I recently added Chia Seed to my food storage. It is wonderfully good for you and easy to store. I’ve been drinking chia fresco and making chia gel to put in recipes. I also learned how to sprout chia seeds. There is a bit of a learning curve to it because it is not sprouted with the usual jar method.
Chia Sprouts carry some amazingly healthy ingredients such as chlorophyll, calcium, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. You can grow chia seeds in four to six days using a glass baking dish and, to make the process easier, a shallow terra cotta dish. They have a tangy taste and add variety and spice to salads, soups, spreads, dips, sandwiches and appetizers.
Continue reading to learn all there is to know about growing and using chia sprouts!
First Things to Know
Chia seeds turn gelatinous when water is added to them. They quickly absorb water and turn into a gooey mess. Just so you know – the wrong way to sprout chia seed is in a jar with a strainer lid.
When I was looking online for directions, there was at least one website that suggested the jar method and I just had to try it. The chia won’t drain properly, it dries out or turns to gel and I just ended up with a chia gel mess.
Instead, I purchased a couple of terra cotta trays for $1.29 at the local nursery and ran them through the dishwasher. This worked perfectly since terra cotta holds water.
The Chia Seed Challenge – How to store chia seeds
Growing and Using Chia Sprouts – The Sprinkle Method
Sprouting time is 4 to 7 days. This will depend on the heat in the room you are doing the sprouting. When the sprouts are ¼ inch long, move them into direct sunlight. This will green them up. It is not necessary to soak the seed before you begin.
You will need:
- The seed (of course) 1 Tablespoon of seeds = 2 cups of sprouts
- A recycled clamshell container or glass baking dish with a lid (to create a greenhouse and retain the moisture)
- Shallow terra cotta dish to fit inside your chosen “greenhouse”
- Spray bottle with filtered water
Method:
Soak the terra cotta dish for a few minutes to moisten it. Sprinkle chia seed into a cleaned terra cotta dish.
Once you have tried this a few times you will know how thickly to spread the seed.
Add ¼ inch of filtered water to the bottom so the terra cotta will continue to absorb water.
Place the terra cotta dish into your choice of “greenhouse”. I’m using a glass baking dish that has a glass lid.
Lightly spritz the seed to moisten it thoroughly. There should be no standing water in the terra cotta dish or your seeds will turn to gel.
Close the clamshell or cover the baking dish greenhouse to trap in the moisture. This will keep you from spritzing every day. I did not have to add any additional water or spritz the seeds after this initial watering.
Place it in a dark area of the kitchen counter.
After 4 to 7 days the sprouts will reach the size you want. You can eat them as they are or bring them into a sunny area of the kitchen so they can green up.
There is another method to sprout using a glass baking dish without the terra cotta plate. I tried this method too, and while it did work, it does require more attention. You must spritz the seeds several times a day to make sure they are moist. Here’s a link to the video I watched, in case you’re interested.
Eat Your Healthy Chia Sprouts
In their article, Why Everyone Should Try Sprouting Chia Seeds, Mind Body Green reminds us “once sprouted, you also get the added benefit of chlorophyll (the source of the “green” of the leaf).
Chlorophyll is a powerful blood cleanser and blood builder. It replenishes and increases our red blood cell count and increases the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen and deliver us increased levels of oxygen.”
Chia sprouts have a tangy taste and add variety and spice to salads, soups, spreads, dips, sandwiches and appetizers. They are best used raw or added to soups just before serving.
Crunchy Chia Stuffed Avocado Recipe –adapted from Sprouting For All Seasons – How And What To Sprout
by Bertha B. Larimore
3/4 cup chia sprouts¼ cup thinly sliced celery1 6 oz can of tuna fish4 tablespoons mayonnaise2 tablespoons sliced green onion3 tablespoons lemon juicepaprika2 avocados
Wash and cut the avocados in half lengthwise. Hollow out slightly to make a bigger cavity for the filling and reserve the avocado. Using 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, sprinkle each of the halves.
Combine the remaining ingredients and the reserved avocado in a medium size bowl. Heap the mixture into mounds and place in the avocado shell. Sprinkle with paprika. Makes 4 servings.
Sprouted Chia Seeds’ Amazing Health Benefits
Chia seeds are an excellent source of high-quality protein but they are also jam-packed with calcium. Sprouted chai seeds contain five times more calcium than cow’s milk. In other words, three tablespoons of chia seeds is the nutritional equivalent of one glass of fresh milk when it comes to calcium content.
Sprouted chia seeds are also an excellent source of fiber and chlorophyll. That’s why they should be vegans’ and vegetarians’ superfood of choice if they want to keep their protein, calcium, iron, and fiber levels in check.
Chia seeds are also a rich source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. A single ounce of chia seeds is the equivalent of 28 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. While the recommended daily allowance is not set in stone, most researchers recommend a healthy dose of 250–500 mg of combined EPA and DHA per day.
The Western diet is severely deficient in super healthy omega-3 fatty acids since dairy cows are very rarely allowed to roam free on pastures and get the much-needed omega-3s from grass. And the same goes for chickens raised on grains. This means that industrially produced dairy products and eggs are depleted of this key element for human health.
As a side note, omega 3 fatty acids are required by our bodies to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, to normalize cholesterol and insulin levels, to improve memory, and stave off anxiety and depression. Countless studies have shown a direct link between omega-3 supplementation and a lower risk of postpartum depression. Omega 3 fatty acids are a boon for pets’ health as well.
Sprout People’s link for growing chia microgreens. Microgreens are allowed to grow a bit longer, until the have true leaves. They are grown in a soil-less medium and you do not eat the roots like you do with sprouts.
The Happy Kitchen has sprouting directions and a recipe for chia cucumber cups. It looks yummy!
Is it worth waiting 4 to 6 days to grow chia sprouts?
Maybe. Once I figured it out how it sure was easy. Sprouting is certainly a fantastic and different way to bring the goodness of chia seed into our daily diet, and the taste reminded me of broccoli sprouts. I think that knowing how to sprout chia is a valuable skill that I may need in the future. If we are ever in a situation where we have no fresh vegetables, sprouting will come in handy.
For now I will continue making chia gel and learning about other ways to use chia seed.
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>>>> knowing how to sprout chia is a valuable skill that I may need in the future. If we are ever in a situation where we have no fresh vegetables <<<<
Where, exactly, will we GET the Chia seeds to sprout, when that time comes? Is there a way to GROW them ourselves in parts of the US where we have real winters? I know nothing about these seeds except that they taste GOOD on a Peanut butter sandwich. I'd love to know how to grow my own, tho.
Hi Appy. I recently purchased 55 pounds of chia seeds, so I’m pretty sure I will have some if I’m ever in a situation where I can’t get fresh vegetables. I’ve never grown chia seeds into full size plants though. I think it would be a great skill to have because chia is so nutritious. You might be interested in this post about growing it – http://longtimemother.hubpages.com/hub/How-I-grow-and-harvest-organic-Chia and you might want to take a look at my previous post about who to store it.
Hi.
I replied the other day, but it never did show up, so I’m reposting. Thanks for the link. I went there and she does have a lot to offer on her site. I’m still reading on it! I’m wondering where you found 55 pounds of Chia Seeds?? Can you share the link and/or the site? Thanks. Does it come in one big bucket? Or Bag? Or what?
So have you done a chemical analysis of the chia sprouts. i undertand that different days the sprouts have different qualities.
U of K has a patent on mutant chia that will produce seed in zone 7. Maybe even 5. Should be available by now….
I accidentally sprouted chia seeds in a water tumbler. I typically drink chia seeds in my water. I had left one of those regular plastic 20 oz cups (the kind with screw on lid and plastic matching straw) in my car that I had stored in my garage for a month. I completely forgot about the cup. When I cleaned out the car the other day I found a 6″ chia sprouts. Seeds were still damp! So maybe try that-the lid will help keep the moisture in, and the hole in the top of the lid allows for the air circulation.
I have never really thought about keeping or sprouting chia seeds. All that I ever think of is those ch-ch-ch-chia pet commercials from back in the day. Thanks for sharing with us at The HomeAcre Hop!
Please join us again Thursday at:
http://summers-acres.com
~Ann
Yeah that’s exactly what I thought of…. Honestly I felt pretty dumb when I made the connection between chia seeds and ch ch chia pets…. Thanks for sharing.
I sprouted mine as a science project with the kids and a clay plate inside a cake dish with lid did all the work!
I have recently grown chia seeds and made a wonderful salad that qualify Chia so I love the idea of growing them and I will every year
I wonder if there is any lead content in the clay tray since they are not food grade???
Good question Julie, I had not thought about that. This site suggests that you do a home lead test if you’re worried about it. The are relatively inexpensive. http://www.chinesesouppot.com/3-cooking-tools/1120-how-to-test-for-lead-paint-on-ceramic-clay-pots
What about sprouting chia seeds on damp kitchen paper?
You could give it a try. I wonder how the gel would do with the paper though…
I am on day 7 of attempting to sprout mixed salad microgreen seeds. I now know why they would not sprout in the jar or tray. They produced the gel.. Now they are slowly sprouting on a damp paper towels that I lightly mist 3 times a day. Thanks. I was wondering if I was going to have to trash them. So glad to learn that chia and I believe sone other seeds are gelatinous. Different technique learned.
I recently tried sprouting chia seeds to add to my salads… I did not have a terra cotta plate, but I had two glass pie plates. I bought a small bag of organic, Momma Chia seeds at the grocery store. (If fruits, vegetables, grains are truly organic, they have not been modified to be sterile and the seeds, unless they have been exposed to extreme temperatures that kill the seed, should be able to be used to regrow) I lined the bottom with paper towel, and lightly dampened it, then my kids sprinkled a more than generous amount of seeds over it. We covered it with the second pie dish, set it in the sun, and the next morning, 12 hours latter, they were already sprouting. Today, is 2.5 days later, and it looks as if my pie plate is full of thick moss (that’s how generous my little ones were lol) the sprouts are a good inch to an inch in a half tall, with there first tiny leaves popping up. At first, they will look like fuzzy little white worms. That’s ok. I haven’t even had to spritz them because the paper towel holds the water so nicely and the pie plates and sun ensure it stays beautifully humid inside. I wish I could post a picture for ya’ll. It really is incredible how beautifully they are growing. I can’t wait to start munching on them
I sprouted some Chia seeds for the first time not long ago. Do you eat them as tiny sprouts? I was trying to get some big ones but when they got to the size I wanted they were moldy. I had to throw them all out. Any advice?
Hi Alicia, I do eat mine as tiny sprouts.
I had a bag of chia seeds from the dollar store.
I was planting flowers and just out of curiosity
Sprinkled seeds and lightly covered with soil.
Looks really neat..so green and pretty. Happened
so fast…nice ground cover.
Are the roots supposed to go a soft shade of brown as the sprouts grow?
They might Watergate. It’s time to harvest at that point.
Im confused by these instructions for sprouting chia. After sprinkling them onto the terracotta base, then you pour on 1/4″ water, how can you then make sure the bottom is not wet. ?? Its sitting in 1/4″ of water.
Hi Anne, The 1/4 inch of water is in another container and is used to keep the terra cotta tray wet. The seeds are not sitting in the water.
Where can I buy the unglazed terra cotta dish shown in the photos? Amazon does not have these.
John, I got mine at the garden center.
Michaels craft store sells unglazed ones and so does Home hardware (if you live in Ontario).
I was wondering about the lead also, I once read a Spanish warning to people in a job employment agency, warning emigrats not to use unglazed terra-cotta for water, food or cooking vessels due to lead leaching into the contents. How about growing them on a piece of celery, or some watery vegetable or fruit, maybe?
You could certainly try that Charles, I think the celery would work!
Hi Shelle,
Do you have an email address that I can contact you at?
Thank you.
my email is Shelle@preparednessmama.com
I am off to experiment with sprouting, I will keep you posted!
Thanks to all who have contributed to inspiring me!
Cheers
Christine Z
Similar to the commenter who found a six inch chia sprout in a tumbler in her car, I found sprouts growing in my tumbler as well; however they were primarily sprouting from the chia seeds that were stuck to the side of the tea bag i had left inside, is growing chia sprouts on the contents of used tea bags a viable option?
I am on day 7 of attempting to sprout mixed salad microgreen seeds. I now know why they would not sprout in the jar or tray. They produced the gel.. Now they are slowly sprouting on a damp paper towels that I lightly mist 3 times a day. Thanks. I was wondering if I was going to have to trash them. So glad to learn that chia and I believe sone other seeds are gelatinous. Different technique learned.
Love it! We’ve got a ton of chia seeds so gonna try it during lockdown.
Cheers!
Greg
Me, too!! Started some yesterday while we are spending so much time at home!!
Mine are sprouting nicely, but the roots look like white feathers, I fear it’s fungus
Hi… Thank you for sharing this. I’m sprouting some Chia now for myself and my quails (it seems that the sprouts are good to ensure great egg quality). I’m wondering if the roots are safe to eat or we’re supposed to snip the roots off. Thank you again.
I am going to try this, i was thinking if i can fenugreek in the same way, i have grown in soil in smallish tub but to much cleaning, any suggestion. thanks.
How do I know when to cut my sprouts? Once I cut the sprouts, do I start all over with the seeds or will what’s left keep growing?