Stages of Sprouting

• Rinse and soak your seeds to sprout them.Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
  
  Sprouting refers to the process of sprouting small seeds in order to eat them. Proponents of sprouting prefer the sprouted seeds for their nutrients and digestive benefits, as well as their viability and low cost. You can sprout many types of seeds, but some plants, like alfalfa, lentils, peas and radishes, are more popular than others. Different sprouts have different tastes and growing periods, but the basic steps of the sprouting process remain the same.
  
  

Cleaning Seeds

• Harvest, or buy, and clean the seeds. Seeds often come with dirt and plant materials that you need to get rid of before you start sprouting. This stage is typically visual: you look at the seeds and remove any materials you do not want, such as twigs and stones. You can also run the seeds through a strainer that allows the seeds to pass through but not larger materials.
  
  

Rinsing and Soaking

• Once you have cleaned your seeds, choose a specific amount of seeds to sprout, usually about 1 tbsp. per liter of water. You must rinse your seeds thoroughly before letting them soak to remove any bacteria or spores that could infect and ruin your seeds. Different seeds need to be soaked for different periods of time, normally between four and eight hours.
  
  

Servicing Seeds

• Rinse out your jar of seeds about twice a day, allowing the water to drain out through a filter you can place on the mouth of the jar. This keeps the seeds clean and gives them access to water. With this service, most seeds sprout within six days.
  
  

Prepare and Store Seeds

• Seeds are usually ready to eat when they have grown 1- to 2-inch sprouts. When they have reached this stage, you can store them in the refrigerator and eat them as you want. Try to eat your sprouts as soon as possible, while they are still completely fresh. There is a window where the sprouts will continue to grow as you store them, keeping them fresh and ideal for consumption.