Make an Easy Jar Sprouter & Start Sprouting Sprouts! [VIDEO]

There is no excuse for you to not start growing your own food. Even an apartment dweller or yachty can enjoy fresh nutritious sprouts without the use of land or soil.



While we travelled in our campervan for 6 months we always had a jar of sprouts on the go – alfalfa, broccoli, mung beans, lentils… and all we needed was a fresh water supply for rinsing. This is ideal for at the office, whilst travelling in a campervan or a boat, hiking and camping.

They are extremely economical with a couple of tablespoons of seeds resulting in a couple of cups of sprouts!

Sprouting Lentils and Mung Beans in our campervan

To start sprouting, you will need these materials:

A large jar

A small piece of flyscreen or mesh of some sort

A rubber band

Organic Seeds for sprouting.

• Make sure you have preferably organic seeds that are specifically for sprouting and eating. Seeds for planting in soil are often coated in a pesticide and fertiliser.  Also make sure that the seeds haven’t been heat treated as some countries require it upon entry. This will kill or reduce the viability of the seed to sprout.

Types of Seeds

• Alfalfa (3-6 hours soak time)
  
• Mung Beans (4-6 hours soak time)
• Broccoli (4-8 hours soak time)
  
• Red Cabbage (4-8 hours soak time)
  
• Radish (6-12 hours soak time)
• Mustard (8 hours soak time)
  
• Fenugreek (8-10 hours soak time)
  
• Onion (8-12 hours soak time)
  

Some seeds requiring light cooking before eating to improve digestibility

• Lentils (5-12 hours soak time)
  
• Chickpeas (8-12 hours soak time)
  
• Soybeans (15-24 hours soak time)
  

The Process

1. In your sprouting jar, soak a small handful of seeds for between 4 hours (for small seeds like Alfalfa) and overnight (for larger seeds like Lentils) in fresh pure water. Add enough water to allow for the seeds to expand to twice their dry size and still remain covered.
2. After soaking, add the flyscreen/mesh ‘lid’ secured on by a rubber band. Make sure you drain out as much of the water as possible.
3. Put in a cool place away from direct sunlight and heat, keeping it upside down and on an angle so any excess water can drain out and fresh air can get in.
4. Rinse the seeds daily, 2-3 times, with fresh pure water (under a high pressure tap if possible) and be sure to drain out as much of the water as possible. If you know you won’t be around to rinse your sprouts keep them in your fridge and rinse them when you can.
5. When the sprouts are an inch long they are ready for eating. Some seed will not develop green leaves (eg mung beans) but seeds like Alfalfa will. When they get their first pair of leaves put them in indirect light for the chlorophyll to develop in the sprout thereby increasing the nutrition for you!
6. Preferably get rid of the seed husk by immersing in water so the empty husk floats so you can scrape them off.
7. Drain all of the water out and store in a sealed (but breathable) container in the fridge. Rinsing every few days, and draining well will prolong their life. They will last up to a week in your fridge.

IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES

• When sprouting make sure they have good drainage and aeration and don’t have wet feet
• Use fresh, cold pure water for soaking and rinsing
• Use organic seeds specifically for sprouting
• Don’t ‘oversoak’ or undersoak’ as this may kill the seed or not activate it enough for germination
• When there are signs of mould or brownness they are starting to go bad. Don’t eat these ones

Other methods of sprouting include using a colander (for larger seeds), and even pantyhose is effective!