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How To Grow Broccoli Sprouts

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Are you looking for an easy, cheap way to add some super food power to your diet? You’re going to love this!

A few months ago, I was browsing (pretty aimlessly to be honest) books at the library, and I stumbled upon Microgreens: How to Grow Nature’s Own Superfood.

Image shows a bowl of broccoli sprouts with copy that reads "How to Grow Broccoli Sprouts"

I’ve been interested in growing micro greens for a long time, so I checked it out – and loved it! Not just for the beautiful pictures either.

My heart wants to grow micro greens, but the lack of sunlight in our house during the winter says “grow sprouts instead”.

So that’s what we’ve been doing all winter, and will continue to do for at least a few more weeks.

Even though micro greens have always been my ideal, I secretly love growing sprouts, because they’re just so darn easy!

All you need is a jar with a lid – a mason jar with a ring and cloth work well, or you can order sprouting lids from Amazon, some seeds, and water.

When I was a pre-teen, I used to be in charge of growing alfalfa sprouts for the family. I loved those things! Their sweet taste made them great for eating by themselves, but now I have a new love in the sprouting world – broccoli sprouts!

They’re not as sweet, in fact, they’re kind of peppery, which make them less fun to eat alone, but awesome in salads, and on sandwiches! My latest favorite way to eat them is on salad with dairy-free ranch dressing, and to add them (in moderation!) to my post workout smoothies.

What’s so special about broccoli sprouts?

  • They contain 1,000x the nutrients of mature broccoli according to research by John Hopkins, and Ohio State Universities.
  • They exert 50x the cancer fighting power of mature broccoli
  • Broccoli sprouts are easily digested because they contain potent digestive enzymes

Is anyone else blown away by those numbers? It’s crazy! Read more about the benefits of broccoli sprouts and how to grow them at home

If you’re as convinced to add broccoli sprouts to your daily diet as I am, you’ll want to order some sprouting seeds right away! I ordered mine through Amazon Subscribe and Save (and then canceled my subscription after two deliveries, because that’s a lot of seeds!), and these particular seeds germinate fast!

Now, let’s get sprouting!

You’ll need:

  • 1 quart-sized jar
  • 1 sprouting lid or ring with screen of some sort
  • 1-2 Tablespoons untreated broccoli seeds

Note: it is important to get untreated seeds for sprouting! Many seeds meant for growing mature broccoli are treated with toxic fertilizer or bug poison – not cool!

Step one: Place seeds in a quart jar, and cover with water. Let soak 6-12 hours.

Image shows broccoli seeds soaking in water in a mason jar, waiting to sprout

Step two: Drain seeds, and rinse gently. Drain again, and set jar back on its side, out of direct sunlight.

Image shows a mason jar on it's side, with seeds waiting to sprout

Step three: Continue rinsing and draining seeds 2-3 times per day. I like to roll the jar around a bit to spread the seeds out when I’m done.

Image shows a close up of sprouting broccoli seeds

Step four: When the sprouts get to be about 3/4 of an inch long, move them to a window to get partial sunlight. Keep up with the rinsing routing for a few more days as your sprout begin to green.

Image shows a mason jar on a picnic table with broccoli sprouts

Step five: De-Hull the sprouts. Fill a bowl with clean water, and add your sprouts. Gently stir them around and pull the mass apart to free the hulls to float to the top. Skin the top to remove as many hulls as possible (admittedly, I don’t have a lot of patience for this and never have a perfectly hulled batch of sprouts. Good enough is good enough in this case!)

Photo shows a jar of broccoli sprouts taken from above

Step six: Place the sprouts back into the jar, or another container, and store in the refrigerator.

Step seven: Eat them! Add broccoli sprouts to your salads, sandwiches, smoothies, and anything else they sound good on!

Give yourself a high five for growing and feeding your family one of the most nutrient-dense greens on the planet!

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6 Comments

  1. Wondering: Are the seeds used for Broccoli Sprouts/Microgreens different than regular broccoli seeds?
    Also, do you sprout them inside or outside?What minimum outside temperature will they tolerate when covered in the greens bin? Do they need cooler or warmer condiditons? Thanks!

    1. I honestly don’t know if there’s a preferred variety. I only know that buying the seeds that are meant for growing mature broccoli are too expensive for sprouting by the tablespoonful.

      I do sprouts inside on my kitchen counter, and microgreens out on the porch. As far as cold, they’re fine as long as they don’t freeze. So if it’s just a light frost, they’re fine outside as long as they’re covered. And they definitely prefer cooler weather than hot.

      And yes, keep them wet! Baby seedlings dry out and die quickly.

  2. Hi, my rucola seeds keep slimy and i cannot drain them enough. They block the drainage. Why? thanks for you advice. Elfie

  3. Hi, I tried sprouting broccoli 2 times, 2 different ways and by the third day they smell so bad I have had to throw them out. They also seem to loose the bright green color. What am I doing wrong?

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