How to Grow Nutritious Seed Sprouts at Home

Looking towards our move later this year and dreaming of my future kitchen garden, I recently became inspired to start small this spring. After a look in my fridge and a little research, I decided that sprouting seeds was the perfect place to begin! It’s a simple process, resulting in a highly nutritious plant that makes a great addition to so many meals. The best part – it doesn’t require a garden! Whether you live in a home or an apartment, this growing task can be completed all from your kitchen! 

What are Seed Sprouts? 

Seed sprouts are the results of seeds, grains, and beans soaking in water and being allowed to germinate. In other words, sprouts are simply the first signs growth from a seed, grain, or bean. In its initial stage of growth, the plant grows downward to create roots (which could be planted in soil) simultaneously with upwards growth in search of sunlight. When planted in the right conditions, sprouts can grow into microgreens and eventually small plants. 

What are the Benefits (and Risks) of Sprouting? 

Seed sprouts are notoriously nutritious, notably due to their high levels of sulforaphane, a sulfur-based nutrient. An antioxidant, sulforaphane is known to be anti-inflammatory and even have anti-cancer properties. A 2021 journal reported that broccoli sprouts contain 10–100 times higher levels of sulforaphane than fully grown broccoli plants! 

In addition to being rich in sulforaphane, sprouts are full of other vitamins and minerals (depending on what type of seed you are sprouting). 

Sprouts and microgreens are very expensive when purchased at the grocery store. Growing your own is sure to result in cost savings over time! 

Sprouts aren’t without risk, however – due to their warm, humid growing conditions, sprouts do have a risk of carrying foodborne illnesses like E. Coli and salmonella. 

Sprouts can generally be kept safe for those without compromised immune systems by practicing good hygiene when handling sprouts, keeping them in the refrigerator after they’ve sprouted, and even cooking them before eating them to kill off any bacteria. Sprouts can also be sanitized with a natural solution – more on this later! 

Choosing Your Seeds 

While there are many different types of seeds on the market, I opted for this mix featuring broccoli, radish, clover, and alfalfa sprouts. As a long standing fan of Dr. Tim Spector and a devout follower of his “30 plants per week” philosophy (Spector’s assertion that including a wide variety of plants in your diet each week supports a healthy gut microbiome) I love the diversity that a seed mix offers. This combination was deliciously spicy, and made the perfect addition to many savory dishes. 

Tools for Growing Your Own Seed Sprouts 

Everything you’ll need for growing your own sprouts: 

• Lemon Juice (for sanitizing process) 
• Access to water (like your kitchen sink) 
• Seed Sprouting Kit
• Seed Mix (like this one) 
• Medium Bowl
• Paper Towel 
• Mason jar or glass container (for storing your sprouts)
• Refrigerator (for storing your sprouts) 

How To Grow Your Own Seed Sprouts 

Growing your own seed sprouts at home is a simple process: 

• Sanitize your sprouts with a 10% lemon juice solution. Mix 1 part lemon juice with 10 parts water. Add your seeds to the solution and soak for 15 minutes to sanitize. Drain and rinse the solution from your seeds. 
• Soak your seeds. Add 1-2 tablespoons of your seed mix to mason jars included in your seed sprouting kit. Fill your mason jar with water about halfway, and give your seeds a mix, and put the lid on the jar. Set the jar standing up and allow your seeds to soak overnight. 
• Rinse your seeds. Drain off the water that the seeds soaked in overnight. Add new water to the jar to rinse the seeds and drain the water off through the mesh lid (again, found in your seed sprouting kit). Repeat this process several times and set the jar on the stand found in your sprouting kit with the lid facing downwards. This will ensure that any excess water drains off from the seeds. 
• Rinse and repeat. Repeat the rinsing and draining process every 8-12 hours. Days until harvest depends on what type of seeds you are sprouting – my mix took about 5 days until harvest. 
• Harvest your seeds! Remove your sprouts from the mason jar and place them in a clean bowl. Add water to the bowl to cover the sprouts and rinse rinse your sprouts one final time. Remove any leftover seeds or seed hulls, and drain off water. Pat your seeds completely dry with a paper towel. 
• Store your seeds. Place your sprouts in a clean mason jar or glass container and store refrigerated. In my experience, they maintain their freshness for about a week. Enjoy! 

How To Use Seed Sprouts in Your Cooking 

• Sauté your sprouts and use them to top your favorite avocado toast. Serve with eggs over hard for a nutrient-dense breakfast. Note: Since I follow a gluten-free diet, I love to swap the bread for protein-packed quinoa and create an avocado toast-inspired breakfast bowl. 
• Garnish a soup or stew with your seed sprouts. 
• Try adding seed sprouts to a green smoothie! 
• Add a handful of seed sprouts to my favorite pistachio pesto recipe. 

Sprouting your own seeds is an easy and fun way to start growing your own food. If you give sprouting a try, I’d love to hear how you use your sprouts!