How To Grow Your Own Sprouts—And Get Fresh, Nutrient-Dense Food On A Budget

No green thumb? No problem. You can still grow fresh, nutritious food right on your countertop.

Sprouting is fast, easy, and needs no specialized equipment. A package of seeds costs an average of $6, and will yield at least 10 times the amount you get in a single store-bought clamshell of sprouts. Plus you’ll get the freshest possible product and avoid more plastic hitting the recycling bin.

Some of the most common sprouting seeds are alfalfa and mung beans, but you could sprout beets, broccoli, radish, lentils and more. They can all add a little crunch to your lunch—plus some great nutritional benefits. Sprouts can have more nutritional benefits than their fully grown forms, including more absorbable vitamins and minerals, and they’re great sources of fibre and antioxidants. They’re also good for digestion, help balance cholesterol, and can help stabilize blood sugar in people with diabetes.

That said, sprouts do come with some risks: the warm, wet conditions they need to grow are also loved by E. coli and salmonella. For this reason, young children, elderly people or people who are immunocompromised or pregnant should not eat raw sprouts. (Cooking sprouts does lower the health risks significantly, though it also reduces some of the nutritional benefits.)

Home sprouting isn’t necessarily any safer than large-scale production, but these instructions incorporate best practices from Kansas State University and the University of Missouri Extension to help keep you safe. Use your homegrown sprouts in sandwiches and wraps, in salad, in stir fries, or as a garnish for soup.

Sprouting supplies

• a clean, wide-mouthed jar
• cheesecloth and an elastic band that fits the jar tightly (or a sprouting lid)
• sprouting seeds*

How to choose seeds for sprouting

• Purchase seeds specifically for sprouting so they’ve been tested for E. coli and other pathogens—Mumm’s is a common brand found in many Canadian health food stores, food co-ops, and in some grocery stores.
• Before buying, check what kind of conditions the seeds grow in—you’ll want ones that are compatible with the soaking/jar method. (The jar is too wet for some gelatinous seeds, such as arugula or chia, that like to grow on a spritzed surface—think Chia Pet!)

General sprouting safety

• Always handle sprouts and sprouting equipment with freshly washed hands.
• Keep your sprouting area free of other food and pets.
• Avoiding sprouting when it’s really hot: sprouting is safest when temperatures are around 18°C.
• While many people sprout with a jar that is simply clean, a sanitized jar eliminates a little more risk. To sanitize, boil the jar in water for 10 minutes or soak in a mixture of 3 tbsp bleach per litre of water, then rinse well.
• Rinse sprouts before you eat them.
• Never eat sprouts that look slimy or wilted, or smell off.

How to sprout

1. For small seeds, like alfalfa, put roughly a tablespoon of seeds into a 500-mL jar. For larger seeds, like mung beans, use a ¼ cup of seeds in a 1 L jar.
2. Cover the seeds with white vinegar and let them soak for 15 minutes. (Don’t worry, your sprouts won’t taste like vinegar.)
3. Put your cheesecloth or sprouting lid on the jar and drain the vinegar. Run cool water into the jar, rinse and then drain. Repeat a few times.
4. Add fresh water to the jar to soak seeds for the amount of time indicated on the seed package. (Usually between a few hours and overnight.)
5. Skim off any floating seeds and debris, then drain the seeds.
6. Prop the jar upside down on an angle inside a small bowl, jar, or container. You want air to circulate around the seeds and for them never to be sitting in water. Most don’t really need light, and some, like mung beans, grow in the dark.
7. Rinse thoroughly with cool water and drain the seeds three times a day until you see little seed leaves and the sprouts look good to eat. (Usually three to five days, depending on the kind of seed.)
8. Store the sprouted seeds in another clean jar or plastic container in the refrigerator. Do not rinse before storing, and line the bottom of your container with a bit of paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Rinse portions before you eat them. Depending on the type of sprouts, they’ll last in the fridge a few days to a week.