As winter wears on and spring edges nearer, I often begin to crave the nourishment that comes with tiny green sprouts. And so, for the last few weeks, I’ve found myself repeatedly sprouting and growing a variety of tiny, power-packed greens.

Sprouted greens are surprisingly easy to grow. All you need are some suitable seeds and a plastic or glass container for sprouting. It helps to also have a draining lid or a sprouter. This is the sprouter that I use. It allows me to make different varieties of sprouts all at once, or to grow different stages of sprouts so that we can have fresh greens all week.

Once you start making these protein and nutrient-rich little powerhouses, it’s hard to stop!

 

How do you make sprouts?

It’s really much easier than you’d expect.

1. First, the seeds need to be soaked for several hours. Just put them in a small glass container (I use a pint jar) and allow them to soak for 4 to 12 hours.
2. After they have soaked sufficiently, drain off the water and rinse them. At this point, you’ll either keep them in the jar or put them into the sprouting tray.
3. Now all that’s left is rinsing the sprouts with water once or twice daily. To accomplish this, I pour a small amount of water into the container and gently swirl the seeds or sprouts, then drain the water off again.

Depending on how long you want your sprouts to be, it will take anywhere from four days to a week to grow them sufficiently for eating. They will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, but don’t expect them to last as long as typical greens.

Our favorite ways to use them are in sandwiches, salads, and green smoothies. Yum!

 

More Sprouting Resources

• 10 Reasons to Eat Sprouts, including an increased vitamin content.
• Did you know that sprouts give your metabolism a boost? This according to Health Benefits of Sprouts.
• Sprouts contain a high level of antioxidants, along with various other health benefits.
• According to 5 Health Benefits of Eating Sprouts, these power-packed little plants contain high amounts of protein. Say goodbye to protein powder!
• A seed sprouting lid is a great way to get started with growing sprouts. If you’ve discovered that you really love growing these little powerhouses, a designated seed sprouter allows for more crops in less space.
• While I prefer alfalfa sprouts, there is a myriad of seed sprouting options. In the past, I enjoyed the crunch of lentil sprouts. If you’d like to try your hand at several different varieties of seeds, this variety pack of sprouting seeds is a good way to go.

 

Have you tried sprouting seeds to eat? What were your results?

 

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