Sprout glass: grow your own sprouts in the glass

Sprouts can be easily grown in the glass with little effort. You can find out how cultivation in sprouting glass works here.

Who sprouts grows in the glass itself, can enjoy its own harvest after just a few days. The small seedlings are not only quick and easy to cultivate, but also contain many vitamins, minerals and fiber. Growing sprouts at home doesn't require a lot of space or accessories. Cultivation in so-called sprout or seed glass is particularly easy. In the next sections you will find exactly what that is, tips for building your own and instructions for cultivating sprouts in jars.

When can you put on a sprouting glass?

Sprouts are usually grown directly in the kitchen and are therefore independent of the weather. Therefore, at any time of the year, you can use the

drawing sprouts start in the glass. Especially in winter, when the selection of fresh vegetables is more limited, aromatic sprouts are a delicious addition to soups, spreads or salads.

Tip: The supermarket shelves are full all year round – but where do the vegetables actually come from? Many consumers are again trying to eat more seasonally instead of promoting blueberries from Peru and asparagus from Egypt. With an always valid seasonal calendar like ours Plantura seasonal calendar for fruit and vegetables you can see at a glance which vegetables can currently be bought without pangs of conscience. You might then find that when you're consuming something sustainably, there's actually less choice in winter. Sprouts are then a valuable addition.

Which sprouts are suitable for a sprouting glass?

If you want to grow sprouts, you are spoiled for choice - because you can use the seeds of a wide variety of vegetables, cereals and legumes for cultivation. The germination time, the taste and the size of the sprouts vary depending on the variety. We have put together a table with particularly well-suited types of sprout glasses.

sprout type	Soaking time in hours	Germination time in days	taste and use
alfalfa (Medicago sativa)	6 – 8	7 – 8	Mildly tart and nutty; bread toppings or in salads
azuki bean (vigna angularis)	6 – 8	3 – 5	Blanch briefly before use; for example in Asian rice dishes
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)	8	2 – 3	Becomes bitter if germinated too long; Taste reminiscent of curry
brown millet (Panicum miliaceum)	4 – 8	2 – 3	Suitable, for example, for muesli and salads
Peas (Pisum sativum)	10 – 12	3 - 4	Use only when heated; can be used like regular peas
fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)	10	8 – 12	Slightly milder than the seeds; go well with fish dishes or in soups and salads
Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum)	12 – 18	3	Slightly nutty; Blanch briefly before further use
Lenses (Lens)	12	3 – 4	nutty; good in salads
mung beans (Vigna radiata)	12	4 – 5	taste sweet; good in Asian dishes
radishes (Raphanus sativus var. sativus)	6 – 8	4 – 6	hot-spicy; Salads, dips, spreads
radish (Raphanus sativus)	6 – 8	4 – 6	Just as hot and spicy; suitable for salads, dips, spreads
Beetroot (Beta vulgaris)	8	4 – 6	Red color; taste slightly earthy; good in salads and in sprout mixes
Soybean (Glycine max)	15	4 – 5	Blanch before use; good in wok dishes and soups
sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus)	2 – 4	1 – 3	Taste mildly nutty

Almost every type of sprout can be cultivated in the sprout glass. However, so-called "slime-forming" seeds are not so well suited. These include, for example, cress (Lepidium sativum), rocket (Eruca sativa), chia (Salvia hispanica) or linseed (Linum usitatissimum). Since they lie densely together in a sprout jar and can stick to each other, they start to rot faster. A flat seed tray is better suited for these seeds.

Problems can also arise with grain seeds, since 100% germination capacity is usually not guaranteed here and some of the seeds may begin to mold.

With sprouting jars with larger holes in the lid, on the other hand, it can happen that small seeds are simply washed out of the jar. Therefore test, for example, with seeds for Broccoli Sprouts (Brassica oleracea) first, whether the holes are small enough and otherwise switch to a germination bowl.

Nevertheless, there is still a large selection of sprout seeds left for the sprout glass. How about, for example, chickpea, lentil, radish or soybean sprouts in a glass?

A notice: Legume sprouts, such as chickpeas, must be blanched before consumption as they contain substances that are inedible or indigestible when raw.

The right sprouting glass

A germination glass for sprouts is a normal glass with a height of about 15 cm. With the glass you get the matching lid, which has small holes or a sieve insert. This is important so that the irrigation water can drain off and enough air can circulate through the glass. In addition, there is often a so-called adjusting device that holds the glass in an inclined position and ensures that excess water can drain off directly. Germination jars for sprouts come with lids and holders made of plastic or metal.

Tip: Make your own sprout glass
If you want to save money or like to do handicrafts, you can easily make a sprouting jar yourself. All you need is a large jar, such as a 500-750ml mason jar capacity, 1 to 2 household elastics and to cover a waterproof material with holes, for example a fly screen. This is trimmed to fit generously over the glass opening. Then you can fix the material with household rubber bands. Either a flat bowl or a dish drainer is used for the inclined position.

Instructions: Grow sprouts in the glass

Growing sprouts yourself in a jar is not difficult and the way to the finished seedlings only takes a few steps.

• First, put 2-3 tablespoons of seeds in a colander and rinse under running water. After that, the seeds are placed in the germination jar and covered with water.
• Now the seeds have to soak for about 10 hours. This process is carried out with almost all types of sprout, only a few exceptions such as cress or flax do not need to be soaked. After the soaking time, the water is poured off and non-swollen seeds can be sorted out. The water is great for watering other plants. Now the glass is tilted so that the remaining water can drip off.
• In order to create ideal germination conditions, it is best to place your sprout glass near a window, but without direct sunlight. The temperature should be between 18 and 22 °C.

The right care

There is only one important care measure to ensure that the sprout germination is a complete success: daily rinsing. Clean your sprouts in the jar morning and evening with fresh water and then set the Drain glass back into holder - this will prevent the formation of bacteria or mold prevented.

You can also take a quick look at your sprouts in the germination jar while rinsing. If you discover mold or a musty smell, it is better to start the germination process all over again. Because the moist, warm environment in the sprout glass is ideal for the development of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms that are potentially toxic to us. Studies have shown that sprouts that are too old and packaged are high in germs - which is another reason to simply grow your own sprouts and eat them fresh.

A notice: Some types of sprouts, such as radishes or radishes, have a kind of white down on their fibrous root that is easily mistaken for mold. However, these are fine roots that are completely natural and nothing to worry about.

When are sprouts ready to harvest?

Depending on the germination time of the sprouts, you can harvest after 3 to 4 days. If you don't use all the sprouts right away, it's possible to keep them in a jar in the fridge for a few days. Before starting a new germination cycle, it is important to thoroughly clean the germination jar with hot water.

A trend that ultimately also involves the cultivation of sprouts are the so-called microgreens. As Grow your own microgreens you can find out in a separate article.