Growing Sprouted Herbs in A Jar – 6 Easy Steps

Did you know that sprouted herbs can easily be grown on your kitchen counter, with no grow light, in just a jar – in only 4-6 days! How amazing is that? With so many culinary uses, and all the health benefits, who wouldn’t want to be growing sprouted herbs in their kitchen?

Plus, you do not need to be an expert green thumb at all to grow sprouted herbs as this is a great project for beginners.

All you need is: a mason jar, a breathable sprouting lid, some organic sprouting seeds, water, a little space, and a little time.

Also, if are wondering about other types of sprouts such as broccoli, alfalfa sprouts, or radish sprouts for example – then keep on reading because the process is the exact same.

You will first give your seeds an initial soak in the jar you have chosen. Then, you will empty the water out completely and invert your jar in a bowl. Continue to rinse your seeds 3-4 times a day until they are ready for harvest. They do not need light during this phase. Once they have sprouted give them some time by a sunny window for about a day so they can “green up” and… voila? You have your very own sprouted herbs.

You harvest them by giving them a final rinse and drying them off well. The next step is to store them in a container in your fridge. They can store there for about 5 days. The sky is the limit on how you want to eat them, so get creative and bon appetit!

What Are Sprouts?

A sprout is the phase between a seed and a seedling. It has gone through germination, come out of dormancy, opened up, developed a tap root, and put out the first two cotyledons or baby leaves. Sprouts are also tiny, fresh, flavourful, crunchy additions that you can add to soups, sandwiches, salads, stir-fry recipes, and more.

Sprouts really live up to the phrase “Good things come in small packages”. They are little powerhouses that are packed full of nutritious vitamins, and minerals. In some cases, they can even be healthier than eating a fully mature plant. This is because a seed has everything the plant needs to grow. So, the sprout will also contain all of this before the plant has really had much time to use it up.

Since they are so dense with essential nutrients, you only need a small handful to get a big impact.

What are the benefits of growing your own sprouted Herbs?

• Sprouted herbs are a healthy superfood – Being so rich in antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins they add a boost of health to any meal.
• Homegrown sprouts have the highest nutritional value – When growing your own food the freshness and nutrient levels can’t be beat. It is natural for nutrients to deplete after harvest, so the sooner you eat it the better.
• There are many more varieties for you to choose from – When shopping you generally only see bean sprouts, and a lot of stores do not even sell sprouted herbs at all.
• You can save money – For $6.79 (Canadian) you can buy 100g of Organic Red Clover sprouting seeds which would then turn into multiple harvests. This is much less than if you were to buy organic sprouts at the grocery store.
• Produces low to zero waste – There is no packaging, and you can reuse your equipment over and over.
• Safer growing and handling conditions – You have complete control over the growing conditions of your sprouts, and the knowledge that you started off with high-quality organic sprouting seeds.
• Grow them any time of year – This can tide you over in the winter months when you are yearning to get back in the vegetable garden. It is also nice to add some fresh, nutrient-dense ingredients to your meals when a lot of things are out of season.
• Sprouts can be grown without a garden – You do not need an outdoor garden to produce your own homegrown sprouts, actually… you don’t even need an indoor garden. You could even grow these in a College dorm room.

Growing Sprouts Safely

I was worried about this at first too, so I made sure to do my research. What I found is that sprouts are like any food you are consuming. As long as you follow proper food safety practices – the risk is very low. I encourage you to do your own research as well so you can find what you are comfortable with.

Here are the key factors to grow your sprouts safely:

• Only use Certified Organic Seeds produced for sprouting purposes. This way you know that no chemicals were used during the production of the seeds, and they have been screened for various pathogens
  • it is best to choose varieties with a very fast germination rate for this type of project
• Start off with clean, sanitized equipment
• Make sure that you rinse your jar well, and then get as much excess water out as possible each time. If seeds are in too much water they can mould
• Be sure to have a good breathable lid – good air circulation is essential to preventing mould or other issues
• Most important: When in doubt, throw it out! If it looks off or smells off – as with any food – don’t take the chance

It is important to know the difference between mould and tiny rootlets. Some roots will have tiny little white hair-like structures coming off of them when they want water. This is completely fine and normal. Here is a picture of what that looks like.

There, now that we have that out of the way, let’s move on to growing some sprouted herbs.

What supplies do you need to Grow Sprouted Herbs?

The best thing about growing sprouts is that you really don’t need many supplies at all. You will need a clean jar, a breathable lid, some sprouting seeds, and water – that’s it!

When I first started, I purchased a ‘Sprouting Jar with Metal Lid and Seeds‘ kit from West Coast Seeds Company. It was great as a beginner as it provided the jar, lid, four different organic sprouting seed samples, and detailed instructions on growing sprouts. Their instructions also have pictures of what your sprouts should look like each day. I found it super helpful and reassuring to know what I was looking for.

They also sell a variety of other sprouting equipment on their website which you can check out here. Even if you don’t purchase any items from them, I would still recommend checking out their website as they have a lot of great information.

If you are more of a DIY person, this can easily be done with items you may already have or a quick trip to the local dollar store.

You can use any clear glass jar, but mason jars with a wide mouth really work well. For lids you could use: any type of plastic or wire mesh. You will want to choose a material that can be easily sanitized. I have seen cheesecloth suggested in the past. This will work well to strain out the water when rinsing your jar, but I personally would worry about the possible development of mould.

The main thing is that all of your supplies are clean and that the holes in your lid will not be so large that you lose your seeds when you go to rinse them.

Growing Sprouted Herbs in 6 Basic Steps:

1. Gather your organic sprouting seeds, jar, breathable lid, and clean all equipment you will be using
2. Add 1 tablespoon of seeds (such as alfalfa, or clover), or 2 tbsp of larger seeds (such as beans or lentils) into your jar
3. Fill the jar with water so that the seeds are covered by twice their depth, let them soak for 10 minutes (for small seeds), and up to 8-12 hours (for very large seeds)
4. Drain the water and place the jar upside down at a 45-degree angle in a clean bowl on your counter out of direct sunlight
5. Rinse the jar 3-4 times per day with clean cool water, drain, and place the jar back in the bowl, after 3-5 days your sprouts will be ready for harvest
6. Harvest sprouts by removing from the jar and rinsing well under cold water. Then pat them dry with a paper towel. Store your sprouts in the fridge for 3-5 days and enjoy.

Extra Tips for Growing Sprouts

Here are some interesting tips I learned through researching and growing sprouts:

Shake the jar around a bit after you rinse it so that the seeds are more evenly stuck to the sides and not all clumped up in one spot. This helps to even out moisture levels, and increases air flow so the seeds get more oxygen.

More is not always better. If you fill your jar too full the sprouts will end up restricting airflow. This will make it harder to keep them healthy.

Another thing is that if you are a little bit forgetful – like me – it is best to place your jar beside the sink so you will remember to rinse it throughout the day. A good routine I found is to rinse the jar when I get up for tea in the morning, then again when I come home from work to make dinner, and finally one last time before bed. On the weekends or a day off you can easily do this more often.

On the last day or two of growing your sprouts put them in a sunnier location in the house. This will help them to green up a little more just before harvest. You wouldn’t want to leave your jar in the direct sun, especially in the beginning because it can create a greenhouse effect and get too hot for the seeds.

A very interesting thing I learned is that you can use the water that you rinse your sprouts with to water your house plants. The beneficial enzymes produced during the germination process are said to give your plants a boost, and you will be less wasteful with your water.

Harvesting and Storing your sprouts

Harvesting your sprouts could not be simpler. Empty them out into a fine mesh strainer. Give them a really good rinse with clean cold water. Then lay them on some paper towel and pat dry.

Some people like to dehusk or dehull their sprouts before storing them. This extra step will remove any seed coats or extra seeds and is completely a personal preference thing. To do this you can put your sprouts in a bowl of cool water and then skim the top of the water for any floating seed hulls to remove them. You can also remove seed hulls during the growing phase. Each time you rinse your jar, stir the seeds with a fork. This way the seed hulls will rise to the top and can then be poured off.

I store my sprouts the same way that I would store lettuce. I take the slightly damp paper towel that I used to dry off the sprouts and wrap them in that. Then I like to store them in a container with a lid in the fridge. They should store this way for 3-5 days, but of course, use your own judgment. Some people have said you can store them in the freezer as well but have not tried this. I would imagine if you were to try freezing them that it would work best with larger sprouts like beans. Comment below if you have tried freezing your sprouts and how it worked out.

Best ways to use sprouts:

There are a lot of ways you can use your sprouts once you harvest them. They can be eaten raw or cooked. And since there are so many different types of sprout flavours, shapes, and sizes, they fit into many dishes. Here are some ways that I have tried them so far:

1. On sandwiches
2. As a garnish on scrambled eggs or curry
3. Added to a stir fry
4. Mixed in with soups
5. As part of a salad

I am still finding new ways to cook with these myself. I came across this website that has a lot of really unique recipes to use your sprouts. You can check it out here.

Leave a comment, and share what your favourite type of sprout is and how you like to eat them. Let’s see if we can really brainstorm and inspire one another to try something new.

Until next time!