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How to Grow Sprouts from Tiny Space Gardening

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PHOTO CREDIT: Charity Burggraaf

You likely think of sprouts as those dense and wiry, tasteless greens that people insist on using on vegetable sandwiches. There was a time when you couldn’t eat at a deli without seeing the ubiquitous vegetarian sandwich offering: cream cheese, cucumber, and alfalfa sprouts. (Did I just date myself?) Sprouts, however, can be delicious, and are now thought to be a super food—more on that shortly. Lately, they’ve cropped up more and more in restaurants and in groceries, where you can find them in the refrigerated section with fresh foods.

Sprouts are essentially the very first growth a seed puts out before it develops true leaves. Mung bean sprouts are a great example of what a sprout looks and tastes like. Sprouts add afresh crispy texture to dishes and are packed with nutrients. Seeds store all the energy and food needed to produce healthy plants.By eating them at a very early stage of growth, we reap the rewards of all that good energy.

Different sprouts will carry different flavors, of course.Legumes like peas or mung beans produce thick, crunchy sprouts.Broccoli and alfalfa sprouts are more delicate and won’t have as much flavor. Alliums like onions and scallions are a bit slimy feeling, but they have a good strong onion taste. Play around a bitand see what you like.

To grow sprouts at home, be sure to choose seed that is clean and organic. The directions I offer include a disinfecting process, but I will skip this step when I know I’m using a clean seed source. It’s up to you, but this recipe is a safe version that can be used on any seed.

Homegrown sprouts are, by far, some of the easiest things to “grow” at home. No soil and no windowsill required, and the entire process takes anywhere from three to five days. You need only a quart-size glass jar to get going. Basically, you give seeds a moist environment and rinse them every few hours. Some sources say to cover the jar on your counter to avoid photosynthesis so the sprout doesn’t develop a leaf, while some say it doesn’t matter. I’ve done it both ways with success, but I tend to cover the jar. If I want small greens,I plant seeds as a microgreen instead.

MATERIALS

1 teaspoon bleach

Water

One large jar

¼ cup seeds

Small length of cheesecloth

DIRECTIONS

1. Disinfect the seeds (a necessary step, as some may carryE. coli).Combine the bleach with 1 cup of tap water in a small mixingbowl. Add the seeds and soak for 15 minutes. Drain and rinsethoroughly three times.

2. Place the clean seed in the bottom of the jar.

3. Fill the jar with 1 cup of water.

4. Cover the jar with a double layer of cheesecloth and secure witha rubber band. This allows for air circulation.

5. Let the seeds soak overnight in a dark cupboard (away from light).

6. In the morning, pour off all the water, making sure none of it pools inside. You can leave the jar (with the cheesecloth stillintact) upside down on a plate or bowl to ensure drainage.

7. Hold the drained jar horizontally and shake gently to distributethe seeds along the side of the jar. Place on its side and coverwith a dishtowel to block out light for about 4 hours.

8. Rinse the jar with fresh water two or three times a day, everyday. Drain each time and set the jar back on its side.

9. The sprouts should be ready to harvest in 3 to 5 days. Taste them after every rinse to see when the flavor has developed toyour taste.

10. Fill the jar with water for the last time and remove any thick hulls(the outer covering of the seeds).

11. Drain the sprouts in a colander and eat immediately, or wrap in a single layer of dishtowel or paper towel and hold in the refrigerator, where they will keep for 4 to 7 days.

Photo Credit: Della Chen

Homegrown Sprouts

• Mung bean

• Onion

• Pea

• Red clover

• Sunflower

• Alfalfa

• Broccoli

• Chickpea

• Leek

• Lentil