How to Grow Sprouts, Go Green, Save Money!

I have provided two youtube video links below because I learn better with visual instructions. But for those of you who prefer written instructions, here are the nuts and bolts of the process.

In a large, clean jar, soak 1 to 2 TBS of seeds over night in a good amount of fresh, lukewarm water. This signals to the seeds that it is time to wake up and do something. Clear glass is best, however clear food grade plastic can be used as long as it does not have any lingering odor from a previous tenant, such as mayonnaise or orange juice.

Cap your jar with cheese cloth, nylon or any porous material that will allow the water to drain out when the jar is inverted. Fasten the material to your jar with a rubber band. I use a wire mesh cap, which you can see in the picture above, that I purchased at my local heath food store but that is just my preference.

After soaking 12 to 24 hours drain the water off and rinse the seeds with fresh, lukewarm water. Drain all the water off and set the jar someplace out of direct sun light. It is important to avoid excess moisture during the sprouting process. I usually turn my jar up side down in my dish rack for an hour or so to ensure all the excessive water has drained.

Rinse and drain seeds twice a day for 4 to 5 days. Take care to rinse and drain gently, shaking the seeds after they have started to sprout can break the shoots and kill the sprouts.

After 4 to 5 days your sprouts should have shed their hulls and will be long enough to eat. At this point I soak my sprouts in a large container of water, agitating them just enough to allow the hulls to separate from the sprouts. The split hulls float to the top of the water and are easy to skim off. The heavier hulls and dead seeds sink to the bottom. When removing the clean sprouts from the container I take care to leave the dead seeds and hulls on the bottom of the water. Although the hulls are eatable, they lack visual appeal and more importantly will cause premature spoilage of your sprouts.

Rule of thumb is 4 to 5 days. Being a weekend warrior, I set my seeds to soak on Sunday night and rinse them every morning while I'm having coffee. They get their second daily rinse after I have finished the dinner dishes. On Saturday or Sunday I harvest my sprouts. They are usually a little longer than the recommend sprout length, but this is not rocket science.

Your sprouts can last two weeks or more in the refrigerator. You are basically putting a live plant in your refrigerator, the same as a florist keeps cut flowers and plants alive in their refrigerator display cases, your sprouts will continue to grow at a fractional pace. Like any fresh vegetable, take care not to let them freeze or sit in water. I keep our sprouts in a sealed plastic container that has a grate on the bottom. The grate suspends the sprouts over any water that drains off after the harvest. You can do not have a grated container, you can put paper towels in the bottom of your container to absorb excess moisture.

So that's the nitty-gritty. Now, on to how I eat my sprouts, some words to the wise, and youtube videos. Also don't forget to vote in the poll and leave a message under "So what do you think?" or "Let's hear the savings!"

An excellent sandwich is cream cheese, avocado and sprouts. I layer each ingredient, rather than mixing them together like a spread, so the sprouts retain their crispness. And I go heavy with the cream cheese, use a nice ripe, sliced avocado and a good size pile of cold crunchy sprouts. If you don't like avocados, just cream cheese with a salad mix of sprouts is good, too.

Other great ways to serve sprouts, including which kinds are best in different dishes, can be found at: http://www.isga-sprouts.org/recipes.htm

First, do not try to grow your garden variety seeds for sprouts. Garden seeds are often engineered and/or treated with chemicals so they will withstand harsh weather, mold, insects, etc. Most health food stores have some type of sprouting seeds-- just pull out the phone book and start calling around. $5.50 for a 16 oz bag of alfalfa seeds, $2.80 for 16 oz of sunflower seeds is the going rate in lower Michigan.

Second, don't over do it. Whenever you introduce something new into your diet, small amounts are best. Most people don't know if clover will agree with their body until they've tried them. If you are allergic to radish, cabbage, alfalfa then you might want to avoid those sprouts.

Third, keep your sprouts out of direct sunlight, especially while they are in a jar. They need a little indirect sun to turn green towards the third or fourth day.

Pull out your address book and mail your family and friends: a small package of sprouting seeds (1 or 2 TBS in a zip lock bag), a square of cheese cloth (large enough to cover a mason jar), a rubber band and a note with something like,

I care about your health!
Your mission, should you decided to accept it, can be found at:

http://www.squidoo.com/love-my-sprouts

Follow the instructions as presented on the Youtube video's.
Your seeds will self-destruct in approximately 4 days.
Good Luck!

You can personalize this Lens by leaving your friends a note under the comment sections, "So, what do you think." or "Let's hear the savings." such as, "Hey Linda, Let me know which you liked better, the alfalfa or zesty salad mix."

See, even as 20+ year old can do it!!