In this blog post you will not only receive basic information about growing sprouts, but also detailed instructions for growing them in your sprout jar (germ jar).
A dry mini seed that looks anything but alive and is so small that it simply rolls off the edge of the table and can never be found on the floor again... and from this a large, strong seedling full of life energy will emerge, providing us with valuable nutrients provided? Oh yes, and we will now find out in a very practical way how lively this little sprout will become during its growth phase - because we will grow sprouts together!
Because as inconspicuous as the seed may be, it invisibly contains all the prerequisites for becoming a great miracle...
What do you need to grow sprouts in a sprout jar (seed jar)?
To grow sprouts in a sprout jar, you need the sprout seeds themselves, water, air, light and a sprout jar .
Sprouts seeds ( organic seeds )
- Look for seeds that are as untreated as possible and certified organic .
- There are special seeds for sprouts and Microgreen higher germination capacity .
- Your packaged sprouts seeds should be stored at temperatures that are not too high and under no circumstances should they be exposed to direct sunlight .
- Please also check your organic seeds for damaged seeds , as these no longer germinate and have a negative impact on healthy seeds during the germination process. Fermentation can then occur.
Air and light
- During the germination process, it should be ensured that the sprouts have enough air to breathe. Fill your sprouting jar with a maximum of 1-2 tablespoons of seeds , because the seedlings will grow to a volume up to 15 times larger than the seed size. The seedlings should never fill the entire sprout glass (at most ¾ of the glass).
- The sprout jar and your upcoming sprout harvest should never be exposed to direct sunlight. The sprouts feel most comfortable at a room temperature between 18° and 21° C. In hot summer days, fermentation can occur in the sprout jar, bacteria and mold can form and the sprouts dry out. To prevent this, you can rinse the sprouts more often in hot temperatures, but we will remind you of this in the detailed instructions 😉
- is made between light germinators and dark germinators . Dark germinators ideally need a cover in the first few days because darkness has a beneficial effect on their germination process. At this point you just need to remember that of all our sprout varieties only broccoli , peas and chickpeas are dark germinators, which means that you can cover the sprout jars with a cloth for the first few days so that the small broccoli, peas and or chickpea seedlings really get going.
- See also our table with the soaking times and germination times for the glass sprout seeds .
Sprout jar or cress strainer
- Sprout jar/germination jar: Suitable for all non-slime-forming seeds. Available in different sizes (750 ml, 1,000 ml and 1,500 ml), with holder and with/without drip tray.
- Cress sieve: Suitable for all slime-forming seeds (e.g. chia, linseed, cress). Available in round and square versions.
And you can get started 🙂
Instructions for growing sprouts in a sprout jar (germ jar)
In the following section we will give you brief instructions on how you can easily grow sprouts in your sprout jar.
Select germinating seeds and soak them
To prepare the sprout seeds for sprouting, it is important that you soak them beforehand. Use 1-2 tablespoons of organic seeds (approx. 10-20g), rinse them with water and place them in the sprouting jar filled with water. The water should be 3-5 times more volume than the amount of seeds.
The easiest way is to simply soak the sprouts overnight . The soaking process “activates” the small, dry seed casings for the adventure ahead and brings them to life.
A tip for soaking times that exceed 12 hours: Please change the water once after 12 hours and fill the sprout jar with fresh water.
You can find a table of recommended soaking times here.
Instructions: Rinse germinating seeds in the sprouting glass (germinating glass).
After the seeds have soaked up with water overnight (or for several hours), empty the water from your germination glass over the sink, rinse the sprouts 1-2 more times with fresh water and finally place the sprout glass at an angle over a coaster or a drip tray so that the remaining water can drain away. Important: Leave a little space so that air can circulate.
From now on you rinse the sprouts . To do this, fill the glass with fresh water, shake it a little and pour out the water. You can repeat this process 2-3 times. Then leave the sprout jar upside down on the drip tray. This allows the excess water to drain completely and air to circulate.
In summer the sprouts need more water than in winter, so you could rinse them 3 times a day (but this is not a must).
Harvest & store sprouts
Repeat rinsing twice a day every day until harvest. The recommended germination time for sprouts varies depending on the seed and can take from 1 day to 2 weeks (see our sprouting table) .
Depending on the variety, you can also let the sprouted vegetables continue to germinate beyond their ripening period until they become Microgreen . You can tell when the first small leaves appear on the sprout.
Before eating the sprouts, it is recommended to disinfect them in a 5-minute water bath (approx. 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a 750 ml sprout jar). In the water bath you can also remove empty seed pods that have formed during the germination process . If you can't do this with all the seed pods, it doesn't matter, because you can also eat them without any problems!
We recommend draining the sprouts well afterwards or using a salad spinner to remove the remaining liquid.
You can then store the harvested sprouts in the refrigerator . The best solution for this is an airtight container or a bowl or bowl that you line with kitchen paper to catch the excess liquid from the disinfected sprouts. From this point on, you no longer need to rinse the sprouts.
Finally, all that remains to be said is: “ Practice makes perfect” and “The best thing to try is to study ”! No (sprout) master has fallen from heaven yet and you can carefully approach and familiarize yourself with this new world of sprouting wonders - but please do not use force, pressure or fear of doing something wrong, but rather with childlike curiosity, dedication, the willingness to learn and the joy of experimenting.
We hope you have fun watching how your tiny seeds develop into a true miracle of nature!
