How to: Countertop Garden Broccoli Sprouts

Day 1—Gather supplies.

Day 1—Add seeds.

Day 1—Allow seeds to soak in water.

Day 1—Drain.

Day 1—Shake so seeds stick to jar's sides.

Day 2—Rinse twice and "re-stick."

Day 3—Sprouts starting to appear. Rinse twice.

Day 4—Sprouts really starting to appear. Rinse once.

Day 5—Rinse once.

Day 6—Rinse once.

Day 7—Sprouts are just about ready. Rinse once.

Day 8—Sprouts are ready!

Day 8—Yum!

By the time Imbolc rolls around, I’m generally crazy to get back into my garden—but I’m still stuck in the long dark of winter. To keep growing things year-round, I have a countertop garden that includes simple things like herbs and sprouts. I still get to garden, but I don’t have to freeze (at least not until we put the hoop house out).

Broccoli sprouts only take about a week to grow and they’re delicious on a salad or sandwich or anything else you can think of. Here’s how:

1.       You’ll need a Ball jar, broccoli seeds, and a screen lid. I prefer the 16oz jar size. You can buy broccoli seeds and the screen at Amazon or most big-box stores.

2.       Pour a teaspoon (ish) of broccoli seeds in the jar and fill it about 1/3 full of water. Allow to sit for four to six hours.

3.       Drain the water and shake the seeds so that they stick to the side of the jar (they want to, so it’s not much work).

4.       Place the jar upside down in something that will allow air in through the screen. I use my mortar, but any small bowl should work. Place them in a sunny spot.

5.       Rinse the seeds twice daily, shaking so they stick to the jar’s sides, and leave them in that sunny spot. This should day only one or two days.

6.       When the seeds sprout—you can start seeing their first leaves—begin rinsing only once daily until they reach the desired size. This generally takes three to five days for me, but you can adjust to your preference.

7.       Enjoy fresh broccoli sprouts in the dead of winter!