March 15, 2017 · Written by Foodtolive Team
How to Sprout at Home and the Benefits of Having an Indoor Sprouts Garden
The benefits of healthy eating are too numerous to count. However, it might be difficult to maintain a well-balanced diet at times, especially when you are on a budget. Eating sprouts regularly would definitely help as they are affordable and extremely nutritious. Growing them isn’t a problem as we gladly share our simple ‘how to sprout at home’ guide. We’ll also highlight the unique benefits of some sproutable seeds, legumes, and nuts so that you can choose which you should start with.
It’s best to have a full-fledged indoor sprouts garden as this way, you’ll always have some fresh and healthy greens to munch on. At-home gardening also has a variety of other positive effects on your wellbeing, such as reduced stress and improved health as plants boost the quality of air. This kind of activity makes an extremely good hobby for both adults and kids.
Your children, in particular, can learn a great deal about nature from growing sprouts. Use this opportunity to teach them not only the magic of transformation from seed to a mature plant, but also the real value of food. As pollution and other factors compromise the environment on the planetary level, growing your own foods also becomes one of the few ways that can guarantee the safety of the produce you consume. This is vitally important for all health-conscious people who choose organic food only.
How to Sprout at Home: Using a Sprouter Jar
The most popular type of sprouter is a glass jar. You can buy a specialized one in a store or just use any jar you have around the house. It’s best when it has a lid that you’ll adjust to meet the needs of a sprouter. However, many people just chose to cover it with cheesecloth or a similar mesh made of nylon. If you choose to use the original lid of the jar, drill small holes all over its surface. Be sure to make them small enough so that tiny seeds don’t fall through.
Now that you have a sprouter, you just need to choose what kind of seeds or you want to grow and put them into the jar (about 0.5-1 inches). Next, add some water so that it covers the seeds about 1 inch up and leave for 12 hours.
Rinse the seeds, drain the water, and leave the now-wet seeds in the jar covered with mesh. Rinse and drain every 8-12 hours for up to 4 days. Although, the majority of seeds should sprout on the second day.
Eat sprouts while they are still fresh or keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days max.
TIP: use room-temperature water for rinsing and soaking seeds and legumes.
How to Sprout at Home: What About Nuts?
Sprouting nuts might seem like an overkill to some as they are highly nutritious and edible by default. It’s also not as easy as growing a small indoor plantation of alfalfa, broccoli sprouts, or wheatgrass.
It’s also a fact that the chance of actually getting a green nut sprout is highly unlikely. However, soaking nuts is extremely beneficial. Just put them into an open jar and add some cold water, leaving for 4-12 hours.
Don’t drink or re-use the water after this and rinse the nuts thoroughly before eating them. This kind of treatment would make them easier to digest. Admittedly, as the nutritional value of nuts is very high by default, soaking doesn’t boost it as much as it does with seeds.
What Are the Best Sprouts for an Indoor Garden?
The first thing you should do before you start wondering how to sprout at home is choosing the plants you want to grow on your windowsill. There are many types of sprouts you can try growing and each of them offers some special benefits.
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We believe that the healthiest of them all are:
- Broccoli
These are packed with very important phytonutrients and antioxidants. They are so efficient that some scientists study them as a potential treatment for cancer.
- Alfalfa.
These stand out for their high content of calcium and magnesium. Both these minerals are vital for bone health, and they are quite difficult to get from your diet. Calcium deficiency, in particular, is very common in vegans. Minerals from alfalfa sprouts are easy for the body to process, so eating sprouts is actually more beneficial than some other calcium-rich foods.
- Lentil sprouts.
Lentils are amazing by default, and they are especially good when included in a weight loss or bodybuilding diet. Their secret is high protein content, and sprouting boosts it further, making lentils one of the best sources of essential amino acids.
You can try sprouting any kinds of seeds and legumes. Don’t forget about spices as well. For example, cumin and caraway seeds do not only germinate well but also produce sprouts with a very interesting flavor.
