We love fresh sprouts on our salads, but I wouldn't say I like the price of sprouts. Luckily, it's easy to grow sprouts at home, even in the far north, when you have sprouting lids or a sprouting mat.
And since I have an assortment of mason jars, I decided to use them for sprouting. So I learned how to make DIY sprouting lids to save money.
How to Make DIY Sprouting Lids
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Yes, you can buy sprouting jars and lids through Amazon or other online stores, but it's cheaper to make a batch of your own mason jar sprouting lids.
You'll need the following:
- Mason jar lid and ring
- Mesh plastic canvas
- Permanent marker
- Scissors
Directions for Making Mesh Lids
Take the mason jar lid that you are going to use.
And yes, you can use a regular or wide-mouth jar.
Next, trace around the jar lid. You'll trace it onto the plastic mesh using your permanent marker.
Cut the ring out and use it in place of the lid inside the jar ring to drain sprouts.
You can get 6-8 mesh lids for sprouting out of each plastic canvas sheet depending on if it's standard or wide mouth.
What is a Sprouting Jar?
A sprouting jar is a basic glass container used to grow sprouts easily and quickly at home.
It is simply a glass jar with a hole cut in the lid and some mesh or screen fitted over the opening.
This helps to keep debris out, and also to prevent mold from forming inside.
The mesh also allows for water drainage and air circulation, which helps the sprouts to grow.
The jar also helps to keep the temperature and humidity levels constant for optimal sprouting conditions.
Why Grow Sprouts at Home?
Growing your sprouts is an easy and convenient way to add healthy, nutrient-dense foods to your diet. We also grow lentil sprouts for chickens . This helps to help keep the cost of our chicken supplies down.
Plus, we like the idea of growing our own food to secure our food supply.
And should we encounter an SHTF situation, I like the idea that sprouts will add a fresh taste to the items in our prepper pantry.
Additionally, sprouts are rich in vitamins and minerals and provide significant health benefits.
They are also a great way to use up excess produce or grains that may have been stored for too long.
Additionally, sprouts are easy to incorporate into a variety of dishes and can be eaten both raw and cooked.
Sprouting Jars vs. Sprouting Trays
Sprouting jars offer the advantage of being able to store the sprouts in their own container.
So they're easy to bring with us when we're on the road in our renovated camper trailer.
They are also typically smaller than sprouting trays and require less water. However, we do also use sprouting trays.
Sprouting trays offer a larger growing surface area which allows for more sprouts to be grown at once.
Additionally, they can easily be used indoors and outdoors and are even more affordable than sprouting jars.
Best Jars to Use for Sprouting
The best jars for sprouting are wide-mouth glass canning jars with a secure lid.
The wide mouth will make it easier to access the sprouts and add water, while the lid keeps out any contaminants or pests from getting in.
It is also essential to choose a jar that is large enough for the type of sprouts you are growing; if the jar is too small, the sprouts will not have enough room to grow and may become overcrowded.
Since we started canning and preserving, I have a ton of old jars on hand that might not stand up to water-bathing, etc. So they're perfect to use as sprouting jars.
How to Make DIY Sprouting Lids
Making your own DIY sprouting jar lid is easy with these step-by-step instructions.
Materials
- Plastic Canvas Sheets
- Mason Jars
- Mason Jar Rings
Tools
- Sharpie Marker
- Scissors
Instructions
- Place metal ring from mason jar lid on plastic canvas.
- Position it on the sheet of plastic canvas so you can make as many circles as possible
- Use the black sharpie to trace around the lid.
- Cut each out circle.
- Fit each circle into the ring of each mason jar.
- Place the lid on the jar and cover with enough water to cover the plastic canvas.
- Add your desired sprouting seeds and let them soak for about 8-12 hours or overnight.
- Drain off any excess water and place the jar in a warm, sunny spot that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily.
- Rinse and drain the sprouts at least twice a day to keep them from becoming moldy or slimy.
- Once the sprouts have grown, harvest them and enjoy!
Notes
I try to cut out each circle just slightly small than the ring lid so it will fit snugly inside the ring.
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Making your DIY sprouting jar lids is an easy and affordable way to start growing your own sprouts.
With just a few supplies and some time, you can enjoy the health benefits of fresh, nutrient-dense sprouts right at home.
Happy Sprouting!
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Hi Tina! Yes, I just washed it in hot water and it works just fine.
Is that mesh really food safe?
This was such a fun project with the kids, and they were delish, too!
What a fun and easy way to grow some of your own food! I have a couple old Mason jars that are just perfect for this!