Grow Sprouts in a Jar | 3 Easy Steps

Fresh sprouts are tasty and nutritious. Sprouts also add a beautiful flavor and crunch to sandwiches, salads, and soups. Some healthy sprouts can also freshen up a green juice or smoothie recipe. Here we’ll teach you how to grow fresh sprouts in a jar, so you can have them available at all times!

Here, we show you how to grow your own sprouts in a jar! That’s right: you can grow all the sprouts you need using almost no counter space. You only need a few basic items to grow sprouts in your jar-garden. In fact, these might even be laying around your house: a mason jar, some mesh/cheesecloth, and a rubber band.

You can find sprouting seeds in specialty stores. However, we find it easiest to buy them online, where there is a larger selection (these are the seeds we use). Also, don’t worry about buying a sprouting kit – the jar is all you need to grow these babies.

Our favorite sprouting seeds are alfalfa, lentil, mung bean, and spicy radish. Check out this post over at Garden Therapy to help you decide which sprouts go with your salad, juice or smoothie recipe!

Follow these steps below and you’ll have delicious sprouts ready to eat within a week!

Equipment

• Wide mouth glass jar (16oz / 473ml)
• Small piece of mesh or cheesecloth (4 x 4″ / 10cm x 10cm)
• Rubber band
• 3 tablespoons of sprouting seeds (these are the seeds we use)

Instructions

Step 1:  Waking the dormant seeds

• Place your sprouting seeds into your jar and fill with water.
• Cover with mesh/cheesecloth and set aside to soak for at at least eight hours.

Step 2: Growing the sprouts

• Leaving the mesh/cheesecloth in place, carefully pour out the water*.
• Fill the jar with fresh water, swish the sprout seeds around, and then carefully drain – the sprouts won’t grow if they’re too wet.
• Ensure all the water has been drained out**.
• Repeat 2. at least 2-3 times a day to keep the seeds moist until they’ve sprouted to your liking (this takes 4-5 days).

Step 3: Greening the sprouts

• After four to five days the seeds will grow into sprouts and fill the jar.
• Then, drain and rinse the jar of sprouts and place near a window (make sure it’s not too hot).

• Once they make contact with sunlight, your sprouts will begin to turn green.
• While your sprouts are greening, keep draining and rinsing them as described in the previous section.
• When your jar of sprouts is exposed to sunlight for a day, they should be green and ready to eat! Enjoy!

Note: Store your sprouts in the fridge and consume within a couple of days. Make sure you use them in a sandwich, sprout salad, green juice, or smoothie recipe while they are fresh and delicious!

*There’s no need to waste this water. Instead, collect it in a tub and use it to water your plants.

** If you leave too much water in the sprouts they will rot. You can balance your jar on an angle to make sure that excess water drains out.

I’d love to see what you made with your home grown sprouts. Tag your photo with #RachelSteenland and I’ll share our favorites!

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