How to Grow Your Own Sprouts and a Recipe for the Best Sprout Sandwich

I never really liked sprouts.  But every once in a while I would eat some because they’re healthy.  And by every once in a while I mean once every 9 years.

A little while ago some friends invited us over to their house for a light meal, and as we were chatting before the meal, somehow the subject of sprouting came up.  When my friend asked me if I grew sprouts and I responded that I didn’t really care for them, I noticed a change of expression on her face.  Good one, Jennifer.  

Thomas Edison once said, “You will have many opportunities in life to keep your mouth shut: You should take advantage of every one of them.”  I should listen to him.

Thankfully, my friend is very gracious … and the meal was absolutely delicious – sprouts included.

Along with some mouth-watering soup, she served some really yummy bread and several sandwich fixings that included a fabulous vegan cheese sauce/spread and her homegrown sprouts.  I was quite surprised when I found that sprouts served this way (in the sandwich with the vegan cheese sauce) were not only bearable but really was quite tasty!!!   I even went home thinking I should start sprouting; I could actually enjoy eating sprouts this way.

And so that’s what I did.  For the past couple of months, I’ve been learning how to sprout and discovering those bitter little baby plants don’t taste so bad after all.

How to Eat Sprouts If You Hate Sprouts

1. Start with some good bread.  (My friend served delicious homemade wheat bread.)

2. Spread a healthy mayo or a healthy dressing on one slice of bread.  (I use my homemade Creamy Italian Dressing or the Skinny Mayo from my Weight Loss Program.)

3.  Spread a thick layer of cheese sauce or cheese spread on the other slice of bread.  Here’s the vegan healthy cheese sauce recipe I use.

4. Add sprouts, sliced tomatoes, and sliced avocado.

5. Put sandwich together and enjoy!

Sprout Nutrition

Sprouts are enzyme-rich and loaded with minerals and vitamins (including some anti-aging antioxidants). They also offer chlorophyll.

How to Grow Your Own Sprouts

I’m only a beginner at sprouting, so the following isn’t an experienced and comprehensive tutorial on how to grow sprouts.  It’s just what I do and what works for me. If you’d like more info on sprouting, check out The Sprouting Book.

1. Choose your seeds.

Some of the easiest sprouts to grow are alfalfa, fenugreek, radish, broccoli, onion, cabbage, and mustard seed.

2. Place seeds in a large glass jar.  

There are several “sprouters” available. We use this one and we really like it.

If you don’t have a “sprouter”, you can use a glass jar.

Cover the opening of the jar with a piece of (new and clean) mesh screen secured with a jar ring or a mesh jar lid. Amazon sells mesh jar lids that fit perfectly on a canning jar.

3. Soak.

Add water to the jar and soak seeds in water overnight.

4. Drain, rinse, and drain.

The next day, drain the water off the seeds. (This is why you top the jar with a mesh screen – so you don’t lose any seeds when you drain them.)

Rinse the seeds with fresh water and drain well.

5. Rinse daily.

Rinse the seeds twice daily until your seeds begin to sprout.  Be sure to drain well.

Some people place the jar on a rack to drain after rinsing them.  And some people put the jar in a dark place until the seeds begin to sprout.  I just place my jar on the kitchen counter.

6. Place in sunny spot.

When your seeds begin to sprout, place in a sunny spot.  (Continue to rinse them twice daily.)  The sunshine will make them turn a bright, healthy green.

Your sprouts will be ready to eat in 3 to 7 days, depending on the type of seeds you choose.

How do you know when your sprouts are ready?

For the sprouts mentioned above, they are ready when their first leaves begin to turn green.  For more information about other types of sprouts and sprouting in general, check out The Sprouting Book.

Here’s my Sprout Sandwich recipe. It’s super flexible; adjust according to your likes.

Have you ever tried sprouting? Do you like sprouts?

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