The small deck of our Condominium doesn’t leave much room for gardening so we appreciate the space-saving simplicity of a Mason jar mini-garden right in our kitchen.

Homegrown sprouts freshen up salads, sandwiches, and soups. Not only are they a crunchy and delicious source of protein, sprouts are full of heart-healthy, cancer-preventing antioxidants. Also, a half-cup of sprouts pack more vitamin C power than 5 glasses of orange juice.

Alfalfa, wheat, broccoli, lentil, bean, sunflower seeds… there is a wide variety of seeds to sprout and you can grow any and all of them with the same simple method.

1. Purchase the seeds you would like to sprout from the grocery or health food store or order them from a sprouting seed retailer online.

2. Place a thin layer of your choice of seeds into a clean mason jar, and cover with a few inches of warm water. Place a piece of . cheesecloth or other breathable cloth over the mouth of the jar and tightly screw the ring from the lid over the fabric.

3. Soak seeds over night or up to 24 hours for larger beans and nuts.

4. Each morning for 4-6 days (or until sprouts have grown to your eating satisfaction), refill the jar with fresh water and immediately strain, giving the jar a hard shake to get as much water out as possible.

5. Rinse and eat.

Store sprouts in their jar in the refrigerator and eat them within the week.

If you begin a new batch of sprouts every 3 days then you will have a continuous supply on hand.

Note: Eating sprouts is not recommended for children or women who are pregnant as eating sprouts has been associated with outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli.

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