator. It is best to store them as dry as possible. Overall, sprouts last up to five days if drain adequately.
Enjoying sprouts
Sprouts are best served on sandwiches, mixed with greens as a salad, or as a soup topping.
What are the benefits of growing sprouts?
Sprouts are a superfood, which you can quickly grow straight in your kitchen. And the best part about sprouting is that they have numerous health benefits. Some of these include:
- A boost in digestive and metabolic processes, as sprouts are rich in dietary fibers.
- An increase in blood flow due to the high content of iron and copper.
- A losing weight ally, as sprouts can inhibit the release of a hunger hormone called ghrelin.
- An increase in the immune response, as sprouts are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds and vitamin C.
- Improvement in eye health due to the rich content of antioxidants and vitamin A.
- A decrease in skin problems due to the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
The bottom line
Sprouting at home can be both fun and useful. All you have to do is get the equipment mentioned above and start taking care of the seeds. Keep in mind that the risk of cross-contamination in sprouts is slightly high. The living enzymes might turn out to be dangerous for health if you don’t clean your hands and jars. You can avoid such issues by purchasing organic nuts, grains, and seeds for sprouting.