Grow Your Own Alfalfa Sprouts – Nutritious Greens in Just 4 Days!

With all the talk of potential food shortages these days, a lot of people seem to be talking about gardening this year.

But what if you only have a small yard, or no yard at all? There are so many things you can grow right in your home that allow you to have fresh, nutritious food all year round.

Alfalfa sprouts have been my favorite go-to greens for the last several years because:

so cheap it’s almost free – figure out cost per tablespoon
easy – only a few common supplies needed
quick – ready to eat in only 5 days
very little time – requires about 30 seconds a day
I can grow them on my counter ALL year!!
They’re so nutritious!

For years I wanted to try growing my own sprouts but it seemed so intimidating.
And while there are all kinds of sprout kits out there, they’re certainly not necessary. I like to keep it super simple.

You only need 5 things to get started:

1 Tbsp. alfalfa sprout seeds
1 wide-mouth jar (16 oz. or larger)
cheesecloth
1-2 rubber bands
shallow bowl

DAY 1

Step 1:
Put about 1 Tbsp. of alfalfa sprout seeds in the bottom of your jar.

Step 2:
Cover seeds with about an inch of water to let them soak.

Step 3:
Cover the jar with cheesecloth and secure with the rubber band (if it’s narrow you’ll want to use a few of them, just make sure it’s snug).

Step 4:
Cut off the cheesecloth just below the rubber band(s) and allow to sit on the counter overnight.
You may need to do a double layer if your cloth is very thin. You want the weave to be tight enough that the seeds don’t come through but wide enough for air flow.

DAY 2

Step 5:
In the morning, drain the water out of the jar.

Step 6:
Set the jar in a bowl at a 45 degree angle so water can continue to drain throughout the day.

Step 7:
Just before bed, fill the far with water, swirl it around a few times to break the clumps of seeds apart and drain. Put back in the bowl at an angle.

Step 8:
Repeat this process of rinse and drain every morning and evening.

DAY 3

Day 3 your seeds will look like this…

DAY 4

alfalfa sprouts growing in jar, top view

DAY 5

Your sprouts should be just about ready to eat! Once they fill up most of the jar it’s time to rinse one last time and eat!

alfalfa sprouts fully grown, closeup view

Fill a large bowl with water and dump your sprouts in. Swish them around to separate the hulls from the sprouts (you don’t have to get all the hulls, just the ones that are loose and congregate in clumps!).