Bean sprouts are a very popular dish, but people still worry about the safety when buying bean sprouts outside the market. So you can make bean sprouts at home that are both fresh and safe. And in this article, PasGo Team will introduce to readers the quickest way to make bean sprouts using common items such as plastic bottles, baskets, pots, mesh bags,...
1. The quickest way to make bean sprouts without watering
For busy women who do not have much time to take care of bean sprouts, the method of making bean sprouts without watering is becoming popular.
Ingredients and tools
- Green beans from 50 to 70 grams, can be more if the family is large.
- Use a foam box with a minimum size of about 30 x 30 cm.
- Use a mop or thick towel with good water absorption.

How to make bean sprouts without watering
Details of how to make bean sprouts without watering
Step 1: Prepare the beans as instructed above, remove any damaged beans and rinse them. Then, soak the green beans in water overnight to allow them to absorb water.
Step 2: Place a mop or thick towel in water to moisten, making sure to only soak enough so that the towel does not drip water when lifted.
Step 3: Lay the moist towel at the bottom of the foam box and spread half of the green beans on top of the towel. Avoid spreading the beans too thickly. Next, place the wet mop over the beans, then spread the remaining beans and cover with the wet mop. Place a glass sheet or plastic cutting board that fits snugly on top and place a weight, weighing about 1-1.5kg, to press down.
Step 4: Wrap the entire box with a dark-colored cloth or black nylon bag, then place the foam box in an area without direct light, with a temperature from 26 - 35 degrees Celsius. After about 2.5 to 3 days, you will get plump, white, safe bean sprouts without any chemicals.
2. How to make bean sprouts using plastic bottles, milk cartons
Prepare tools and ingredients
- Plastic bottle or fresh milk carton with a capacity of 1.5 liters
- Green beans from 20 to 30 grams
- Tool to punch holes using a sharp iron rod on the body of the plastic bottle/milk carton

Step-by-step instructions on how to make bean sprouts using plastic bottles
Step 1: Prepare the beans as instructed. Make sure they are washed and soaked in water at a ratio of 3 parts cold water : 2 parts boiling water for about 1 hour.
Step 2: When making bean sprouts using a plastic bottle, puncture holes on the bottle body with a distance of 3 cm between each hole.
Step 3: Place the mung beans in the bottle, tilt the bottle in a cool, shaded place, avoiding direct sunlight. Ensure that the bean sprouts are evenly distributed on the bottle without concentrating at one point.
Step 4: Water the bottle twice a day, each time soaking the entire bottle in water for about 1 minute, then lifting it to drain all the water and placing it back in a dark place. After 2-3 days of sprouting, to harvest, you can cut the bottle's shell to remove the bean sprouts.
3. Making Bean Sprouts with a Pot
Growing bean sprouts with a pot is both simple and cost-effective, yielding plump, white sprouts that last long.
Tools and Ingredients
- 300 grams of mung beans
- One pot (or the inner pot of a rice cooker)
- Warm water
- Five pandan leaves

Growing Bean Sprouts with a Pot
Step 1: Prepare the mung beans by removing any damaged or shriveled beans. Then, rinse the mung beans gently 2-3 times under running water to remove dirt. Soak the mung beans in warm water at a ratio of 2 parts boiling water to 3 parts cold water. Pour the mung beans into a bowl of water and soak for 6-8 hours to soften the green bean shells and make the beans absorb water. Then, lift the mung beans out and rinse them gently under running water. To dry the mung beans, rinse each pandan leaf under clean water.
Step 2: Sprout the mung beans. Pour the soaked mung beans into the prepared pot and cover the surface with 5 pandan leaves. Pour cold water into the pot of mung beans, cover tightly, and let it sit for about 15 minutes before draining the water. Place the pot in a clean, well-ventilated, and dimly lit area.
Step 3: Water the beans regularly and drain the water from the pot of mung beans after each watering or spray the surface of the bean sprouts with a spray bottle to moisten them. The mung beans will crack, peel off the husks, and form bean sprouts. Continue to water the bean sprouts regularly.
Step 4: Harvest the bean sprouts after they have developed for about 3 days. Remove the bean sprouts from the pot, rinse them clean, and prepare them for cooking.
4. Making Bean Sprouts with a Plastic Basket
Prepare Tools and Ingredients
- Amount of mung beans: 25 - 30 grams
- Plastic basket with attached basin, diameter from 35 - 40 cm
- Ceramic/glass plate or plastic cutting board with a size suitable for the basket's interior
- Dish towels: 4 pieces, size equivalent to the basket's size

Step-by-Step Guide to Growing Bean Sprouts with a Plastic Basket
Step 1: Wash and soak the mung beans similar to the methods mentioned above for making bean sprouts.
Step 2: In this method of sprouting bean sprouts, you need to place a dish towel at the bottom of the basket, spread the beans evenly on top of the dish towel, then cover with another layer of dish towel to ensure privacy. Place a plate/cutting board inside the basket.
Step 3: Next, use a black plastic bag to completely cover the basket for sprouting bean sprouts or place the basket in a well-ventilated, dark place. Every day, in the morning and evening, remove the plate, lift the bean sprout basket out (leave the sprouting towel), rinse under running water, wait for it to drain, and then place it back in the basin. After 3 days of sprouting, the bean sprouts will germinate and you can harvest them.
5. Making Bean Sprouts with Cloth
Making bean sprouts with cloth is essentially the same as using foam boxes, pots, and plastic baskets. Because to sprout bean sprouts, a certain humidity is needed, and cloth is the top choice for maintaining moisture for a long time.
6. Making Bean Sprouts with a Net Bag
Tools and Ingredients
- Amount of mung beans: 30 grams
- Use a net bag commonly used for storing fruits or onions.

How to Grow Bean Sprouts in a Net Bag
Growing Bean Sprouts in a Net Bag
Step 1: Prepare the beans as instructed above. Soak the beans in hot water, at a temperature of about 40 degrees, for 6-8 hours to make the beans crack and the shells burst.
Step 2: In the method of making green bean sprouts using warm water, after lifting the beans out, place them in a net bag and tie it. Then, place the net bag in a plastic basket and cover it with a cloth, placing it in an area without direct sunlight.
Step 3: Daily, soak the net bag in clean water twice, each time for about 5 minutes. For the method of soaking bean sprouts in a net bag, adjust the tightness of the bag based on the sprouting of the bean sprouts. By the 3rd day, do not tighten the bag to make the sprouts plumper. Then, you can harvest white, delicious, and plump bean sprouts.
7. Making Bean Sprouts with Bamboo Leaves
Ingredients
- Bamboo leaves
- Mung beans: 200 grams
- 1 plastic basket, diameter 30-40 cm
- 1 plate, diameter 30-40 cm (fits the basket)

Detailed Steps to Make Bean Sprouts with Bamboo Leaves
Step 1: First, soak the mung beans to make the beans swell, you can soak them in cold water for 8-10 hours or in warm water (2 boiling - 3 cold) for about an hour.
Step 2: Use bamboo leaves as a lining layer placed on the bottom of the basket to ensure that the beans do not fall down. Then, take a layer of soaked beans and spread evenly on the bamboo leaves. Next, use bamboo leaves to evenly cover the layer of beans, repeat this process until all the beans are used up. Place a layer of bamboo leaves on top and use a ceramic plate to place on top. After placing the ceramic plate on the basket's surface, immerse the entire basket in water to ensure that the beans are evenly hydrated.
Step 3: Tilt the basket to let the water drain out and place the bean sprout basket in a dark place. Immerse the basket in water twice a day.
After three days, we will have fresh, delicious, and nutritious bean sprouts to serve the family meals. To achieve plump and tasty bean sprouts, avoid sunlight because if the plants are exposed to sunlight, the photosynthesis process will make the bean sprouts bitter.
8. Making Bean Sprouts with Sand
Ingredients and Tools
- Sand (sand sieved to remove stones)
- Mung beans: 200 grams
- 1 plastic basin

Detailed Steps to Make Bean Sprouts with Sand
- Soak mung beans in warm water (38-40 degrees Celsius) for about 8-10 hours.
- Pour a portion of sand into the basin, then pour water over it, and drain off excess water to make the sand moist enough.
- Then, take the soaked beans, pour them onto the sand basin, and spread the beans evenly around.
- Continue to pour the remaining sand over the layer of mung beans. Note that the top layer of sand should only be poured about 1 - 2 cm thick so that the beans can sprout and grow upward.
- Place the sand basin in the shade. Do not expose it to sunlight or light to avoid damaging the bean sprouts.
- Water the sand basin twice a day, in the morning and evening.
