SSanguine
August 27th, 2005, 01:23 AM
Grow Your Own Sprouts
Seed sprouts, very yummy, easy to grow, rich in vitamins & proteins, and quick to raise. You just need a tiny space in a dark and warm niche (kitchen cupboard) and almost any kind of household container.
Use seeds such as:
*Mung bean
*Soybean
*Alfalfa
*wheat
*corn
*barley
*mustard
*clover
*radish
*Dried Peas
*Beans
*Lentils
Most Health Food stores carry these seeds specifically for sprouting. NEVER buy seeds that are being sold for planting in the garden, these are normally treated with some sort of chemical fungicide.
Avoid these sprouts which are or can be poisonous:
*Tomato
*Potato
*Many Ornamental Flowers
*Foilage Plants
*Wild Plants
1)Measure your seeds out to 1/4 cup, this will yield about 1 to 2 cups of sprouts (enough for four average servings).
2)Rinse seeds thoroughly in a sieve or strainer.
3)Soak Seeds overnight in cool water with approximately 4 times as much water than seeds.
4)Come morning, drain the seeds and put them in a sterile container (such as a bowl, wide mouthed jar, or flowerpot, etc.). A shallow layer of seeds in a wide container is better than a deep layer of seeds in a narrow container.
5)Remember to keep seeds damp at all times, but never wet and allow air to reach them.
6) Seeds should be rinsed twice daily while sprouting. Soybeans and Chickpea sprouts should be rinsed 4-6 times daily. Discard any seeds that are not sprouting properly.
7) During the last few rinses the seed hulls should come off of seeds.
As an example:
Use a wide-mouthed jar covered with a cheesecloth held on by a rubber band or screw on lid. This works really well for the entire process, less work without use of strainer. Just keep your jar in a bowl at a 45 degree angle to allow any excess water in jar to drain out.
How do you know when a sprout is finished sprouting?? Depends on the sprout really, most sprouts are 1- 1 1/2 inches long. Peas and lentils sprouts are about the size of the seed itself. A general rule, the bigger a seed, the shorter the sprout for maximum flavor and tenderness.
Sprouts are GREAT when they are fresh but should only be kept in the fridge for 4-6 days before thrown out. Don't waste!
VOILA! You now have healthy and nutritious sprouts!!!
Seed sprouts, very yummy, easy to grow, rich in vitamins & proteins, and quick to raise. You just need a tiny space in a dark and warm niche (kitchen cupboard) and almost any kind of household container.
Use seeds such as:
*Mung bean
*Soybean
*Alfalfa
*wheat
*corn
*barley
*mustard
*clover
*radish
*Dried Peas
*Beans
*Lentils
Most Health Food stores carry these seeds specifically for sprouting. NEVER buy seeds that are being sold for planting in the garden, these are normally treated with some sort of chemical fungicide.
Avoid these sprouts which are or can be poisonous:
*Tomato
*Potato
*Many Ornamental Flowers
*Foilage Plants
*Wild Plants
1)Measure your seeds out to 1/4 cup, this will yield about 1 to 2 cups of sprouts (enough for four average servings).
2)Rinse seeds thoroughly in a sieve or strainer.
3)Soak Seeds overnight in cool water with approximately 4 times as much water than seeds.
4)Come morning, drain the seeds and put them in a sterile container (such as a bowl, wide mouthed jar, or flowerpot, etc.). A shallow layer of seeds in a wide container is better than a deep layer of seeds in a narrow container.
5)Remember to keep seeds damp at all times, but never wet and allow air to reach them.
6) Seeds should be rinsed twice daily while sprouting. Soybeans and Chickpea sprouts should be rinsed 4-6 times daily. Discard any seeds that are not sprouting properly.
7) During the last few rinses the seed hulls should come off of seeds.
As an example:
Use a wide-mouthed jar covered with a cheesecloth held on by a rubber band or screw on lid. This works really well for the entire process, less work without use of strainer. Just keep your jar in a bowl at a 45 degree angle to allow any excess water in jar to drain out.
How do you know when a sprout is finished sprouting?? Depends on the sprout really, most sprouts are 1- 1 1/2 inches long. Peas and lentils sprouts are about the size of the seed itself. A general rule, the bigger a seed, the shorter the sprout for maximum flavor and tenderness.
Sprouts are GREAT when they are fresh but should only be kept in the fridge for 4-6 days before thrown out. Don't waste!
VOILA! You now have healthy and nutritious sprouts!!!