Kitchen Gardening: How to Sprout

Many people regard sprouts as nutritional powerhouses.

For starters, they’re rich in many nutrients and here's how. Sprouting increases the nutrient content of seeds and legumes and makes them easier to digest. They’re also said to improve blood sugar levels and possibly even fend off heart disease.

So, first things first, what are sprouts? Sprouts are seeds that have germinated and become very young plants. This germination process usually begins with the seeds being soaked for several hours. The soaked seeds are then exposed to the right combination of temperature and moisture, and allowed to grow for two to seven days. The end product is generally a sprout measuring 1/8–2 inches (2–5 cm) long.

It usually takes just a few days to sprout most foods, which makes it an inexpensive way to grow food all year long. And it's low maintenance! If you have room for a mason jar on your counter, you’re good to go.

Many different types of seeds can be sprouted. Here is a list of the most common types of sprouts available on the market:

  • Bean and pea sprouts: Such as lentil, adzuki, garbanzo, soybean, mung bean, black bean, kidney bean, green pea and snow pea sprouts.

  • Sprouted grains: Such as brown rice, buckwheat, amaranth, kamut, quinoa and oat sprouts.

  • Vegetable or leafy sprouts: Such as radish, broccoli, beet, mustard green, clover, cress and fenugreek sprouts.

  • Nut and seed sprouts: Such as almond, radish seed, alfalfa seed, pumpkin seed, sesame seed or sunflower seed sprouts.

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS:

  • Sprouting seeds

  • Mason Jar, rubber band and cheesecloth or special screw top sprouting lid

  • Non-Chlorinated water

  • 4-7 days of patience

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Put 1 to 4 tablespoons of seed in a mason jar. Secure cheese cloth and rubber band or special screw top sprouting lid. Add water, swirl and drain. Add 1 cup of cool water and soak for 4-8 hours.

  2. Twice a day, drain the jar, refill with cool water, swirl and drain again. Invert jar and prop at an angle into bowl.

  3. In three to six days, when sprouts are about 1 to 2 inches long they are ready to be eaten. Eat your sprouts or cover jar with original lid and store in refrigerator up to 5 to 7 days.

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