Let There Be Sprouts

We have brought our grow table out of the garage and set it up in our basement. This will be our 3rd attempt and things went very well last year. I thought about you guys immediately and decided to try and post an as-it-happens series. If anyone has been daunted by sprouting or starting your own seeds, this could be a chance to leap in and make some mistakes. Also, we are highly experimental and would love feed-back if you have questions or ideas to contribute, please do.

a low cost operation

Sprouts are a great activity to try in the winter. They take up next to no space, the consequences of failure are exceedingly small, and they provide a great learning opportunity for adults and kids. Did I mention that they are super healthy and delicious? You could be eating your own sprouts THIS WEEK if you start now :)

I'm starting you off with alfalfa. It is cheap, easy to sprout and has a nice, neutral, fresh green taste. You can diversify into all kinds of sprouting, eventually. My seeds came from Dad's Nutrition Centre on 8th St.

I've put 2 tablespoons of seed into a 1L pickle jar (you could use just about anything, but clear is best). Add enough water to cover them. Let them sit in the dark for several hours. I put mine on top of the fridge since the warm air from the coils makes it a bit warmer than the rest of our chilly house.

style counts!!!

After the seeds sit for a few hours (over night is better), start the rinsing cycle. I've taken a spare piece of nylon screen (cheese-cloth would work) and hold it on with a stylish pink rubber band recovered from the broccoli we buy. Dump the water out, rinse and let drain. You will want to rinse them a couple of times a day (three if you have any molding issues). It takes about 10 seconds so remembering is really the tricky part. Whatever works with your schedule--Before and after work then before bed would be lots.

My seeds draining into a glass bread pan

That's it! Rinse them for 4-7 days. how long will depend on temperature. When they are fluffy and filling your container give them a final rinse. If you don't want to eat the unsprouted seeds, you may remove the spouts from the jar for the final rinse. Let them sit their last day on a sunny window, or under your grow light (that's why you wanted a clear container). This lets the leaves green up and adds some great nutrition. Then just pop them in the fridge or eat them on the spot.

If you eat them a lot, start a batch every 3-4 days. They are great on hot-dogs/tofu-dogs, salads, sandwiches, even some soups.