How To Grow Your Own Superfood Sprouts

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Sprouts like alfalfa, fenugreek, radish, broccoli, mung beans, onion, cabbage, mustard seeds, chickpeas, quinoa, lentils, pea sprouts and many others are superfoods.

They hold all the “power” of a mature plant, wrapped into raw sprouts. And for you to harness that power, learning how to grow mung bean sprouts in a jar would be necessary.

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Learn how you can easily sprout your own superfood broccoli at home. You don’t have to forsake flavor or flair to enjoy a healthy meal. Watch the video below:

Generally, one can easily find sprouts as a local grocery store usually have them in stock. However, with the help of cheesecloth, rubber band, and a wide-mouth glass jar, you can grow your you can grow your own miniature sprout garden without leaving the comforts of your home. If you know how to grow sprouts in a jar, you can tell this is incredibly easy.

Most sprouts provide a lot of healthy benefits which make them a good addition to meals such as crunch or salad. In fact, broccoli sprouts act as cancer-fighting superfoods, while a bean sprout provides more than 100% of your daily recommended Vitamin C. Apart from this, growing sprouts indoors can be done easily and it only takes a few inches in your backyard.



Making use of a jar ensures cleanliness. This makes it a good alternative for those who reject the use of a messy sprout bag.

You will want to share this information with everyone to grow their own superfood at home. Read on to learn more about how to grow sprouts in a jar.

Things You Need

You generally need the following tools for sprouting process once you learned how to grow sprouts in a jar:

  • Cheese cloth, fine mesh fabric, or a paper towel
  • A wide-mouth glass jar or a sprout tray. You can use a mason jar, quart jar, or reuse jar from pasta or peanut butter. If you choose the second option, make sure to wash the sprouting jar thoroughly so it won’t contaminate the seed.
  • Plastic storage bar (where you can store sprouts)
  • Seeds (mung bean, bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli sprouts, lentils, adzuki bean)
  • Sprout kit

Seeds And Varieties

Wide varieties of sprout seeds exist and you can choose depending on your needs. However, we suggest mung bean sprout, bean sprouts, broccoli sprouts, or alfalfa seed sprouts.

When shopping for your sprout seed, look for those labeled with “for sprout” or “sprout seed”. This sort of marker shows the seed is pathogen-free and well cleaned. In addition, the University of California recommends the same seeds.

Alfalfa Sprouts

Regular planters or experts on sprouting seeds in a jar mainly use alfalfa sprouts. They have a mild flavor, come with abundant nutrition, and can easily grow. As they produce more green than the clover, they became well-known in the USA.

If you have taken mixed gourmets before, you probably have tasted this leafy sprout. In fact, commercial businesses regularly use them in salad dressing or garnishing. Due to this, you may have had your share in one way or the other.

Although the commercially produced alfalfa sprouts taste bland, homegrown alfalfa sprout has a slightly different flavor. Find them easily at some online shops and the nearest health food store.

Broccoli Sprouts

Broccoli usually grows in cool weather, however, it can also be grown in hot weather climates with a daily supply of fresh water. It is widely used in the United States due to the rich antioxidant content and sulforaphane.

According to a research study by Johns Hopkins University in 1997, broccoli sprouts can provide 3 times the nutrition of fully-grown broccoli. It also produces inducers of enzymes that fight against chemical carcinogens. Growing it at home gives you a more organic and chemical-free broccoli sprouts.

Related: Health Benefits of Radishes

Bean Sprouts

Bean sprouts also carry as much nutrients as the alfalfa and broccoli sprouts. Like any other sprouts from the family of beans, it serves as an abundant source of fiber, minerals, amino acid, and vitamins.

They can be fried or added to your salad and sandwiches for embellishment. They also give a boost in the supply of nutrients from your meals.

Why Sprouts?

When you consume beans, grains, and seeds, they prevent your digestive system from breaking the seeds apart because of their anti-nutrients content. Moreover, every plant organism has this kind of defense mechanism.

When you soak, ferment, and sprout, it gives sprouts the signal of being planted. Due to this, they release their anti-nutrients content and make the real nutrients accessible to you. Because your body likes glucose and readily absorbs this nutrient, they present a significant nutrition and unleash more benefits.

How To Grow Sprouts In A Jar

Even if without sunlight and you don’t have a green thumb, you can still grow your own soil sprouts. You don’t need a huge space either. See below things you would be needing:

  • Canning jar or mason jar
  • Cheesecloth
  • Some seed
  • Rubber band
  • Water

Growing Bean Sprouts In A Jar

Steps:

  • Prepare your jar by cleaning it thoroughly. Gather your seeds in an area free from dirt.
  • Remove the hulls.
  • Drop one or two tablespoons of seeds into the jar until it takes up about a quarter of its total volume. Afterward, pour some cold water until it fills a few inches.
  • Cover the jar with the cheesecloth or a mesh lid. Leave the jar covered at room temperature for 12 hours.
  • Rinse the jar. Next, secure a bowl or sprouting rack and place the jar upside-down. Place this in an open area and under direct sunlight.
  • Rinse and drain the water from the jar of seeds every day. However, don’t dry them out completely. You should start seeing signs of growth in a few days.
  • When they have reached the size you want, harvest them. The best time to harvest while growing big and their greenish color remains deep.
  • Give it a final rinse then dry the seeds. Remove any sprouting mung beans from the mass. These must be consumed within a week for the best result.
  • You can eat them raw or cook them slightly.

Growing Alfalfa Sprout Seeds In A Jar

Directions:

  • Prepare your seeds by washing them to remove debris.
  • Remove the hulls.
  • Place the seed in the airtight container. Add three times as much water. Leave the seed to soak for 8 hours.
  • Rinse the seeds thoroughly with cool water.
  • In the next 2 to 3 days, keep from direct sunlight. Continue to rinse and dry thoroughly. For an ideal sprout, make sure you drain it properly.
  • Continue to drain and rinse until the 6th day. At this time, you should see the recognizable green leaves.

How To Grow Broccoli Sprout In A Jar

You need:

  • A wide mouth jar or sprouting jar
  • Organic broccoli sprouting seeds
  • Water

Directions:

  • Sanitize your broccoli sprouting seeds by rinsing it in warm water. This will help purify the seeds from debris or sand before planting them.
  • Place 2 tablespoons of broccoli seeds into the jar. Next, add lukewarm water and cover with a lid in a dark area overnight.
  • Drain the jar in the morning after 12 hours.
  • Rinse and drain the water from the jar with intervals of 8 hours for 5 days. During this time, the jar should be kept in a dry, dark area. Make sure to drain the water properly every time to will prevent spoilage.
  • When you can see leaves emerging from the seeds, place the sprout outside under direct sunlight. The air outside and the sunlight will help them grow quickly. Once outside, pay attention to the water supply because they can dry quickly as they grow quickly.
  • Your sprout becomes ready when dark, deep, green leaves emerge from them.
  • You may use a salad spinner to wash before eating them.

Conclusion

Knowing how to grow fresh sprouts in a jar seems more like a work-of-art, not rocket science. You can make your sprout easy to grow even with limited time and very little sunlight. Enjoy this short planting journey while inside your home.

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