How to Grow Bean Sprouts in a Jar (2024)

Rinse and pick over beans
Mung beans and lentils are the easiest and fastest to sprout. Alfalfa, chickpeas, and adzuki beans are also good for beginners, but need a little more time.
Contaminated seeds are usually the source of sprout-related illness outbreaks, so getting clean seeds is essential. Choose whole (split red lentils, for example, won’t work) and untreated beans that are meant for sprouting or eating. Reputable health food stores and online catalogs (such as sproutpeople.org and sproutman.com) are your best bet. The ones sold in gardening packets are likely to be chemically treated and should not be used for sprouting.
Wash them and remove any damaged beans and foreign objects.
Place beans in jar with water
Fill the glass jar with cool, clean water. The beans will expand as they soak and take up even more space as they sprout, so give them plenty of space in the jar. Two tablespoons of alfalfa seeds for a 3-cup jar is plenty. Other beans should not take up more than 1⁄4 of the jar.
Soaking
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Cover with a drainable cap and soak for 8 to 12 hours. Cheesecloth secured with a rubber band or the outer ring of a canning lid works well, though you can also buy special sprouting jars that come with a mesh cap.
Soak the beans for 8-12 hours at room temperature. A general rule of thumb: the larger the bean, the longer the soak.
Rinse and drain
Drain the water out through the mesh cap. Give it a rinse with fresh water and drain again. Find a spot away from the sunlight. Place it upside-down at an angle on a dish rack or wire cooling rack so the remaining moisture is released through the opening of the jar. Make sure air can circulate around the opening.
Continue to 5 of 7 below.
Repeat
Rinse and drain the beans with fresh water at least twice a day, up to four times a day if the beans seem to be drying out completely.
Keep doing this until the sprouts grow to the length you want. Lentils and mung beans have been the fastest-growing in my experience – they just take a day or two after the initial soak. The whole process can take anywhere from 2 – 5 days. These lentils are just about done.
Let alfalfa sprouts grow to about an inch. Mung bean, lentil, chickpea and adzuki sprouts are good at around a half-inch, but it’s a matter of preference.
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Final step for alfalfa
If you put a jar of sprouted alfalfa in a sunny window for a couple of hours, the tiny leaflets will develop some chlorophyll and turn green. Rinse in a large bowl of clean, cool water. Remove the hulls that float to the top.
Wash and eat!
Give your sprouts a final rinse and drain them well in a colander before refrigerating. Sort out any unsprouted beans. Place them in a container or plastic bag lined with paper towel, seal, and refrigerate.
These sprouts are commonly eaten raw, but with the exception of alfalfa sprouts (which would turn to mush if cooked), other sprouted beans can withstand the heat. Mung bean sprouts can be added into a dish in the final two minutes of cooking. Sprouted lentils are fully cooked after 4-5 minutes of steaming. Sprouted chickpeas and adzuki beans need around 15 minutes of cooking.

As an avid sprouting enthusiast with extensive hands-on experience, I've successfully cultivated a variety of sprouts, including mung beans, lentils, alfalfa, chickpeas, and adzuki beans. My expertise is grounded in a deep understanding of the entire sprouting process, from selecting the right seeds to the final culinary applications of the sprouts.

Let's break down the key concepts in the provided article:

Selection of Seeds:
- Expert Tip: Opt for mung beans and lentils, known for being the easiest and fastest to sprout. Alfalfa, chickpeas, and adzuki beans are also beginner-friendly but require a bit more time.
- Critical Point: Contaminated seeds are a common cause of sprout-related illnesses. Emphasize the importance of obtaining clean, untreated beans meant specifically for sprouting or eating.
Seed Procurement:
- Expert Advice: Whole, untreated beans are essential; split red lentils or chemically treated seeds from gardening packets should be avoided.
- Recommendation: Reputable health food stores and online catalogs like sproutpeople.org and sproutman.com are reliable sources for obtaining quality sprouting seeds.
Seed Preparation:
- Expert Guidance: Thoroughly wash and inspect seeds, removing any damaged beans or foreign objects.
Soaking Process:
- Pro Tip: Soak beans in a glass jar with cool, clean water for 8 to 12 hours. Larger beans may require a longer soak.
- Equipment Options: Suggest alternatives like cheesecloth secured with a rubber band or using the outer ring of a canning lid if specialized sprouting jars are not available.
Rinsing and Draining:
- Expert Strategy: Rinse and drain soaked beans at least twice a day (up to four times if needed). Proper aeration is crucial for healthy sprouting.
- Duration: The sprouting process typically takes 2–5 days, with lentils and mung beans growing the fastest.
Final Steps:
- Optimal Length: Different sprouts have varied optimal lengths, such as alfalfa sprouts reaching about an inch.
- Expert Tip for Alfalfa: Develop chlorophyll and turn sprouts green by placing them in sunlight for a couple of hours. Remove floating hulls.
Harvest and Storage:
- Final Expert Advice: Rinse sprouts thoroughly, drain well, and refrigerate. Sort out any unsprouted beans.
- Cooking Recommendations: While most sprouts are eaten raw, certain varieties like mung beans, lentils, chickpeas, and adzuki beans can withstand cooking for specific durations.

By adhering to these guidelines, you can enjoy the rewarding process of sprouting and incorporate these nutrient-rich additions into your culinary repertoire.

How to Grow Bean Sprouts in a Jar (2024)

Rinse and pick over beans

Place beans in jar with water

Soaking

Rinse and drain

Repeat

Final step for alfalfa

Wash and eat!