Sprouted Lentils with Ball® Home Canning presented by Newell Brands

Making sprouted lentils is easy and all you need is a Ball® Regular Mouth Quart Jars and some brown lentils.

I am a Ball® Brand Ambassador and this post is sponsored by Ball® Home Canning presented by Newell Brands. 

 I first became aware of Earth Day when I was in 6th grade. A member of my middle school’s Green Club and burgeoning environmentalist, I was on fire to do my part to save the planet. I brought my lunch to school in a canvas bag. I recycled every scrap of torn notebook paper. And I pestered my parents to use reusable grocery bags in place of the plastic sacks from the store.

Fast forward 30 years and not much has changed. I still try to make the most environmentally smart choices as I’m able. These days, this means driving as little as possible, reducing our consumption of plastic, and preserving as much food as I can during the growing season. 

This year, I celebrated Earth Day by making my own sprouted lentils at home in one of my beloved Ball® Regular Mouth Quart Jars. Even though Earth Day/Week/Month is nearly over, you can still join me in the satisfying, sprouty fun. 

How to Sprout Lentils

You’ll need a Ball® Quart Jar (I like to use a regular mouth jar because it allows you to better control the daily draining, but a wide mouth jar will also work) and some brown lentils. Pour half a cup of the lentils in the bottom of the jar and cover them cool tap water to rinse. Using a small mesh sieve, drain the water out and then fill the jar up again so that the lentils are completely submerged. Let them sit anywhere from 8 to 24 hours for this initial step. 

Once they’ve had a nice, long soak, drain the lentils, run some fresh water over them and then give them a final, vigorous draining. Put a small, clean kitchen cloth or a length of folded paper towel over the top of the jar, secure it tightly with a rubber band and set the jar upside down in a small bowl (this allows any remaining water to drain out of the jar and ensures that the lentils sprout rather than rot).

Set the jar and its dish someplace where it won’t get knocked over but not so out of the way that you will forget about it. For me, a patch of sunny windowsill that my kids can reach works best. 

Now you’re going to visit your jar once or twice a day for the next four to six days. With each visit, remove the towel, run some water into the jar, drain it, replace the towel, and return the jar to the bowl. With each passing day, you’ll see more and more of the lentils popping open and growing white sprouts. Once the lentils have grown to fill most of the jar, you’re done. They should smell fresh and nutty, and have a crunchy, clean, nearly sweet flavor when eaten. 

Storage and Use of Sprouted Lentils

Cap the jar with a Ball® Leak Proof Storage Lid and refrigerate. The sprouted lentils will keep for several weeks in the fridge. You can use them to top salads, hummus bowls, and cooked grain dishes. For more on sprouting, check out this post from fellow Ball® Brand Ambassador Wholefully! 

Here’s hoping this inspires you to pull down a mason jar and set some lentils to sprouting! 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post that is part of an ongoing partnership with Ball® Home Canning presented by Newell Brands. They have provided jars, equipment and monetary compensation. All thoughts and opinions expressed remain my own.

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