Growing alfalfa sprouts at home is something that can make a huge difference in the nutrition level of your healthy eating plan. Top that off with being really easy, and it’s hard to argue against everyone having alfalfa growing on their windowsills.
Well, there’s always an exception to the rule of course. Even with really highly nutritious foods, there are some situations and people who actually shouldn’t eat them. Alfalfa has an amino acid called canavanine that can aggravate inflammation.
For people with arthritis or other inflammatory diseases (like lupus), eating alfalfa sprouts can make things worse.
But for most of us, sprouts are a tiny little powerhouse of nutrients. Growing them at home means that they’re as fresh as possible, and have the maximum amount of nutrients. Plus they’re so much cheaper than buying them at the store.
There are just a few simple steps to growing alfalfa sprouts.
- Soaking. Take a tablespoon or two of sprout seeds and put them in a mason jar or sprouter with about half a cup of filtered water. You don’t really want them absorbing chlorine or other toxins, right? They should soak for 4-6 hours, then drain them.
- Sprouting. Make sure your sprouts have some air flow, so they shouldn’t all be in one wet clump at the bottom of your jar. Put them in a cupboard, or some place dark and room temperature, for 2 days or until they sprout little white tails. They’ll sprout faster in warmer weather, but they’re also more prone to rotting so keep a closer eye on them in the summer.
- Rinsing. From the time you drain your sprouts until you finish eating them, rinse them at least twice a day. They need a bit of moisture to grow, and they can rot or dry out if you don’t rinse them enough.
- Greening. After 2 days in the dark, move your sprouts to some place with sun. Your windowsill is perfect, but they don’t need direct sunlight. The tails will grow little tiny leaves and turn green as they photosynthesize light into chlorophyll.
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Keep rinsing them through the greening phase, and as soon as they start to turn green you can start to eat them. They’ll keep growing as you take them out of the jar – and sometimes you need to make room for them if they overcrowd the jar. Just 2 tablespoons of alfalfa seeds can fill an entire liter mason jar.
There are sprouting containers that you can buy instead of using a mason jar. They tend to have better drainage, and might be a bit bigger, but the mason jars work just fine. Tie or elasticize a piece of mesh or cheesecloth on the top of the jar for easy rinsing and drainage, and to keep the fruit flies out.
If you need some help figuring out how to incorporate them into your meals, this healthy meal plan program will show you exactly how to do that.
For more info aobut the amazing nutritional benefits of alfalfa sprouts, an awesome video, and some delicious recipe ideas, check out this article on Be Healthy Today Alfalfa Plant: Everything You Need to Know about This Superfood
