Broccoli sprout are absolutely one of the world’s healthiest foods. I recently did a post on some of the top cancer fighting foods, and without a doubt, broccoli sprouts top that list. These baby broccoli plants are loaded with sulforaphane, which has amazing anti-cancer properties. Did you know that a cup of broccoli sprouts has up to 100 times more sulforaphane than a cup of mature broccoli florets?! These little sprouts pack a punch.
They are so easy to grow at home, which makes them much cheaper and fresher than the ones you’d buy at the grocery store.
You should be able to find a packet of seeds at your local health food store. My local store sells these broccoli sprouting seeds from High Mowing Organic Seeds, so those are the ones that I use. But you can also find high quality seeds online, like this bag of heirloom seeds on Amazon.*
There are two methods I’ve used for growing my own broccoli sprouts: 1) grown in a tray of soil, and 2) grown in a mason jar using only water. I’ve definitely come to prefer the later. While the ones grown in the tray of soil looked beautiful, tasted great, and grew fast, there was a lot of waste because I cut them at the soil line, which left a lot remaining behind in the stem and root. So more recently, I’ve been using the mason jar method, which has been easier and cleaner.
How I grow broccoli sprouts at home
What you’ll need:
- A wide mouth mason jar with a mesh/sprouting lid (like this set*).
- A packet/bag of broccoli sprouting seeds.
- Water.
Directions:
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of seeds to the mason jar. (If your’e using a 16 oz size jar, 2 tablespoons should be good. If you’re using a 32 oz jar, 3 tablespoons will work. If you sprout too many seeds at once, they’ll be hard to get out of the jar once they’ve developed.)
- Add enough water to the jar so that all the seeds are completely submerged. This will activate the seeds.
- Cover the jar with the sprouting lid, and place in a dark cabinet for 8-12 hours (overnight).
- After 12(ish) hours, drain the water from the jar. Give them a good rinse by filling the jar about 1/4 of the way with fresh water, swish the seeds around, and drain again. Make sure the jar is well drained (the seeds should be wet, but no longer sitting in water), and place back in the dark cabinet.
- Rinse the seeds twice a day (morning and night). Don’t skip rinsing them twice daily… you don’t want to allow mold growth.
- After about 4-5 days, once the spouts have some length, I take them out of the cabinet and place them near a kitchen window, which allows them to develop the chlorophyll and turn green.
- After the 5th day, they’re good to eat. Give them another good rinse and enjoy.
They should stay fresh in the fridge for about 5 days (I still always rinse them before eating).
*Note: During the growing process, you may notice tiny white hairs (resembling fuzz) develop on the root of the sprouts. This is normal. They are called “root hairs,” which reach out for more water. You should notice them disappear once you water/rinse them.
Whichever way you choose to grow your broccoli sprouts, just get started, and get these babies into your diet!
My favorite way to eat broccoli sprouts
While it’s easy to sneak broccoli sprouts into fresh juice or smoothies, my favorite way to enjoy them is on a sandwich or mixed into a salad. Ninety percent of the time, my breakfast consists of an egg, half an avocado, and a handful of broccoli sprouts on sourdough bread with everything bagel seasoning and a squeeze of lemon. It’s delicious and I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of it.
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