Sprouts: How to grow in a mason jar

I have a great little garden outside, but there’s something wonderfully satisfying about growing something edible right on your kitchen windowsill. This week, I rediscovered how easy and rewarding it is to grow sprouts in a jar.

I’d picked up this particular Mason sprouting jar at a market about five years ago. It has a fine mesh lid designed to let the contents breathe, perfect for fermentation and sprouting. For a while, I’d used it to brew a ginger beer bug, where the mixture needed airflow without being completely exposed. Then it got tucked away behind a clutter of kitchen essentials and was forgotten until we recently packed to move house and I found it again.

Now it’s back on the windowsill, this time being used for its intended purpose: growing sprouts indoors.

The beauty of this method lies in its simplicity. No soil, no sunlamp, no fancy equipment. Just a jar, some water, and a spoonful of seeds. Before your very eyes, you’ll witness daily growth as the seeds begin to sprout. Within just a few days, you’ll have fresh, nutrient-packed sprouts at your fingertips.

Sprouts really are little nutritional powerhouses. They’re rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, trace elements, amino acids, and proteins. These little green threads are a genuine wonder food — packed with goodness and endlessly versatile in the kitchen.

For this batch, I chose alfalfa seeds, which are light, delicate, and mild in flavour. They’re one of the easiest and quickest sprouts to grow, making them ideal for beginners or those wanting something quick and fuss-free. You can also grow other varieties such as mung beans, radish, fenugreek, broccoli, or mustard seeds, but those may benefit from a shallow dish with a little soil or a purpose-made sprouting tray.

So how do you use them? Alfalfa sprouts are incredibly versatile. Their fresh, grassy taste and light crunch make them a lovely addition to all sorts of meals. Try them:

• Sprinkled generously over a fresh garden salad
• Added in the final moments of a veggie stir-fry to keep their texture
• Layered into a Dagwood sandwich or pinwheel wrap for extra crunch
• Tossed into an egg salad or folded through scrambled eggs
• Stirred through a steaming bowl of seafood noodle soup
• Folded gently into a warm prawn salad with citrus dressing
• Tucked into rice paper rolls or topped onto avo toast

You’ll be surprised how quickly they become a staple. There’s something incredibly rewarding about watching them grow and knowing that just a handful of seeds and a bit of water gave you a week’s worth of nutritious meals.

If you’ve never tried sprouting before, this is the perfect place to start. Low effort, no special equipment needed, and the results are fast and delicious. Whether you have a big backyard garden or live in a small apartment, a jar of sprouts on the windowsill is a simple, nourishing way to bring a little life and freshness into your kitchen.

How to grow sprouts

Soaking: Firstly the seeds will need to be soaked in water. This triggers growth and pulls them out of their otherwise dormant state. 4-10 hours of soaking the seeds in a jar should be ample.

Rinsing: This is a important part of the growing cycle and should be performed 2-3 times a day. Use cool water with high pressure to rinse the sprouts. If growing in a sprouting jar, simply pour cold water from the tap directly through the mesh and give it a thorough swirl in the jar.

Draining: Be sure to drain the water well. Simply by tilting the jar on its head,  drain any remaining water from the jar.

Repeat the rinse/drain cycle several times a day. In between these processes the sprouts do their growing. Air circulation is important but not so much that they dry out between rinses.

Light: This is really only important once the leaves break out of their hulls. The hulls will fall off during the rinsing process, so don’t worry about attempting to remove them.

After several days you will see amazing growth. After 5-6 days your Alfalfa Sprouts will be ready to eat. Simply remove them from the jar, wash thoroughly to remove any hulls, then keep in an air-tight container in your fridge.