Grow sprouts in your kitchen in 3 easy steps

Sprouts are one of the easiest foods you can grow. Not only are they simple and low maintenance crops, but also nutrient dense, extremely affordable, and ready to eat within days. Sprouts don’t require a lot of space, so they are perfect for the city dweller! They are a fun and accessible to plant, and I often recommend it to first-time gardeners.

🌱 What are sprouts? 
Sprouts are edible seeds that have begun the germination process. There is no difference between the seeds that you sprout and ones that grow to full plants. Once the seed comes in contact with water, it will start to swell and produce a radical that extends into soil to grow. Some seeds you sprout can be grown into microgreens, which are leafy plants that you eat in the stages of their growth.  

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How do I grow sprouts at home?

This is a rather straightforward process: you just need to soak the seeds in water to activate the germination process. Each seed has its own ideal soaking duration, so find out the exact time you need to immerse the seeds to ensure successful sprouting. Take a look at the chart below — it’s my trusty guide.

After the designated soaking time, you generally keep watering the seeds every day and then let it drain. We want to get rid of the excess water so there is not too much moisture, which would lead to mould and other fungi. When we tilt the jar, it is important to have air flow through your seeds, which also prevents unwanted growth.

🌱 Three-step sprouting process

You really only need three things to sprout: the vessel to soak the seeds, the ability to water, and the ability to drain the water.

1. Soak. The vessel is any food-safe container to house the water and seeds for the soaking stage. Cups and jars are best, but really, it can be anything that is clean. Make sure the seeds are fully covered with water.
2. Drain. After soaking the seeds, you will need to drain the water, which you can do with a strainer. Alternatively, you can drill holes in your lids.
3. Water. From there, you will need to keep watering your seeds until they grow enough to eat.

📍 Where do I grow my sprouts?

Sprouts can really grow anywhere, because they don’t need light! All they require are good water and a safe setting where they won’t be disturbed or knocked over. Your kitchen counter top is a great space as it will be visually prominent enough to remind you to just rinse them out daily to keep them growing!

What about the sprouting seeds?

🛒 Where do I get seeds for sprouting?

My trick to saving money when buying sprouting seeds is getting them from the seed company directly, and more importantly, in bulk because it lets you grow a lot of sprouts at a low cost.

I normally order 1 kg to 25 kg of seeds at a time and store them. If you order in this quantity, each harvest of sprouts will cost you pennies. However, this amount is based on the quantity of sprouts I consume. Ideally, only order what you will sprout within one to two years, as this is the average duration seeds can be stored.

🚪 How do I store my seeds?

It is important to keep your seeds in a cool, dark, dry space. You also want to make sure there is no moisture that can potentially come in contact with your seeds.

For extra protection, put your seeds in rubber containers with an airtight lid and add silica packages around your seeds. The rubber container will make sure no moisture or even rodents get to your seeds. The silica packages will also absorb any moisture that might enter your seeds.

What are the different sprouting methods?

🥛 Sprouting in glass jars

💰 Sprouting in sacks

What are the health benefits of sprouts?

The unique health benefit of sprouts is that they contain nutrients that are not in the final plant. This is because the seed contains all the nutrients the plant needs to grow until it can start photosynthesis. Sprouts are also great for the calorie-conscious because they’re very filling. You will notice you will eat less food when you start to incorporate sprouts in your diet. They also have myriad health benefits:

• Enzymes. Sprouts contain about 100 times more enzymes than fresh fruits and vegetables. They allow your body to extract higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from other foods you eat.
• Essential fatty acids and fibre. The essential fatty acids and fibre content increases during the sprouting process. Most people do not get enough fibre or healthy fats in their diet. and sprouts can be a great source of both.
• Low in calories.
• Vitamins and nutrients. Sprouts contain vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K. They are also a source of calcium, carbohydrates, chlorophyll, iron, magnesium, niacin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.
• Protein. Spouts contain up to 35% of daily protein.
• Increased bio availability of minerals. – When the seed starts to sprout, minerals such as calcium and magnesium bind to proteins in the seed, which makes both the minerals and the protein more readily available and usable in your body.
• All amino acids.
• Trace elements.
• Aids digestion.
• Alkalizes the body.

🥗 How do I eat my sprouts?

If your sprouts are grown correctly, they can be eaten raw. It is always a good idea to wash your sprouts before consuming them. Be sure to store them in the fridge once they have made it to the mature size.

• Put them on top of almost all your food.
• Eat them on their own with some oil and salt.
• Sprinkle them on soups, sandwiches, and wraps.
• Add them to your smoothies and shakes.

How do I store my sprouts?

When you harvest your sprouts, give them a rinse and let them drain for about 30 minutes before you put them in the fridge, that way, they are a little damp but not moist. To keep your seeds from drying out, place a slightly damped paper towel on with your sprouts.

Once you are happy with your sprouts and want to store them, it is simple: you can put them in a ziplock bag, Tupperware, or reuse the packaging from the sprouts that you get at the store.

Recommended sprouting products

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Updated August 13, 2021. Originally published March 29, 2020.