How to Grow Sprouts Indoors All Year Long
Sprouts are considered to be a nutrient-dense superfood. Learn how to grow sprouts indoors and add these fresh homegrown greens to your diet all year long!
***
When I first started growing my own food at home, the gardening world seemed pretty black and white to me: plants grow in the dirt, outdoors, in the spring and summer. That’s what us city kids always learned in school anyway.
And obviously that’s not wrong, but once you get into gardening and growing food, a world full of endless possibilities starts to open up, including growing food indoors year-round.
But growing indoors can often conjure images of expensive lights, complicated hydroponics systems, converting your guest bedroom into an indoor garden and maybe even getting a visit from the police who got a call from your neighbour on the suspicion you’ve started a grow-op and are secretly part of a murderous gang. And let’s be honest, none of that sounds fun.
Thankfully, growing food indoors doesn’t require any of the above and it doesn’t have to be nearly as complicated or stressful as you might think. In fact, you can grow highly nutritious sprouts using nothing more than a Mason jar or a seed-starting tray on your kitchen counter, and you can grow them all year long!
What Are Sprouts?
Sprouts are exactly what they sound like: They’re sprouted seeds.
To break it down a little more, sprouts are seeds that have germinated and sprouted, but that haven’t grown into seedlings yet. They’re basically newborn plants.
If you think of full-grown plants as adults, and seedlings as babies and kids, sprouts are more like infant plants who have just hatched into the world. So sprouts are simply seeds that have been soaked and allowed to germinate, and are then harvested (aka. eaten) in the sprouting stage rather than being allowed to grow into full-grown plants.
The Nutritional Benefits of Sprouts
Sprouts are considered to be a superfood because of how nutrient dense they are. Because sprouts are infant plants, they’re packed full of nutrients that they need to grow into healthy, full-grown plants, and when we eat them, we get the health benefits of all of those nutrients in our own bodies.
Sprouts are also considered to be a highly nutritious food because they’re tiny but packed with nutrients, and because they’re so tiny, you can eat LOTS of them at once and therefore consume way more nutrients than if you were eating their full-grown counterparts. They’re also considered to be more nutritious than seeds because they’re a living food (as opposed to dormant seeds) which makes the nutrients they contain active and more bioavailable. In other words, the nutrients they contain are easier for our bodies to absorb.
They’re also very low in calories, so while sprouts alone won’t get you through a long, cold winter, they’re an excellent option for anyone looking to lower their calorie intake while upping their nutrient-consumption (and I’d venture to say that’s most people in the western world nowadays). PLUS, adding sprouts to pantry meals full of calorie and carbohydrate-dense grains and preserved fruits and vegetables throughout the winter will help give you complete nutrition all year long without having to step foot in a grocery store!
Related: 8 Things to Think About Before Starting Seeds
Other Benefits of Growing Sprouts Indoors
Sprouts are incredibly quick and easy to grow indoors and are super cost-efficient too. A pack of sprouting seeds usually costs anywhere from about $2 to $10 (depending on the type of seeds) and stretches quite a long way. On average, 1/4 cup of seeds is all you need to grow enough sprouts to divide up generously between a family of four or five.
To grow them, all you need is a Mason jar and a piece of mesh screen or a sprouting lid. Or you can invest a nominal amount in some sprouting trays (my preferred way to grow sprouts) and stack them on your kitchen counter to save space and grow even more.
To sprout the seeds, all you need is a little water. Because they’re harvested before they even become seedlings, you do not need any fancy overhead lights or even soil. Sprouts will grow indoors at any time of year, and typically take just a few days until they’re ready to harvest and eat.
Related: How to Make Your Own Indoor Grow Light Stand
Most Common Sprouting Seeds
While you can technically sprout just about any seed, nut or bean/legume, the most common seeds to sprout and eat are:
- Mung beans
- Lentils
- Alfalfa
- Clover
- Radish
- Broccoli
- Sunflower
- Peas
Some seeds can be dangerous to sprout and eat raw. Kidney beans and tomato seeds are two examples of seeds that produce toxins when sprouted. Always stick to using designated sprouting seeds.
Using Mason Jars vs. Sprouting Trays to Grow Sprouts
There are two main ways to grow sprouts indoors…
- In Mason jars (or any glass jars)
- In sprouting trays
There are pros and cons to each method. Mason jars are great because you probably have some on hand already so they don’t cost a thing, and if you’re only growing one or types of sprouts, they take up very little counter space.
Sprouting trays are something you’ll probably need to purchase (albeit only once), but they allow you to grow more sprouts and allow for more airflow and surface space. This helps prevent the sprouts from going musty or even moldy, and prevents harmful bacteria from forming (which can happen if sprouts are not properly rinsed regularly and and left to stagnate).
The other nice thing about using sprouting trays is that you can stack them on top of one another and grow a few different kinds of sprouts at once without taking up any additional counter space. I use this sprouting kit, which allows me to grow up to three different types of sprouts at once in under one square foot of space. Sprouting trays are my preferred method, but in the end, the choice is yours and either way will work just fine.
How to Grow Sprouts Indoors
You’ll need to start by soaking seeds for at least 8 to 12 hours. Whether you plan to grow your sprouts in jars or trays, you’ll want to soak them in a jar to start out.
1. Scoop a small amount of seeds into a Mason jar (one or two tablespoons if growing in a Mason jar, up to 1/4 cup if growing in a tray) and cover with water. Cover the top of the jar with a piece of fine mesh or a sprouting lid and let soak for 8 to 12 hours. (I let mine soak overnight).
2. In the morning, or after the seeds have been initially soaked, strain out the water through the mesh or sprouting lid.
3. Rinse seeds again and strain once more.
* (If you don’t have a piece of fine mesh or a sprouting lid, you can simply strain seeds through a fine mesh strainer and return them to the jar or transfer them to a sprouting tray. You can use cheesecloth but sprouts tend to stick to the cheesecloth when you strain them so this method is a bit more cumbersome.)
4. At this point, if you’re using a Mason jar for the entire process, leave the rinsed, strained sprouts in the jar and tip the jar at a slight angle so that excess water can drain off and air can flow in. I find it easiest to place the jar at an angle in a bowl, but you could also place it in a dish rack if you have one.
5. If using a sprouting tray, transfer seeds to the sprouting tray instead. The sprouting tray has small holes in the bottom that naturally allow water to drain and air to flow in. Each tray sits on top of another tray which prevents any excess water from draining onto your counter.
6. Rinse sprouts once in the morning and again in the evening. Rinsing them helps to keep them moist and prevents them from sitting in stagnant water. Continue doing this until sprouts are ready to harvest and eat (usually within 2 to 6 days)
7. When sprouts are ready to harvest, rinse one more time under cold water and strain well. (I like to lay mine out on a paper towel to soak up excess moisture).
Either eat right away or transfer to a container or bag and store in the fridge for up to one week.
Ways to Use Sprouts
Sprouts make an excellent healthy addition to salads, sandwiches, soups, stir-fries and smoothies. Try adding alfalfa sprouts (or this 3 salad mix) to sandwiches or pita shells along with some deli meat and/or fresh sliced tomatoes and avocados.
Top your next salad with a few radish sprouts to add some spicy flavour. Radish sprouts, like all sprouts, tend to taste very similar to their full-grown counterparts, so radish sprouts pack the same spicy kick! Use sprouted beans in place of regular soaked beans in bean salad for added nutrition.
You can even use sprouted beans to make sprouted bean chilli! (Apparently the sprouted beans are easier to digest). Add bean sprouts to stir fries or Asian dishes. Use lentils to make sprouted lentil curry, or sprouted green peas to make sprouted green pea dip. Add sprouted wheat grass to smoothies or grind dried sprouted wheat berries to make super nutritious homemade bread!
You can use sprouts in place of their regular seed or full-grown counterparts in just about any recipe. The options are pretty much endless! So not only is growing sprouts a great way to grow food indoors year-round, it’s a fantastic way to expand you repertoire of healthy homemade recipes too!
Where to Buy Sprouting Kits and Seeds
My favourite place to purchase sprouts and sprouting accessories is from True Leaf Market (affiliate link). This is where I got my sprouting kit from that I use all the time.
You can also purchase sprouting jar kits and sprouting lids, as well as sampler packs of multiple different seeds or packs of individual seeds like alfalfa seeds or lentil seeds, or seed mixes like sandwich mix or bean salad mix.
I’ve also found a much smaller assortment of sprouting seeds from my local garden supply store, but I’ve found that ordering sprouts online has given me the best variety and value for money.
Have you ever grown sprouts before? If so, what’s your favourite way to enjoy them? Let me know down below:)
Wishing you homemade, homegrown, homestead happiness 🙂
CATEGORIES
6 Comments
Submit a Comment
ABOUT ANNA
You Might Also Like
How to Use a Rocket Mass Heater to Cook & Heat Off-Grid
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. Learn how to heat and cook off-grid with a rocket mass heater, and why this is an even more energy-efficient solution than a traditional wood stove! This is a...
My Favourite Things – 2022 Edition (aka. The Modern Homesteader’s Christmas Wish List)
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. Every year around this time, I compile a list of my favourite things: Things that I love, use or covet for my own homestead, and things that I know other modern...
If you haven't checked-in lately, the last week or so, we've sorta been in the trenches of homesteading and life over here. While some make it out to be glamorous all the time there are high's and low's just as there are in life.
With all that's going on, I've been making a point to find my way back into the garden, which is not only needed to feed my family, but also for some personal spiritual nourishment.
I just want to take a minute to love on my favorite veggie today, Broccoli! 🥦 It's one we plant over-and-over and I'm leaning into its abundance this year.
Not only is it one of my favorites, but we've also found it's one of the easiest veggies to grow so if you haven't tried it or added it to your garden yet, there's no better time than the present.
I've got an entire post on How to Grow Broccoli from Seed here: https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-grow-broccoli-from-seed/ if you're looking for any tips or tricks.
In my "How to" post you'll also find a link to one of my favorite recipes for Cream of Broccoli Leaf Soup!
Can I be honest?
Sometimes you've gotta take a step back and look at the life you've created for yourself and ask yourself "is this truly what I want?"
The other day I shared about losing two of our rabbits this week to Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease. The stress of losing them comes amidst a backdrop of heightened tensions around here...
From work pressures for Ryan to me trying to run a business and handle a very fussy, colicky 2-month-old (and a very busy 6-year-old), to things ramping up in the garden again and all of the other million things that need to get done (including multiple loads of laundry a day thanks to more spit up than I ever knew a baby was capable of producing), I finally felt like I was ready to crack this week.
Oh, not to mention we're doing this all on next to no sleep thanks again to our sweet boy.
I know this is all part of what we signed up for, but when it all happens at once, it can feel completely overwhelming. And when I'm completely overwhelmed and stressed out, that's exactly when I get sick too, which is exactly what happened a couple days ago.
Then yesterday (Saturday) I woke up feeling awful and decided to scroll Instagam as I nursed Noah. I saw other mothers with 6, 8 or even 10 kids somehow keeping it all together getting three square meals on the table every day while managing to keep a tidy kitchen and find time to Instagram about it.
I saw other homestead bloggers reaching new levels of success in their business that I can only dream about right now. And as I sat there in bed, covered in spit up with a ravenous baby nursing off me as I tried to console him, I felt sad for myself in that moment that I couldn't live up to the folks I was comparing myself to.
Later in the day I had to work, so Ryan took the kids to the beach and I stayed home. And I felt sad once again; Sad that I was missing out on yet another weekend with my family because I had created a life where I now have to work weekends just to keep up.
But the silver lining was that the work I had to do yesterday forced me out into the garden, and it was probably the most soothing thing I could have done for my soul.
(Continued in comments…)
Sometime homesteading looks like homegrown vegetables and freshly laid eggs and sourdough rising on the counter.
And sometimes it looks like tears when you have to bury one of your animals 😔
Ryan went out to feed the bunnies yesterday and Flopsy -our little black and white bunny- was laying dead in the pen. There was no blood, other than a little bit by her mouth. Seems like something internal happened. We’re not sure what.
Evelyn helped lay her to rest yesterday. It was a hard weekend for her. First she stayed with grandma and went with her to put her sick, 17-year-old cat down. Then she came home to the news that Flopsy was gone.
But I believe she’s more resilient because of it. We talked to her about how death is a part of all life, and allowed her to go through the stages of grief and process it however she felt she needed to.
Homesteading isn’t always sunshine and rainbows and snuggly barnyard animals. Homesteading teaches us hard lessons and helps us to become stronger and more resilient by challenging us daily.
Yesterday was a sad, hard day. But I’m glad we got to experience it together as a family.
A few years ago, Forbes published an article titled Dear Homesteaders, Self-Reliance is a Delusion.
Let’s unpack this…
What does self-reliant really mean? Is it actually achievable, or just a pipe dream?
Over on the blog today I'm unpacking all of these thoughts, and the things I do know for sure as a homesteader, mother and member of a strong and self-reliant community.
But I really want to hear from you! Post in the comments below what self-reliance means in modern times, or what steps you're taking to be more self-reliant.
Read the full article here: https://thehouseandhomestead.com/what-is-self-reliance/ or at the link in my bio
The spring issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine is out now!
It’s that time again...
The time when things begin ramping up in the garden, the barnyard and the home.
From trays of seedlings to baskets full of eggs, spring is in the air and I don’t know about you, but I’m here for it!
It’s also time for a brand new issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, and boy do we have a good one for you…
In the spring issue, we cover a diverse range of topics from how to trade your skills for land to the realities of going off-grid, from seed-starting to what to do with too many eggs, and from the simple joys of a homemade herbal cocktail to the sometimes heavy emotional toll of raising meat animals.
In this issue, you’ll find:
🌱 What it really takes to live off-grid, with Tammy Trayer of Trayer Wilderness
🌱How you can trade your skills for a piece of land with the SKIP program from the folks at Permies.com
🌱 Everything you need to know about seed-starting to set your garden up for success and abundance!
🌱 What to do with too many eggs! Author Mimi Dvorak-Smith shares 800+ ways to use ‘em up when your hens start laying.
🌱 How to make your own healthier cocktails with homemade botanical syrups
🌱 Dealing with the emotional toll of raising meat animals on the homestead
Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to login to the library and read the spring issue (current subscribers) or subscribe for just $19.99/year to read this issue and gain instant access to our entire library of past issues!
#modernhomesteading #homesteading #selfsufficiency #springonthehomestead
If you grow plants from seed (or if you want to), you’re likely going to want to start a few of them indoors. And if you start your seeds indoors, something that will make your life so much easier (and make your seedlings bigger, stronger and healthier) is an indoor growing stand with grow lights.
I've got a post I'm sharing with you today that will walk you through choosing the best type of lighting for whatever you're growing and then a step-by-step guide of how to make your grow stand, along with product recommendations if you want to make yours just like mine!
Ours can accommodate up to about 200 seedlings, but you can make yours as small or big as needed:)
You can check out the post here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-build-indoor-growing-stand/ or at the link in my bio.
Let me know in the comments what you're growing new, or what you're most excited about in your planting journey this year!
Theme of the Month: ADIDAS
No, not the textiles brand, it stands for: 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗜 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 because it's officially March and we are in full swing around here!
Before you just start throwing seeds in the ground or into red solo cups on your windowsill, it’s important to take some time to read your seed packets and get to know each crop’s specific needs.
Understanding the information on a seed packet is super important when it comes to gardening, especially if you want your plants to get a strong, healthy start and produce an abundance of food for you. And what gardener doesn’t want that?!
Set yourself up for success and take a minute to read through my 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦, before your weekend gardening plans begin.
Grab the guide link in my bio, or get it here: https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-read-seed-packets/
Happy Planting:) ✨
This all-natural homemade toothpaste recipe is made with just four simple ingredients that are good for both your body and your bank account!
I’m on a personal mission to replace every commercially-made, toxic product in our home with homemade, all-natural alternatives. One-by-one, I’m getting closer every day.
The benefit of making all-natural toothpaste at home is avoiding the unhealthy additives found in most commercial toothpastes by substituting ingredients with proven benefits for oral health.
So if you’re also on a mission to rid your own home of toxic products and replace them with healthy, all-natural versions that actually work, then I highly recommend whipping up a batch of this all-natural homemade toothpaste.
Wishing you health, wealth and squeaky clean teeth… The all-natural way;)
You can find the recipe here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/all-natural-homemade-toothpaste-recipe/ or at the link in my bio.
It's that time of year 🌱 seed starting season!
I know you can feel it too. The transition from winter to spring is truly a special time. It’s when life begins again. It’s the very first taste of all that lies ahead.
So before you go just planting any and every seed you can get your hands on, I've got a list of 8 Things to Think About Before Starting Seeds, to get you off on the right food!
I will walk you through, planning, sowing, containers, watering, lighting and more, and if that's not enough you can download my Seed Starting Cheat Sheet at the end to lay it all out.
I hope you're as excited as I am for the beautiful Spring season that lies ahead:)
You can find the list here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/before-starting-seeds/ or at the link in my bio.
What are you planting this year? Anything new you've never tried before? Share with me in the comments!
Ever thought about growing mushrooms at home??
A great EASY way to get started is with one of these mushroom grow kits from @northsporemushrooms
All you need to do is cut open the pack, spray with a little water (the kits even come with a handy little spray bottle), and then sit back and watch the magic happen!
And seriously, watching mushrooms goes does feel a little like magic because they grow so fast you can practically see them growing, no time lapse necessary!
The mushrooms are ready for harvest in just a few days. No gardening experience or land necessary! Even a newbie homesteader in an apartment in the city can grow these babies!
This is a great way to dip your tow into the much bigger world of mushroom growing and harvesting, and to try out a few new varieties that you probably won’t find anywhere else.
I grew Pink Oyster Mushrooms, Lion’s Mane and Blue Oyster Mushrooms (all pictured here). I’ll be using the Pink Oyster Mushrooms in a rigatoni pasta for dinner tonight. I turned the Lion’s Mane into Lion’s Mane “crab cakes” and the Blue Oyster Mushrooms are delicious as part of a stir fry or sautéed in butter and spooned over sourdough toast.
If this reel intrigues you, you can grab your own mushroom grow kit (along with time of other mushroom related products, including fruiting blocks, outdoor log kits, medicinal tinctures, capsules and more) at northspore.com. Use code HOUSEANDHOMESTEAD for 10% off your order!
And if you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my interview with Louis Giller of North Spore Mushrooms in the winter issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine. You can also find my recipe for Lion’s Mane “Crab Cakes,” along with other delicious mushroom recipes and an in-depth feature on medicinal mushrooms including Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Chaga and Cordyceps in the winter issue.
Visit modernhomesteadingmagazine.com to subscribe or login to the library and read the current issue.
Mushrooms really are pure magic, don’t ya think? 🍄 ✨
#mushrooms #mushroomhead #shrooming #eatyourshrooms #mushroomsaremagic #modernhomesteading #urbanhomesteading #homegrown
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, it probably comes as no surprise that I don’t exactly love relying on the grocery store to provide for me and my family, and that sentiment is only getting stronger as time goes on.
Between supply chain issues, rising food costs and the plethora of unhealthy ingredients, chemicals and GMO foods on grocery store shelves, I’d rather toil in the garden and kitchen all year to grow and preserve my own food than have to rely 100% on grocery stores to provide for me.
But that being said, we are in no way 100% self-sufficient so when I do go to the grocery story, I haveI have some ingredient guidelines in mind that I use when shopping for my family.
Check out my shopping tips, what I do and don't buy, and where and who I like to buy from here at this link https://thehouseandhomestead.com/healthy-grocery-shopping-tips/ or at the link in my bio.
Usually by late February/early March, right about nowish, I’ve pretty much had enough of winter and the thought of enjoying a tropical fruit platter and a cold adult beverage on a sunny beach in *insert tropical vacation destination here* seems to be just about all I can think about...
But with a newborn at home that's about the last thing on our to-do list right now! So this year, I will be visiting my tropical escape via my favorite Low-Sugar Mango Jam recipe.
If you do have tropical vacation plans, have a piña colada for me 🙏🏼, but if you don't then this recipe may be just what you need to "escape" for a few minutes into that tropical paradise:) 🥭🍹
Check out the recipe here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/low-sugar-mango-jam-recipe/ or at the link in my bio.
Let me know how the recipe works for you, and if add in any additional fruits to change it up!
How long will sprouts last as you are cutting and eating them?
Hi Robyn,
I think you may be confusing sprouts with microgreens. Sprouts are simply sprouted seeds and do not need to be cut.
As noted in the article you rinse them for 2-6 days until ready to harvest, and then rinse one more time under cold water and strain well (I like to lay mine out on a paper towel to soak up excess moisture). Either eat right away or transfer to a container or bag and store in the fridge for up to one week.
I have a similar sprouting kit. I like it because it is much more hands off than the jar route. It also ‘feels’ safer to me. Because the seeds/sprouts don’t ‘sit’ in the water and the kit offers better airflow I feel there is less opportunity for mold/bacterial growth.
Sorry for the loss of your beloved pet.
Yes I feel the same way. I find they go musty in the jar sometimes so I prefer the trays. But a jar works in a pinch:)
Thanks for the condolences. He lived a good long life.
So helpful to me! I will take time to try it!
🙂