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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Recipes

    Sprouting Broccoli Seeds: Broccoli Sprouts "Recipe"

    By: Summer Yule · This post may contain affiliate links. · 27 Comments

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    ↓ RECIPE ↓ VIDEO
    How to make broccoli sprouts Pinterest image
    grow broccoli seeds indoors
    sprouting broccoli seeds

    Don’t have a green thumb? Follow this tutorial for sprouting broccoli seeds, and you’ll have a verdant mini garden in no time. It only takes a few days for broccoli seeds to grow into edible broccoli sprouts. All you need is the seeds, a canning jar, cheesecloth, and water. This is a great project to do with kids and an easy way to get more veggies into your diet in the winter!

    sprouting broccoli seeds

    The sprouts you see in these pictures had some pretty serious disadvantages in their growing environment. For one, though it is winter and the house I live in is passive solar, large trees block much of the sun. Even in our sunniest kitchen window, these sprouts had to grow primarily in the shade.

    Second, it is currently the middle of winter where I live in the northeast region of the United States. It is cold, and the old windows are a bit drafty. Additionally, we turn the heat down in the rooms that are not bedrooms overnight to conserve energy (and save money).

    I realized as an afterthought that I could have moved the sprouts to a bedroom each night to keep them warmer. They might have sprouted a wee bit faster if I had chosen to do so. Luckily, keeping them in the kitchen ended up working out just fine.

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    Anyway, my point is that you don’t need to have perfect growing conditions when sprouting broccoli seeds. I’m pretty sure that broccoli sprouts are one of the most forgiving plants you can grow. Just pick up a packet of the super tiny seeds, get a canning jar and some cheesecloth, and you’re ready.

    Broccoli sprout seed
    One broccoli sprout seed

    What are some health benefits of broccoli sprouts?

    Sometimes I hesitate to go into depth on the benefits of foods. Some seem to tend to grab onto the “magical” properties of certain foods. They start eating the “good” foods in large amounts, at the expense of including other beneficial foods.

    I’d definitely classify broccoli sprouts as a health-promoting food. However, that doesn’t mean that I’d reduce the variety of other veggies in my diet to include primarily sprouts.

    Nutrition is still a fairly young science, and there is a lot we don’t know. In my opinion, it is better to hedge your bets by eating a large variety of whole foods. That way, if a food is not as great as hypothesized, it was only a small piece of the overall dietary pattern.

    That said, broccoli sprouts offer an advantage over mature broccoli plants in that they may contain 10-100 times more glucoraphanin. Glucoraphanin is a precursor of sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate in cruciferous vegetables that is linked to a reduced risk of certain types of cancer. That’s a pretty good reason to get some cruciferous veggies into the diet, if you ask me.

    If you think you can just take a broccoli supplement and get the same benefits as consuming broccoli sprouts, think again. The bioavailability of sulforaphane was found to be “dramatically lower” in individuals supplementing instead of eating fresh sprouts. As is often the story in nutrition, whole foods have won out over supplements.

    The study I linked to above comparing the glucoraphanin content of sprouts versus mature broccoli looked at 3-day old sprouts. I like these sprouts best when they grow green leaves, which took 6-7 days. If you are growing sprouts purely for the potential health benefits, it may be better to stop the sprouting process sooner.

    The disclaimer…

    All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.

    The calorie information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.

    For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to this post. Let’s get cooking!

    Like this recipe?Leave a rating by clicking the ⭐ below!
    How to make broccoli sprouts square image

    Sprouting Broccoli Seeds: Broccoli Sprouts "Recipe"

    Summer Yule
    Don’t have a green thumb? Follow this easy tutorial for how to grow broccoli sprouts, and you’ll have a verdant mini garden in under a week!
    5 from 8 votes
    Rate Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Growing Time 7 d
    Total Time 7 d 10 mins
    Course Slow Food DIY
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16
    Calories 10 kcal

    Equipment

    Wide-Mouth Quart Jar
    Cheesecloth

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons broccoli seeds (Buy from Burpee or get broccoli seeds here)
    • water
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Day 1: Put the seeds in a quart-size wide-mouth canning jar. Fill the jar up to the neck with lukewarm water. Cover the top of the jar with a double layer of cheesecloth that has been secured by the jar rim. Let the seeds soak overnight.
      Broccoli sprout seeds in water
    • Day 2: In the morning, drain all of the water out of the jar through the cheesecloth (so that you do not lose the seeds). Put more water into the jar (through the cheesecloth is fine) and drain it well again. Let the drained and covered jar rest on its side in a sunny windowsill. (If it's not very sunny, that's OK too.)
    • In the evening, add water to the jar again and drain it well again. There is no need to remove the jar rim and cheesecloth until the sprouts are fully grown. Lay the well-drained jar back on its side on the windowsill.
    • Days 3-6: Each morning and evening, repeat the rinsing and draining procedure from day 2. After rinsing and thoroughly draining, the seeds should be placed back on the windowsill on their side. (Day 1 is the only day the seeds are soaked.)
    • The seeds will sprout little tails and then (after a few more days) a pair of green leaves. I let them grow until they completely fill the jar, as shown. You could stop the sprouting process earlier than this if desired.
    • Day 7: On the morning of day 7, the jar was well-packed with sprouts, as shown. I removed the jar rim and cheesecloth and popped the jar in the fridge. Ideally, they should be used within a day or two.
      How to make broccoli sprouts
    • I yielded 4 cups of sprouts but your yield will vary depending on the growing conditions and how long you let them grow.
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    Video

    Notes

    This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Broccoli sprouts are essentially a leafy green, so of course, they are a low-calorie food. They add a peppery flavor to salads, sandwiches, tacos, or whatever else you’d like to throw them on. I’ve even seen folks blend them into smoothies!
    Important: There is an elevated risk of foodborne illness with raw and lightly cooked sprouts. It is recommended that certain groups avoid raw sprouts:
    • Pregnant women
    • Children
    • Older adults
    • Immunocompromised persons
    You can cook broccoli sprouts by adding them to an Instant Pot Stir Fry or maybe this Instant Pot Italian Sausage Soup.
    Broccoli sprouts can be difficult to find in stores as they don’t stay fresh for long. I’d say that growing them yourself is the way to go.

    How much broccoli sprouts should you eat per day?

    In most studies I've seen linking health benefits to broccoli sprout consumption, participants ate 2-4 ounces per day (57-113 grams). In general, you don't want to eat so many broccoli sprouts they crowd out other healthy foods from your diet.
    sprouted-broccoli-recipe

    Nutrition

    Calories: 10kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFiber: 1gVitamin A: 7% DVVitamin C: 21% DVCalcium: 2% DVIron: 1% DV
    Keywords broccoli, broccoli sprouts, broccoli sprouts recipe, gluten-free, how to make broccoli sprouts, low-calorie, low-carb, slow food, sprouting, sprouting broccoli seeds, sprouts, vegan, vegetarian
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    What are some of your favorite ways to incorporate sprouts into your meals? Feel free to send me your favorite broccoli sprouts recipe; I have an overabundance of sprouting broccoli seeds at the moment. Thank you!

    This how-to recipe has been updated from 2020 with a recipe video and new photos. Happy indoor gardening!

    broccoli-sprouts

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lajo Gupta says

      December 11, 2022 at 1:32 pm

      5 stars
      Brilliant

      Reply
    2. Kp says

      August 29, 2022 at 7:41 am

      I followed this recipe and mine smelled so bad that I almost threw up. I ended up throwing them away. What did I do wrong?

      Reply
      • Summer Yule says

        August 29, 2022 at 4:50 pm

        Oh no! Were they drained thoroughly with each rinse? You don't want water pooling under the seeds. Also, you want to keep them around 70F in an area without too much humidity so they don't rot. I live in the northeast US; certain environments aren't the best places for this project in the summer (thinking of my family in Florida, for example). Just a warning- broccoli sprouts do smell like strong broccoli! I'm assuming what you were smelling indicated they went bad vs something more normal.

        Reply
    3. Susan says

      August 06, 2022 at 3:47 pm

      Dear Summeryule,

      Different sources have said to put in dark pantry for best germination, then in sun to green up on last day. I am striving for best/most germination of my seeds.
      What should I do? SRW

      Reply
      • Summer Yule says

        August 06, 2022 at 7:57 pm

        Hi Susan, that's a great question! My current understanding is that the temperature matters more than the light for best germination. I've noticed my seeds do best at around 70F. I tend to keep my home cooler than this in winter, and the seeds take a little longer to get going. The seeds definitely don't need light to germinate, but I usually keep them on a windowsill in indirect sun and they do great. Thank you for visiting 🙂 Summer

        Reply
    4. Kate says

      May 24, 2022 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      Easy peasy!

      Reply
      • Summer Yule says

        May 25, 2022 at 3:03 pm

        😀

        Reply
    5. Cynthia says

      November 28, 2021 at 9:32 pm

      I read that if you put 1/2 tsp. of powdered acetic acid (aka Vitamin C) into the water, the sprouts won't develop mold or bacteria. Wonder if some lemon juice would also work?
      Guess I'll try it and see!

      Reply
      • Summer Yule says

        November 29, 2021 at 11:16 pm

        Hi Cynthia! Acetic acid is vinegar- I've read that it can essentially disinfect the seeds, but I've never tried it. I'd love to hear how it works out for you! Thank you for visiting and for the tip 🙂

        Reply
    6. France lavergne says

      November 21, 2021 at 1:06 pm

      Hi!
      Can you please tell me what is better, planting in dirt or putting the grains in water?
      And what is the difference between grains and micro grains?
      Love your website!

      Reply
      • Summer Yule says

        November 21, 2021 at 2:38 pm

        Hi France, great questions! If you want broccoli microgreens (which are bigger than sprouts), you'd plant the seeds in soil. These soil-less growing directions are for the smaller broccoli sprouts. Which is better depends on what you want! Greens are simply mature versions of microgreens. If you're interested in growing microgreens, you can do it with broccoli seeds, or here's some directions for growing corn microgreens that might interest you: https://summeryule.com/how-do-you-grow-popcorn-greens/

        Thanks so much for visiting 🙂

        Reply
    7. Yen says

      August 23, 2021 at 11:55 pm

      Does it really have to be lukewarm water to be used for soaking? Thanks

      Reply
      • Summer Yule says

        August 24, 2021 at 9:39 am

        Hello! You can soak seeds in cool water, but if they're too cold they won't germinate after draining. Hope that helps, and thank you for visiting!

        Reply
    8. Amanda says

      April 01, 2021 at 5:13 pm

      5 stars
      Love it. Other sources and the instructions on my seeds actually say to cover the jar and keep it out of the sun until maybe the last day, the more sun makes them more bitter. So cool that they don't even need sun!

      Reply
      • Summer Yule says

        April 03, 2021 at 12:15 am

        I tried growing popcorn kernels mostly without sun and they grew well, so I'm not surprised this works! Really neat tip!

        Reply
    9. Will says

      February 27, 2021 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      It's best to fill a large bowl with water and put all the sprouts in the water and give it a few swirls. This helps to remove any seeds that have not sprouted and seed coverings. Separate the sprouts and put them back in the glass container. You might have to do this one more time. When there ready I use a salad spinner.

      Reply
      • Summer Yule says

        February 27, 2021 at 11:30 am

        Hi Will, great tips! I haven't tried throwing them in the salad spinner, but now I will. 🙂 Thanks for dropping in!

        Reply
    10. Mary Whitney says

      January 05, 2021 at 12:04 pm

      Why isn’t it good for elderly people

      Reply
      • Summer Yule says

        January 05, 2021 at 6:35 pm

        Hi Mary, great question! Raw sprouts carry a higher risk for making people sick from foodborne illness compared to other fresh produce because of the damp and humid conditions they grow in. Groups of people who are more likely to get seriously sick from food poisoning need to be especially careful. This includes folks ages 65 and older. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/people-at-risk-food-poisoning.html Hope that helps 🙂

        Reply
    11. ปั้มไลค์ says

      June 22, 2020 at 12:58 pm

      5 stars
      Like!! Thank you for publishing this awesome article.

      Reply
      • Summer Yule says

        June 22, 2020 at 9:06 pm

        Thank you for dropping in and letting me know what you think! 🙂

        Reply
    12. floridafuntimes says

      February 22, 2020 at 7:51 am

      Sprouting and a raw food diet is popular now for pet birds. Check out C4AW.org. I am providing this for our parrot. One of my wordpress posts show a picture of him. I posted a video of him on Instagram where my name is inboxcouponsetc. You will see that sprouts and his other foods are keeping him strong!

      Reply
      • NORMAND SAVOIE says

        April 09, 2020 at 11:24 am

        I always knew the same principles of health and nutrition would work just as good on pets as it does on humans. Good job Summer !

        Reply
        • floridafuntimes says

          April 09, 2020 at 11:29 am

          I am floridafuntimes on WordPress and inboxcouponsetc on Instagram. However, I am not Summer. ????

          Reply
          • Summer Yule says

            April 09, 2020 at 4:05 pm

            You’re not me, but I do agree that pets can benefit from high-quality food too. Thanks for visiting!

            Reply
    13. Terrified Amateur says

      February 16, 2020 at 5:26 pm

      Thanks, Summer! "Microgreens" make only sporadic appearances at the market. As such, I thought I was subject to the grocer's whims, but your tutorial shows how I may draft a Declaration of Independence!

      In addition to the broccoli, I think I'm going to try mustard greens and spinach, too! Thanks for the inspiration a whole month before the very first of the "full-sized" seeds go into the ground.

      Reply
      • Summer Yule says

        February 17, 2020 at 11:44 am

        I’d love to hear about it if you try the mustard and spinach! Unfortunately, my mustard seeds failed to sprout. I’m unsure what happened. Maybe they were too old? It’s too bad since I had been looking forward to some zesty microgreens!

        Reply

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