Did you know sprouts give you up to 50% more nutrients then their mature counterparts?
Did you know it’s easy and costs very little to have fresh sprouts year round?
Watch or read below a step by step guide to growing different types of sprouts. We follow several different sprouts over a four to seven day period.
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It’s easy and cost effective to grow your own sprouts.
What is sprouting?
Sprouting is when you grow seeds for four to six days, with only washing and draining the seeds one to three times a day in water. The seed grows into a root and the first set of leaves. You eat the entire seeds and sprout.
Why sprout seeds?
When you sprout seeds, the nutritional value for the plant is at its highest. This means you gain 10 to 50 percent more nutrients from the sprouted seeds than their mature counterpart. Other pros of sprouting seeds is you get nutritional value from fruits and vegetables you might not like as a mature plant. Plus, you can sprout seeds year round, no matter where you live, as long as you have some water, seeds, and a container.
You can sprout literally any seed you want to grow. Providing you like the leaves of that vegetable. You won’t know what you like until you try it, so you might as well try them all.
Supplies: There are different ways to grow sprouts. In this article you will be taught how to grow sprouts in a canning jar.
- Canning Jar: I prefer a wide mouth because they are easier to get the seeds out of them.
- Lid that breathes, like cheesecloth or a sprouting lid. Sprouting lids come in metal and plastic.
- Something for the jars to sit in at about a 45-degree angle, so the water can drain.
- Seeds of your choice.
- Distilled or clean water. You want to make sure the water you use is as clean as possible. No fluoride, chemicals, etc. The water is the feed for your sprouts. Whatever is in your water will go into your sprouts, and into you.
- Measuring spoons
- Food grade hydrogen peroxide (optional) Create about a 1% mix which is about 6 drops of 35% peroxide into a pint of water. If using 3% peroxide, water it down to 1%.
Setting up your sprout grow
Sterilize your jars and lids. You can wash them in hot soapy water, run them through the dishwasher, or boil in water. Dry off the outside. The inside doesn’t need to be dried.
Depending on the seed depends on if you do a pre-soak or not. I do a pre-rinse on all of my sprouting seeds. The difference between a soak and a rinse is just like it sounds. A rinse is warm water and peroxide put over the top of the seeds and swish around. Then drain the water mix. A soak is adding three time the amount of water mix than seeds to the seeds and letting them soak 4 to 12 hours depending on the seeds.
Any seed that becomes gelatinous, like chia seeds, should be rinsed, not soaked. Harder seeds like beans and peas need to soak about 12 hours. Soaking and rinsing gives the seed extra help to pop open so the root can start growing.
Depending on the size of the seed depends on how much you need. The rule of thumb is the smaller the seed, the less you need. Ensure your jar provides enough space for the sprouts to grow, be rinsed, and prevents bacterial growth. For small seeds, like alfalfa, I use 1 1/2 teaspoon. For larger seeds, like peas, I use one tablespoon per quart jar. You can adjust once you see how they are growing. It’s better to have less in the jar, then too many.
Too many seeds cause crowding and bacteria to grow, because the seeds don’t get rinsed and well.
A few variables. Rinsing your seeds three times a day verses once or twice makes them grow faster. The temperature of your room can make them grow faster or slower.
Day 1:
- sterilize jars
- choose your seeds
- put the seeds in the jar
- let soak or rinse in water mix
- Place in a dark, warm area.
Day 2:
- Empty water from the jar. This water is full of nutrients, which is great for any plant to thrive.
- Fill the jar with warm water to cover the seeds.
- Swish the water around and dump the water. Remember, sprout water is very nutritional, so don’t dump it down the drain, water a plant.
- Set the jar at a 45-degree angle in a tray or sink and cover. This allows the water to drain without a mess, gives the sprouts air, and keep them away from light.
Day 3 until almost done:
- Continue the above process until your seeds look like a sprout. You will have the root and the first leaf. Once you see the leaf or the sprouts are as big as you want.
- Do your rinse process, but do not cover. Let your sprouts green up.
Done:
Once your sprouts have greened up. Rinse them and place them into the refrigerator on a towel and cover with a towel. Make sure the towel isn’t too wet at any time. This wetness can cause bacteria.
They can stay in the refrigerator in this manner for several days without spoiling or drying. No, your sprouts should never smell musty or odd.
Now enjoy healthy nutrient dense food you grew yourself.