How To Grow Sprouts in a Jar in Only a Few Days
In about 3-5 days you can grow fresh sprouts in a jar right on your own kitchen counter! A step-by-step guide for homegrown sprouts.
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Did you ever think you could grow fresh produce on your kitchen counter? In a jar? You can! In only 3-5 days you can have fresh sprouts for sandwiches, salads, avocado toast, or just eat plain. It’s amazing how easy (and affordable) sprouts are to grow. It’s a great way to grow some produce in the winter months and to avoid soggy sprouts from the grocery store!
For this indoor gardening project, all you need is a quart mason jar, fresh, clean, cool water, seeds meant for sprouting, and a drainage lid also called a sprouting lid. If you don’t have a sprouting lid, you can use a piece of cheesecloth instead. Use a rubber band to secure it to your mason jar.
What are Sprouts?
Sprouts are seeds that have germinated and become very young plants. This germination process begins with the seeds being soaked for several hours. The soaked seeds are then drained, rinsed, and allowed to grow for two to seven days.
Nutritional Value
Sprouts are a rich source of nutrients. It’s a great way to get some extra nutrition in your diet. Their vitamin and mineral content varies based on the type of sprout.
There are so many different kinds of healthy sprouts, common varieties include:
- Bean and pea sprouts: Such as lentil, adzuki, garbanzo, soybean, mung bean, black bean, kidney bean, green pea, and snow pea sprouts.
- Sprouted grains: Such as brown rice, buckwheat, amaranth, Kamut, quinoa, and oat sprouts. Ever had sprouted wheat bread? Then you’ve had some of these.
- Vegetable or leafy sprouts: Such as radish, beet, mustard green, clover, cress, fenugreek, green pea sprouts, and broccoli sprouts. A lot of these sprouts taste just like the vegetable you’re familiar with.
- Seed sprouts: Such as almond, radish seed, alfalfa seed (my favorite!), pumpkin seed, sesame seed or sunflower seed sprouts.
Generally speaking, the sprouting process increases nutrient levels, making sprouts rich in protein, and vitamin C. Sprouts are also said to be a great source of antioxidants.
Storage and Food Safety
- Store in the fridge: At home, keep sprouts refrigerated after they are grown and only use cool water to rinse them.
- Check their appearance: Avoid eating sprouts with a strong smell or a slimy appearance.
- Wash your hands: Always wash your hands properly before handling raw sprouts.
The Seeds We Buy
You only need 2 tbsp. to make one pint-sized jar of sprouts, so this bag will last for quite a while. It’s an affordable and easy way to grow food for your family that is nutrient-dense and delicious!
Check out the SPROUTS we buy HERE!
How To Serve Sprouts
Sprouts can be eaten in a variety of ways! For instance, you can eat them raw in a sandwich for some extra crunch and flavor or tossed into a salad.
They are also easy to add to the top of warm meals such as rice dishes, stir-fries, omelets, or burgers. It makes for a beautiful presentation!
Today we are sprouting alfalfa sprouts. These are my favorite, hands down! Our kids love them too. They will eat them by the handful!
How to Grow Alfalfa Sprouts in a Jar
Ingredients and Supplies:
- Sprouting Seeds, there are so many different kinds of sprouts…take your pick
- A Quart Mason Jar; Wide-Mouth is best
- Filtered Water
- Sprouting Jar Lids – We got ours on Amazon and we love them!
- Canning Rings
- Water
- A Dish Towel
Instructions to Grow Sprouts in a Jar:
- Measure 1 tablespoon of seeds and add them to a quart wide-mouth jar. Top the jar with a sprouting lid. (It just looks like a little mesh screen.)
- Fill the jar half full with fresh water and soak the seeds for around 8-12 hours. Make sure it is cool water, not warm water.
- Pour out the water and place the jar open-side down on a dishtowel. (To avoid waste you can use the rinsing water to water your houseplants, as it is full of nutrients). Rinse the seeds with water 2-3 times a day by filling the jar, swirling, and pouring off all of the excess water. The seeds may stick to the side of the jar and that’s okay!*During hot months, two rinses a day are necessary to keep the sprouts from growing mold. A quick sniff will verify the freshness of your sprouts.
- Once your sprouts have grown to your preference (around 6 days for alfalfa sprouts) placing the jar on a windowsill for a day to get some direct sunlight is a convenient way to bring out their green color.
- Swap out the sprouting screen lid for a solid lid and place your sprouts in the refrigerator. Using a solid lid prevents your sprouts from drying out. The sprouts will last 3-5 days in the fridge.
Need An Educational Activity For Your Kids?
We had our kids make a journal with construction paper and had them record what they saw each day of the growing process using pictures and words. This is a great option for a summertime activity. They really enjoyed seeing how the seeds changed each day, and on the last day, they got to eat the fresh vegetables that they helped to grow on their own kitchen counter!
