What are Sprouting Seeds?

Sprouting seeds are seeds that are in the early stages of sprouting, similar to seedlings. They produce edible sprouts that you can include in various healthy meals, according to Garden Therapy. Sprouting seeds can be grown indoors; however, it’s essential to understand that the growing process is very different from other seeds. 

Sprouting seeds provide people with the joys of producing their own food without the hassle of buying soils and fertilizers. Likewise, if regular gardening outdoors doesn’t appeal to you, you can start your own sprout garden from the comfort of your own home. There are some important steps to follow when growing sprouting seeds, which we will carefully go over with you. 

Where to Buy Sprouting Seeds

You can easily find most types of sprouting seeds in your local health food store. If you don’t have one in your town or close by, you can shop for them online and order them. A package of sprouting seeds usually costs anywhere from five to ten dollars, slightly more expensive than a package of regular vegetable seeds. 

Types of Sprouting Seeds

Legumes, such as lentils, typically have some of the most effortless sprouting seeds to grow. Some other examples include garbanzo bean sprouting seeds, green pea sprouting seeds, mung bean sprouting seeds, and black-eyed pea sprouting seeds. 

Alfalfa sprouts are another wildly popular type of sprouts you can grow from sprouting seeds. Alfalfa sprouts are full of vitamin K and vitamin C. Sometimes, alfalfa sprouts purchased from the store need to be cooked as they can breed certain dangerous food-borne bacteria, such as E. coli and listeria, according to SF Gate. 

You can eliminate the harmful bacteria on alfalfa sprouting seeds by growing them at home, as well as disinfecting them before you start the growing process. As a general rule, pregnant women should avoid eating raw sprouts, including alfalfa sprouts. That said, they are safe to eat raw for everybody else. 

Other sprouts include broccoli sprouts, onion sprouts, radish sprouts, soybean sprouts and mustard sprouts. All of these sprouts provide various vitamins, fiber, and other vital nutritional benefits. That said, some beans, including kidney beans, produce toxic sprouts and should be avoided. 

What Supplies Will I Need to Grow Sprouting Seeds?

Growing sprouting seeds is an easy endeavor that you can do from your kitchen. According to this article from Medium, all you need is a quart-sized canning jar, a wide-mouth canning ring, and a sprouting screen. 

While a jar and a canning ring sound pretty straightforward, the sprouting screen may sound a little foreign. A sprouting screen is a filtered lid for your jars. They are inexpensive and generally cost under 5 dollars. 

How to Grow Sprouting Seeds

• The first step is to soak your sprouting seeds in cool water. You should put a few tablespoons of the seeds into your mason jar and then submerge the seeds. According to Simple Happy Kitchen, the amount of water is irrelevant as long as they are submerged. Let your sprouting seeds soak for 8 hours. 
• Next, you should drain the water out of the jar using the sprouting screen. 
• After a thorough draining, you should rinse the seeds again with cool water and drain. Cultures for Health mentions that you should repeat this rinsing and drain step three times per day for three days. 
• In about two weeks or less, the sprouts will be ready to enjoy! The final step is to rinse and drain one last time. Then, you can carefully assess the jar for seeds that haven’t sprouted. Remove these carefully before enjoying your sprouts. 
• To store your sprouts, make sure they are dried thoroughly. Keep them in a jar and store them in your fridge. They should last for about five days, provided they aren’t damp, which can cause them to spoil quickly. 
• Dave’s Garden notes that the ideal environment for growing sprouts would be darker places in your kitchen with a temperature of around 70 degrees. There should also be regular airflow. 

Meals that Incorporate Sprouts

Now that you’ve grown your delicious sprouts, it’s time to figure out how to eat them! Sprouts add a naturally spicy flavor and a crisp texture to almost any salad recipe. You can also use them to replace lettuce on various sandwiches. 

You can also use sprouts in countless noodle dishes that need a crispy component. Another common cooking trend is to use sprouts on top of your favorite veggie burger. Sprouts also pair nicely with quinoa and rice dishes. 

No matter what your favorite foods are, we’re confident you’ll be able to incorporate your sprouts into many meals.