Here is an easy way to enjoy fresh sprouts all year long no matter where you live, No backyard required!
No one needs to be convinced that fresh tastes best, especially fresh and homemade or grown. Growing alfalfa sprouts may be one of the easiest and most accessible ways to provide this freshness all year long. No dirt required! Not only is it easy to grow, it is also filled with protein and vitamins to provide a nutritional addition to many recipes or on it’s own. Alfalfa sprouts are particularly known for but not limited to their high value in vitamin K, vitamin C and protein.
Follow these step by step instructions to get started!
STEP 1: Supplies and Seeds
You will need the following supplies:
– Alfalfa seeds
– 500ml Mason Jar (or similar) or a sprouting jar (amazon)
– Cheesecloth (if you don’t use a “sprouting jar” shown above, It will replace the screen you see on the lid)
– Distilled water (tap water will work as well)
STEP 2: Rinse 2 tablespoons of seeds and place rinsed seeds into your jar
STEP 3: Add 1/2 cup of cool water and cover with cheesecloth secured with an elastic or just the screw top part of your lid. Allow seeds to soak overnight.
STEP 4: Drain the water out of your jar through the cheesecloth
STEP 5: Invert the jar and place in a bowl on a downward angle to allow for water to drain out and air to come in. Place bowl with Jar in it in a dark cool location (we place it in our cupboard with our dinnerware)
STEP 6: After approximately 8 hours rinse seeds again and drain water immediately. Place Jar back into your bowl in the same orientation as before.
STEP 7: Repeat the rinse and drain process in Step 6 approximately 2 times per day until sprouts have reached approximately 3 inches (I usually do it in the morning and again before going to bed)
STEP 8: Once your jar is full and sprouts have exceeded the estimated 3” length you are ready to do a final drain of any leftover water and begin to enjoy your fresh sprouts! For storage I simply remove the cheesecloth and replace with the complete closed lid and refrigerate.
All in all, after approximately 4-5 days you have a jar filled with sprouts to enjoy. If you time it correctly you can have a second jar ready to go once you’ve completed your first one!
Some closing notes…
As far as how to use alfalfa seeds, a quick search will direct you to many uses. We typically use it on sandwiches as a replacement to lettuce, although we look forward to trying it in new ways soon. Our daughter loves to just eat it out of the jar 🤷🏼♂️
Do you have kids? This can be a fun and easy process to include the kids with, and they love to see the quick results and enjoy the fruits of their labour.
We love to see and hear from others experiences as well, leave a comment or reach out if you have something to share. Other sprouts like radish and beet can be grown with the same method, we plan to try those as well. Good luck and enjoy the process!
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