How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar

Want to grow your own crunchy sprouts at home?

Once you learn how to grow sprouts in a jar, you’ll be enjoying home-grown sprouts in no time!

Have you ever wanted to grow your own sprouts at home? It turns out that it’s very simple to do!

All you need is a clean mason jar, access to fresh cool water, a drainage lid of some kind (more on that later), and good quality seeds – no light or soil required!

I grew alfalfa sprouts for the first time this past winter, and I could not believe how easy (and affordable!) they were to grow.

Now that I know how to grow sprouts in a jar, I’ll never have to waste money on soggy sprouts from the grocery again.

Growing sprouts indoors is a nice way to enjoy a bit of gardening in the winter months. It can also be a great introduction to growing for gardening beginners.

Jump to Section:

• 🌱 What are Sprouts?
• ⛑️ Food Safety
• 🥄 Supplies
• 💦 Soaking the Seeds
• 🚰 Rinsing and Draining
• 🫙 Harvesting and Storage
• 🙋🏽 Frequently Asked Questions
• • Recipe •

🌱 What are Sprouts?

Sprouts are the first growth from germinated seeds.  

You’re probably familiar the bean sprouts that are used in Chinese dishes, like this stir-fry. These are called mung bean sprouts, and they’re one of the most popular sprouts that people enjoy all year round.

You may also be familiar with alfalfa sprouts. These were the hot superfood back in the day before kale become trendy. Alfalfa sprouts are often enjoyed in sandwiches and are praised for their mild flavour (but honestly, they are not my favourite).

There are so many other types of sprouts out there, though!

There are other bean and pea sprouts, like snow pea sprouts and lentil sprouts. You can also find vegetable sprouts like broccoli and radish sprouts.

Then there are nut and seed sprouts like pumpkin seeds, sesame seed and sunflower seed sprouts. Lastly, you can also find sprouted grains like wheatgrass and quinoa sprouts.

Sprouts are often added to sandwiches or salads to add crunch and nutrition.

My favourite sprouts to eat are soybean sprouts, when they’re made into a Korean side dish called Kongnamul Muchim.

If you’ve ever had Korean barbeque, these are the nutty yellow bean sprouts that are often served as one of the accompanying side dishes.

⛑️ Food Safety

Although sprouts are nutritious (offering vitamins, minerals and antioxidants), they may not be a good choice for everyone.  

Sprouts can be a source of foodborne illnesses like Listeria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is due to the warm humid conditions that they need to grow, which can also allow bacteria to grow.

Sprouts are often consumed raw or just lightly cooked, as this preserves their crisp texture.

Both the CDC and Cleveland Clinic recommend thoroughly cooking the sprouts to kill harmful germs. This is the safest way to consume sprouts, although it will cause them to lose their crunch.

Additionally, it’s important to keep sprouts dry and cold once you’ve harvested them. Keep an eye on their appearance as well.

Sprouts that are musty-smelling, dark, or slimy should be thrown out as they are not safe to eat.

Please consult a medical professional before feeding spouts to children, older adults, pregnant women, or other people who may have weak immune systems.

🥄 Supplies

For this gardening project, all you need is a jar, fresh clean water, seeds meant for sprouting, and a drainage lid.

Make sure to purchase seeds that are specifically meant for sprouting. Also, buy your seeds from a reputable garden seed company that has trustworthy safety standards.

I used a sprouting screen in a stainless steel ring that was gifted to be my West Coast Seeds (I'm a brand ambassador for them), but you can use a piece of cheesecloth instead. Just use a rubber band to secure it to your mason jar.

(If you want to get a sprouting jar with a mesh lid, they are sold together as a kit. Just FYI!)

It’s very important to sterilize your mason jar and mesh lid, and you may want to sterilize a metal basin for draining your water into as well.

If you're using cheesecloth, it can be boiled in a pot of water on the stove to sterilize it.

Be sure to wash your hands every time you handle your jar and sprouts to avoid contamination, and find a spot on your counter that's out of direct sunlight and away from food prep areas.

Editor's Note: Apparently, I used the mesh sprouting screen upside down! It's meant to be installed so that the curve is facing inwards, which facilitates better drainage.

💦 Soaking the Seeds

While some people swear by soaking the seeds overnight, that's not necessary for all seeds. In fact, some of the smaller seeds don't need soaking at all.

Giving your seeds a soak does generally help accelerate germination though, so you may want to give it a try.

The amount of time required to soak the seeds will depend on the seeds you are trying to sprout:

• Small seeds (like alfalfa and broccoli) need 10 minutes
• Medium seeds (like radish and mung beans) need 4 hours
• Large seeds (like adzuki beans and chickpeas) need 8 hours

🚰 Rinsing and Draining

The rinsing and draining process does take time, but it’s an important part of the process so don’t skip it!

Rinse the seeds under cool running water, shaking the jar gently to agitate the sprouts. Then drain them completely.

Tip: You can use the rinsing water to water your houseplants, as it is full of nutrients.

You can lean the jar on the angle in a bowl to make sure you’re getting all the excess water out.

I found that using a towel helps to keep the jar tilted at the right angle to drain the sprouts properly. I also replaced the towel daily.

You will need to rinse the sprouts three to four times a day, for three to five days.

Tip: Set reminders on your phone so you don't forget to rinse your sprouts!

🫙 Harvesting and Storage

In 3-5 days, your sprouts should be at least an inch long and are ready to be harvested.

Again, you’re going to want to be very thorough with the rinsing and draining here.

Once you’ve drained all the water out, you’ll want to dry the sprouts with a salad spinner or dry them with a clean kitchen towel.

Harvested sprouts should be kept in the fridge for no more than 5 days, although that timeframe can be shorter depending on the type of sprouts you’ve grown.

Be sure to keep them dry, as moisture will cause the sprouts to go rancid more quickly.

Your sprouts can be stored in a washable produce bag, or in a jar with a perforated lid (plastic wrap with holes poked in is fine).

Again, be sure to discard any sprouts that smell bad, or that have become slimy or gross in any way.

I learned this method of growing sprouts in a jar from the West Coast Seeds Growing Sprouts and Microgreens Guide. I definitely recommend reading that guide if you would like to learn more about growing sprouts and microgreens.

Now that you know how to grow sprouts in a jar, do you think you'll give it a try?

Or maybe you've grown sprouts before and already have a favourite type... let me know in the comments below!

🙋🏽 Frequently Asked Questions

• Recipe •

Thank you to @westcoastseeds for gifting me the mesh lid and the alfalfa sprouts to try out!