Hi friends!
Today I wanted to show you how I have been sprouting my own sprouts at home. I love doing this because I don’t end up with a huge box of them, I only do as many as I can consume in a week and it’s kind of fun too! Not to mention, it is SO much cheaper than paying $5+ per box at the grocery store. A pack of seeds was about $10 (CAD) and I only use 1-2 tbsp at a time so I’m not throwing them out.
I’ll take you through it step by step, with pictures, so you can have the sprouts pictured below in your home, ready to go into sandwiches, salads, soups etc.
Step 1: Gather your products. You will need:
- 1 large clean mason jar
- 1 cheese cloth – large enough to cover the mouth of the jar easily
- 1 elastic band
- 1 small bowl
- 1 – 2 tbsp organic sprouting seeds (I have been using the broccoli seeds from West Coast Seeds. They are certified organic and work great!
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The basic idea is that you soak the seeds, drain the water, then continue to rinse daily until the seeds have sprouted and the “tails” are long enough for you! In the summer, they sprout way faster and in the winter they sprout slower so keep that in mind. Rinsing them twice daily is important to ensure that bad bacteria is not building up.
I got my sprouting seeds from a local garden center but West Coast seeds are also on Amazon
Step 2: Soak 1 – 2 tbsp of your seed of choice according to the package instructions or I just soak them overnight. You need to cover the seeds completely in cold water. Put on the mesh cheese cloth and secure with your elastic band.
Step 3: After the seeds have soaked overnight, drain the water, add more water to the jar and thoroughly rinse, then leave the jar on an angle so no water pools in the jar – this avoids mold etc. You will want to rinse your sprouts 2-3 times a day with cold water. I usually just do it morning and night. It’s not a huge deal if you miss a day here and there but if you see any signs of fungus or mold, do not consume your sprouts! Note: you don’t need to remove the cheese cloth when rinsing the sprouts, the water can go in and out of the holes but make sure the elastic is securely fastened.
In a day or so (sometimes more depending on the season), you will notice some of the seeds beginning to sprout. Keep doing what you are doing! Ps. not all the seeds sprout so in the end you will have some seeds. They are softened so you can still eat them.
Step 4: Reap your reward! your sprouts! You can let them grow as long as you want but I usually harvest them when the ‘tails’ are about 1 inch long. The time it takes will depend on the season and your home’s conditions. Thoroughly dry your sprouts on a paper towel and store in the refrigerator with a paper towel in your container to soak up any moisture for maximum freshness. The sprouts last about 5 days if properly stored.
Step 5: Enjoy 🙂 , on top of salads, in your sandwiches or just raw!
I hope this blog post was helpful for you. I am definitely not a ‘professional’ sprout-er 😉 but I love to experiment so if you have any questions, feel free to comment below!
I’d love for you to try my recipe 🙂 ! Please tag me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @balancingandie so I can see your lovely creation friends! To never miss a post again, you can subscribe to my blog on your right hand panel and receive some free meal prep tips too!
