I don’t have a green thumb at all, but growing broccoli sprouts on my kitchen counter is a technique I’ve mastered! Once you have the right tools, you’ll see how easy and budget-friendly it is to grow these cancer-fighting powerhouses at home.
My interest in growing broccoli sprouts started back in 2012 with this 2-minute video from NutritionFacts.org. The title is “Biggest Nutrition Bang for Your Buck” where Dr. Michael Greger states that “growing your own broccoli sprouts is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve one’s diet.” Wowsa! How could this admitted health-food junkie pass on a statement like that?
Dr. Greger advises to use a Mason jar with a strainer lid to grow the sprouts, but I’ve tested a few different methods. One way is to use a Victorio sprouter (updated with BPA-free plastic and 4 trays).
The sprouter kit came with alfalfa seeds, but I passed on those and used broccoli seeds from my friends at NOW Foods:
I am so mechanically un-inclined that I was a little nervous about screwing up the sprouter, but it really wasn’t that hard to figure out and the guide from Victorio was very helpful and easy to follow. I soaked my seeds overnight in a bowl of water and strained them before placing a tablespoon of the seeds on each tray:
The directions have you “washing” the seeds twice a day. Using the sprouter, that simply means to pour more fresh water into the top tray and let it siphon down to the bottom reservoir (you will see how this works if you have your own. It’s easy: I promise!). I was like a kid doing my first science experiment when I discovered the seeds actually sprouted the next day:
I think it might take up to 5 days to get fully-grown sprouts, but here’s how they looked this morning after 48 hours:
All up close and personal:
I moved them to a slightly lighter part of the kitchen to see if that helps along the process, although the directions say they shouldn’t be in direct sunlight. Also, you should know that the little fuzzy parts of the sprouts are TOTALLY NORMAL. They’re micro “hairs” meant to help draw moisture into the sprout, and it’s not mold. That said, you should let your nose tell you if your sprouts have gone moldy. Any kind of sour smell is not normal and means that they’re probably not safe to eat. I’ve only had this happen once in about fifty times, but it can happen.
Items recommended for growing broccoli sprouts (affiliate links included):
- Victoria 4-tray sprouter OR this BPA-free single container sprouter with the insert for broccoli seeds
- if you prefer glass over plastic, you can try this jar with a stainless steel strainer lid
- NOW organic broccoli sprouting seeds
Recipes using broccoli sprouts:
- Broccoli sprout smoothie, recently updated!
- Chickpea flour omelet topped with broccoli sprouts
Here’s my printable instruction sheet:
Print
How to Grow Broccoli Sprouts
Prep Time: 12 hours- Cook Time: 5 days
- Total Time: 12 hours
Yield: 1 cup
Category: Side dish
Method: Sprouting
Cuisine: Raw food
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
An easy instruction guide for growing broccoli sprouts on your kitchen countertop.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons broccoli seeds
Instructions
- Place the broccoli seeds in a small bowl and cover with filtered water. Let sit for 12-24 hours.
- Rinse the seeds in a fine-mesh strainer and place in your preferred sprouting jar or trays.
- Place the sprouting device in a dark cupboard or pantry for the first 3 days, rinsing every 8-12 hours.
- Once the seeds have sprouted, you can move the jar out of the dark area, but not in full sun. Continue to rinse the sprouts ever 8-12 hours.
- Let the sprouts mature until they are about 2 inches in length. Give them one final rinse in a mesh strainer before consuming. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days after harvesting.
For my friends who have been reading my blog for awhile, you might recognize this post from 2012. I updated it with a few tweaks, so I hope it’s even more useful. Happy sprouting!
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Hi Carrie,
I thought I’d describe what I’m doing as another newbie sprout grower. I am using a different container for growing my broccoli sprouts. I didn’t want to invest in special trays until I know that I’ll continue growing sprouts, so I used a quart mason jar with a mesh screen lid and plastic ring to avoid rust. I got a set of three different size mesh screen lids and the plastic ring from The Sprout People, where I also purchased organic broccoli sprout seeds. The screen lid allows you to drain off the rinse water (very important I understand) while not losing any seeds. You move to a large size mesh lid as the sprouts grow. So far so good. I had a reaction similar to yours when I saw actual sprouts growing, except I was like a kid back in preschool. It reminded me of growing something (possible pansies for Mother’s Day) in half-pint milk cartons. It was so exciting when the plant emerged and now it’s exciting the see the little sprout ends poking out of the seeds.
Hi Susan! Thanks for describing your process. I’m also glad I’m not the only one who gets giddy when I actually grow something. 🙂 I can’t wait to eat my sprouts, but I think I have at least another day to go.
Hi! Love your site! Can you tell me more about your hydroponic lettuce? How did you start it and what is maintainenece like? Thanks!
Hi Shaeleen! I should have said that my hydroponic greens came from the farmers’ market, I wouldn’t have the faintest idea how to grow something that complicated. 🙂
Carrie,
I have been using a Victorio sprouter for 3 months for both alfalfa sprouts and it works wonderfully for small seeds, mainly alfalfa and broccoli. I have learned that rotating the dishes, bring the bottom one up to the top produces higher yields. Also leaving the top lid ajar while draining facilitates draining. Finally, keep a safety pin or push in handy to dislodge seeds that get caught in the drain holes.
My Victorio constantly outperforms my Easy Sprouter for small seeds when I use the techniques I describe above. An added benefit is because unlike the Easy Sprouter which is transluscent, the Victorio is transparent. So it greens as it grows instead of coming out yellow and having to wait longer to green it in the sun. I love my Victorio.
Angry Red Face 🙂
If I do it properly, my broccoli seed sprouting rates increase from 50-60 percent in an Easy Sprouter to 80 to 90 percent with a Victorio.
Poor sprouting rates have less to do with the seed source than making contact with water. An Easy Sprouter is conical (a cone) shape. Surface seed and side seed gets the water. The underseed misses it and doesn’t germinate (note use a fork to agitate seed exposure if you have an Easy Sprouter and want to increase germination rates). So getting the water to the seed is critical. And sometimes that doesn’t occur in a sprouter. Victorio has more surface area per counter space than an Easy Sprouter or Mason Jar. One more thing on the Victorio is not to overload the tray. Manufacturer recommends no more than 1/2 tablespoon per tray. I have had success at 3/4 to 1 tablespoon per tray provided I rotate the trays with each soak.
Paul (aka Angry Red Face)
Hi Paul, nice to hear from you! Thanks for the awesome info on sprouting, I am having a lot of fun with it so far. I am going to rotate my trays in my Victorio sprouter as you suggested. So far, I am getting a pretty good yield and I can’t WAIT to eat them!!!
Hi Carrie,
this is my first time trying to grow sprouts in my kitchen,
I bought the Victorio sprouter and Organic Crimson Clover Seed, Organic Red Radish Seed, Organic Alfalfa Seed ,
I am wondering is it normal to have white fuzzy hairs growing, this is day four and it looks kinda odd. I have followed your instructions and soaked the seeds the night before putting them in the trays, so am I on the right track with the way they look now?
Candice, yes! The fuzzy white part is totally normal. Just make sure the sprouts don’t smell “funky” and give them a good rinse before you eat them. Enjoy!!!
Hilarious. Your pressure cooker can come hang out with my pressure cooker in the cabinet. If I had a sprouter, would it end up there too? I hope not! I have wanted one for a long time and yours looks awesome! I think I will be going to Amazon right now . . .
I have loved all sprouts that I have eaten, except for the broccoli sprout. I don’t know why, but the taste is just odd to me. I will start with the alfalfa!
Hi Wendy! I just tested my new pressure cooker using water so I guess it’s not destined for the cabinet, at least not yet. 🙂 I am such a sucker for kitchen gadgets (could you tell?) but I am forcing myself to actually use them. The hard part for me is getting past the hump of worrying I will break something if I don’t know how to use it. Also, the pressure cooker has an element of fear involved. Check back tomorrow to see if I survive cooking with it tonight, ha ha.
Pressure cookers are wonderful! My mother used one, so I used one. New England boiled dinner with cabbage, carrots, onion, potatoes and ham is the BEST. Also I cook my artichokes in it and we do many other family favorites.
I watched that too! I have been meaning to get a few more sprouters so I could start one every two days to keep up a fresh crop and have a variety ( I was thinking each of my kids could have one with their name). I love a veggie sandwich with about 3 inches of sprouts and I have put them in my green smootie too. The jars have worked well for me but I would like something with more circulation that takes up little space, like The Easy Sprouter at Sprout People.
Something I am trying that you might like- celery! When you buy celery just cut the bottom at about 2 inches or so and soak it in some water for a while and stick it in a pot! So far I have 3 growing on the table outside so the bunnies don’t get them. The middle just starts to grow into new celery-it’s so cute! Green onions can do the same thing, I have about 8 little guys who have grown 6 inches already! I read this in some comments on a frugal site and gave it a try since I eat wo much celery!
*so
sorry for so much exclaiming. sheesh
Hi Shanna! I love the idea of getting kids involved with sprouting and letting them have their own jar! Your veggie sandwich sounds great, too, I might have to make one of those ASAP. Thanks for the referral to Sprout People, I bookmarked that site for any future purchases, it looks really cool. Lastly, I had no idea that one could grow celery or onions from existing plants. I am game for growing anything that doesn’t require soil! Thanks again! Carrie 🙂
Oops! Put them in a pot of soil after a little soak in water. Mine are just in a small (8in) flower pot.
The Sprout People site has VOLUMES of info. I got trapped in it for about 2 hours once.
Hi Shanna! Thanks for the info, I suppose I could handle the upkeep of a flower pot. 🙂 I’ll watch out for the time trap of the Sprout People site.
Good luck!!
I bought some broccoli sprouts at Whole Foods, but keep forgetting I have them lol. I also have been forgetting to put beans in my salads and stirfry’s. I think I need to post some notes for myself now that I am eating healthier!!
Hi Robyn, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve finished a meal and realized I forgot to add an ingredient. The only way I combat this from happening is to lay out all of my ingredients before I start cooking. But, even then I sometimes forget to add something. 🙂
Wow, I’ve just discovered your website and can’t stop reading! You write about everything I’m currently trying to find out about. Thanks for this article. I’ve just bought myself a sprouter and some seeds but they were quite expensive for the size of the packet. (Based in the UK) I didn’t realise Broccoli sprouts were so good for you and so cheap too, so I’m off to order some now.
I always add seeds to my Green Thickies (Green Smoothies with oats and seeds/nuts) to make them into a complete meal and this is a way to make them so much healthier. I don’t have much time as I’ve got a baby too, but I’m finding sprouts very easy to manage. Many thanks for all the great tips.
Cool banana Carrie,
Thanks for sharing your goodness.
Mike (here I go sprouting!)
I bought a Victorio sprouter and it didn’t work right. Before I did several times beans, alfalfa, lentils, using a Pyrex, soaking for 2 days and later just splashing water 2/3 times a day in very little amounts, should say drops, Always worked.
My seeds after 6 days in the sprouter smelled so bad I through everything in the trash can. Could it be the plastic?
Good question! Maybe try calling the company to troubleshoot?
Hi,
Wondering why my broccoli sprouts are stinking so much? The smell is horrible in the sprouting process. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks
It sounds like they have mildewed…maybe you are in too humid of an environment right now? They should not smell bad at all, so I suggest trying again in dryer months.
Hi Carrie!
I follow you on Facebook and so glad that I did. I practice a healthy diet not so long ago (a year, baby step) and feel wonderful . This broccoli sprouting will be something I look forward to do soon. Thank you for keep giving great ideas to make healthy food. Tempeh taco who would’ve thought right 🙂
Yay, Alice! So great to hear from you and congrats on your baby and big steps. Sprouting is pretty fun, and now that the weather is cooler, it’s easier to do and not have to worry about mildew. Good luck! LMK what other successes you have. XO.
Hello Carrie and fellow sprouters 🙂
Just 3 years later, that same Dr Gregor video prompted me to sprout broccoli seeds, a departure from the alfalfa, aduki, garbanzo, lentil and mung beans my 3 tier sprouter has had in constant rotation for the last 6 months since I *discovered* sprouting.
The pictures you posted were very helpful to me, as after 3 days I was concerned to see a fluffy white growth on the sprout tails of the broccoli seeds, something I’d not seen on any of my previous sprouts. Looks like this is however “normal” and okay. I have consumed said sprouts and . . . . . they were very nice, and just possibly very good for both me and my microbiota 🙂
Picture of the happy sprouts !
http://s16.postimg.org/9p4b34dth/IMG_20160111_184152.jpg
I’m quite happy to be only 3 years or so behind the trend if the trend. So much good food stuff starts in California, right? I’d best stick around and browse other things you’ve written 🙂
Awesome, thanks for the comment and picture, Ben! Glad to hear this post helped inspire a new kind of sprouting for ‘ya. Enjoy!!! 🙂
Gosh that is so easy! And I know the sprouts are loaded with minerals and nutrients! Thank you for the great tutorial!
You’re so welcome, Renee! It is surprisingly easy to sprout broccoli seeds!
I started growing my own sprouts as well and I love it! I seriously put them in everything. It’s so much fun and feels good knowing I’m growing my own food in a small way.
I really need to start growing my own sprouts – especially after seeing how easy it looks via your post!
I love sprouts and used to do it myself. I need to get back into it.
I really need to try growing sprouts, my parents did it for a while when I was growing up but somehow I never learned – no excuses though I’d better get going! 🙂
That’s awesome, Kari! Your parents must have been really health-minded. XO!
WOw ! didn’t realize it’s so easy to grow broccoli sprouts ! Thanks for sharing the article.
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You’re so welcome!!! XOXO.
This sounds and looks so easy for being so healthy!
I have never grown my own but have heard it’s so easy to do. Thanks for sharing the how to!
You’re so welcome, Emily!!!
That’s super cool!! I love getting sciencey in the kitchen!
Me too, Cristina! Sprouting definitely feels like a little science project. 🙂
So so so easy! And sprouts are a wonderful, nutrient-dense food that goes beautifully on top of everything from tacos, to soups and eggs!
I am excited to try this, and the texture it will add to dishes!!
Thanks for the great instruction! I’d like to grow more of my own food!
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Thanks, Darryl! I love growing my own food, too. Or, at least a little bit of my own food. 🙂
I bought some broccoli sprouts recently but they’re really expensive for a little tray of them from the supermarket. This is such useful info – will have a go and make them myself. Thanks for a great post.
Right, Jo!? They’re sooooo expensive at the store or the farmers’ market. They’re so easy to grow too! Enjoy!
This is so cool! Would love to try it.