How Can I Tell If I'm Sprouting Seeds In A Jar Correctly?

Have you separated the seeds of the different types of plants you want to sprout?

Have you chosen a jar and a lid that will allow for easy soaking, rinsing, draining, and removing sprouts?

Have you rinsed your seeds with cool water (around 70ºF) and drained them afterward?

Did you soak your rinsed seeds in a jar 3/4 full with cool water and have you covered the jar with a sprouting lid or with a piece of cloth?

Have you been soaking seeds for at least 6 to 8 hours?

Did you drain your soaked sprouts well?

Have you rinsed and drained seeds again for at least 6 to 8 hours?

Have you been repeating the rinse and drain routine 2 or 3 times a day for at least 2-3 days?

Have you rinsed your sprouts one final time before harvesting?

Most seeds have different sprouting times so it's not wise to mix them all in the same jar. You should separate different types of seeds and sprout them in separate jars.

Any glass jar will do well for sprouting, though one with the wide opening will be the most convenient. For smaller seeds, you can use quart jar with a wide opening and a lid designed for sprouting. For larger seeds, like legumes and grains, a half-gallon sprouting jar with lid is optimal.

Rinsing and draining seeds with cool water is an important step in sprouting as it will remove any debris, stones, or broken seeds. When sprouting smaller seeds, removing broken seeds is not practical, but do look for any non-seed material and remove it at this point, if possible.

Soaking seeds should be done in a jar that is 3/4 full of cool water and closed with a sprouting lid or with a piece of cloth so that the sprouts can "breathe."

Different seeds need different soaking times, but most of them need to spend at least 6-8 hours soaked. If you leave them even longer than that, don't worry, you will not ruin them. You should soak until the seeds have doubled in size.

After soaking, you should leave sprouts to drain well, for several hours, while allowing plenty of air circulation.

After soaking and draining sprouts, you should rinse them again with cool water. This should be repeated 2 or 3 times a day, for at least 2 to 3 days.

2-3 days of rinsing and draining about 3 times per day is sufficient for seeds to sprout. In very warm temperatures, rinse more frequently. In cold weather, less frequent rinsing may be fine, but keep in mind that seeds may not sprout as well. A temperature of about 65-80ºF for most seeds is optimal.

Once sprouts are ready to harvest, rinse them one final time and remove un-sprouted seeds and seed hulls if desired. Drain thoroughly one final time before eating or storing sprouts.

Congratulations! You have done a good job sprouting! You can enjoy your sprouts now. If you are storing them for later - drain them well, wrap them in a paper towel and put them away in a container. Make sure there is no moisture around them.