Fresh, organic vegetables everyday from a square foot of counter space.
- WHY EAT SPROUTS
- WHY SPROUT AT HOME
- WHAT TO SPROUT
- WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- GET SPROUTING JAR
- DIRECTIONS (SMALL SEEDS, PEA SHOOTS, SUNFLOWERS, WHEATGRASS)
- HOW TO SPROUT VIDEOS (USING A JAR, USING A TRAY, SPROUTING TIPS & FAQS)
- SALMONELLA SCARE
- WHAT IS HYDORPONICS?
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Why Eat Sprouts
quoted from The Wonders of Sprouting by Lucie Desjarlais, RNC
"Lots of reasons! They carry plenty of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and enzymes, all necessary for the body to function optimally. In addition to providing the greatest amount of these nutrients, sprouts deliver them in a form that is easily digested and assimilated. In fact, they improve the efficiency of digestion. Sprouts are also deliciously fresh and colourful!
Sprouts are very inexpensive (even when organic), always fresh (they grow until you chew them) and have the potential to help solve hunger and malnutrition problems in our communities and in developing countries, because they are so rich in nutrients, affordable, and easy to transport before sprouting. Sprouts are precious in winter, when the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables is declining as their price increases."
"(Sprouts) supply the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc. of any food per unit of calorie."
"...sprouts nourish and strengthen the whole body, including the vital immune system."
Most of us in North America depend on fresh produce that is transported across half a continent. Though we may garden in the summer, winter stops all but the most dedicated, or most southern, gardeners. Home sprouting can supply delicious fresh food, without the environmental drawbacks of the Mega-farm produced fresh produce, and at a fraction of the cost. Sprouting at home takes only a few seconds a day and can produce a good part of your daily requirements of the nutrients you need from fresh produce. The hassles are minor, the costs are low, and the freshness is wonderful. If you can supply a jar, some screen or netting, and rinse the sprouts twice a day, you can grow delicious organic sprouts in 4 to 6 days.
Most seeds can be sprouted and eaten but avoid sprouting any seeds from plants that may have poisonous parts. Common seeds for sprouting include alfalfa, fenugreek, lentils, peas, radish, and red clover. Mung beans have been sprouted in Asia for thousands of years, but take more equipment and time than other seeds. Other less common seeds include cabbage, broccoli, garbanzos, mustard seed, and quinoa. Most grains can grow chlorophyll rich grass crops, and grains without hulls can be used as short sprouts. Save garden seeds (radish is easy, just let them go to seed and harvest when dry and ripe). Caragana seeds make delicious sprouts. Spread a blanket or tarp by the bushes just before the pods pop open to catch the seeds.
- A jar, 1 liter to 4 litre (1 qt. to gallon) size, depending on your appetite for sprouts and the size of your family.
- A bowl of the right size and weight to prop up the jar.
- Some screen or netting and a rubber band, either nylon tulle from a fabric shop or grey fibreglass screen from a hardware store, will work fine.
- Fresh water.
- Seeds with good germination, preferably grown organically. Avoid purchased garden seeds unless you know they aren't treated. Most natural food stores have the common sprouting seeds; if in doubt, ask if it's organic. If you know a farmer who grows the seeds you want without chemicals, buy in bulk. Most sees keep for a year in a cool dry place.
- You can also use a home sprouting device, such as the SproutMaster. Follow the directions that come with the device.
Easy sprouting directions for most small seeds
- Soak. Put 1 to 4 Tbsp seed in a wide mouth jar. Cover with mesh and secure with rubber band. Add water, swirl, and drain. Add 1 cup cool water and soak for 4 - 8 hours.
- Rinse twice a day. Refill jar with cool water, swirl, and drain. Invert jar and prop at angle in sink or bowl.
- Enjoy. In three to six days, when sprouts are 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2" ) long, enjoy. Cover the jar with plastic and a rubber band, or transfer to a covered container, and refrigerate to store.
Watch our video to see these 3 easy steps in action!
Watch our video on how to grow sprouts using a sprouting tray:
This video answers some frequently asked sprouting questions, and gives great tips for growing beautiful sprouts!
easy pea shoots (microgreens) with no soil
These are instructions for an 8" x 10" (large) SproutMaster tray, or a similar tray with a mesh bottom. Just modify amount of seed for a larger or smaller tray. A tightly woven split bamboo basket with a flat bottom will also work.
You'll need:
- One mesh bottom tray (SproutMaster or something similar)
- Peas, shoot growing type for taller results. Approx 1/2 c or 90 g or 3 oz (about 1 layer in your tray).
- Tray to catch drips. (If using SproutMaster, bottom tray is included.)
- Option- Poly sheet to cover shoots
- Option- Spray bottle for moistening seeds
- Option- Sea Spray kelp fertilizer, mixed according to directions.
DAY 1:
- Wash the seeds in clean water, drain, and refill container to soak the seeds for 4 to 8 hours. (Option- soak the seeds in Sea Spray solution.)
- Spread the soaked seeds as evenly as you can over the tray. It should be approximately one layer of seeds.
- Loosely cover with the poly sheet (or SproutMaster lid) to keep in moisture.
DAY 2 - 4:
- Lift poly/lid and spray or sprinkle seeds twice daily to keep moist. They should be moist but not standing in water.
DAY 5 - 8:
- Spray, sprinkle, or dip in water twice daily. (Option- you can use Sea Spray solution for some of the waterings.)
DAY 9 -12
- Cut or pinch off pea shoots as needed. They should be 3" to 6" tall by now. You can harvest the whole tray by cutting the roots below the mesh and pulling the whole growing mass out of the sprouter. Cut off the roots if desired. Refrigerate.
HINTS
- Grow OK between 65F and 75F.
- Avoid direct sunlight. Bright indirect light is OK. Florescent light is OK as well.
- Dry air is preferable to humid, if mould is a problem.
- Peas can be consumed form the just sprouted stage until the stems start to get too tough. Both forms are great in stir-fries and salads.
- Bright light will produce larger leaves and leafier shoots.
Growing big, juicy sunflower shoots (microgreens) without soil
These are instructions for an 8" x 10" (large) SproutMaster tray, or a similar tray with a mesh bottom. Just modify amount of seed for a larger or smaller tray. A tightly woven split bamboo basket with a flat bottom will also work.
You'll need:
- One mesh bottom tray (SproutMaster or something similar)
- Sunflowers- black oilseed work well. Preferably a sunflower seed that has been tested for sprouting quality. Approx 1/2 c or 90 g or 3 oz (about 1 layer in your tray).
- Rustproof larger pan to hold tray. Pyrex glass baking dish works well.
- Polyethylene sheet large enough to cover the tray. This is used to keep moisture in during the early stages of sprouting, and to help raise humidity during the later stages to aid hull drop.
- Option- Spray bottle for moistening seeds
- Option- Sea Spray kelp fertilizer, mixed according to directions.
DAY 1:
- Wash the seeds in clean water, drain, and refill container to soak the seeds for 4 to 8 hours. (Option- soak the seeds in Sea Spray solution.)
- Spread the soaked seeds as evenly as you can over the tray. It should be approximately one layer of seeds.
- Loosely cover with the poly sheet (or SproutMaster lid) to keep in moisture.
DAY 2 - 3:
- Lift poly/lid and spray or sprinkle seeds twice daily to keep moist. They should be moist but not standing in water.
DAY 3 or 4:
- in the larger tray
- Rinse or mist twice a day.
DAY 5:
- Change water daily to keep approximately 1/4" deep. You can allow the leaves to lift the loose polyethylene cover, in dry conditions. Remove if mould is noted.
- Rinse or mist twice a day.
DAY 6 - 9:
- Continue checking/adding water every day.
- Rinse or mist twice a day.
DAY 10- 12
- Cut or pinch off sunflower shoots as needed. They should be 3" to 6" tall by now. You can harvest the whole tray by cutting the roots below the mesh and pulling the whole growing mass out of the sprouter. Pick off hulls and cut off roots if desired. Refrigerate.
HINTS
- Grow OK between 65F and 75F.
- Avoid direct sunlight. Bright indirect light is OK. Florescent light is OK as well.
- Dry air is preferable to humid, if mould is a problem.
- Sunflowers can be consumed from as soon as the leaves open until the second leaves (first true leaves) start to form. After that, they will begin to get tough.
- Hulls can be removed by picking off near the end of the growing. Most should fall off. Keeping the humidity higher by covering with plastic helps hull removal. Light brushing with your hand before harvesting will also knock off more hulls. Misting twice daily will help the hulls release.
- Black sunflowers generally lose hulls easier than striped sunflowers.
For a 11" x 12" greenhouse tray you'll need:
- One greenhouse tray, without drainage. (Option- one 11"x21" or two 11"x11" trays with drainage to fit inside each undrained tray.)
- Wheat seed (wheat berries) preferably organically grown, about 1.5 cup, 275 g, 10 oz. Spring wheat and winter wheat are both fine, as long as they are healthy seed suited for wheatgrass.
- One of- baby blanket (felted jutte matting or unbleached paper towels to fit the tray.
- Polyethylene sheet large enough to cover the tray. this is used to keep moisture in during the early stages of sprouting.
- Option- spray bottle for misting seeds.
- Option- Kelpman kelp fertilizer, mixed according to directions.
DAY 1:
- Wash the seeds in clean water, drain, and refill container to soak the seeds for 8-12 hours. (Option- soak seeds in KelpMan solution.)
- Line the tray with baby blanket, or a couple of layers of unbleached paper towels. Saturate the liner with water and drain off excess.
- Spread the soaked seeds as evenly as possible over the wet liner. It should be approximately one layer of seeds.
- Loosely cover with the poly sheet to keep in moisture.
DAY 2 & 3:
- Lift plastic and spray or sprinkle seeds to keep moist. They should be moist but not standing in any water.
DAY 4:
- Wheat should be starting to grip the towel or baby blanket. If firmly attached, you may be able to lift the matting and pour 1/2 cup water into the tray.
DAY 5:
- Add approximately 1/2 cup water daily. Adjust to your conditions- more water if it seems too dry, less if too wet. You can allow the leaves to lift the loose polyethylene cover, in dry conditions. Remove if conditions are moist or mould is noted.
DAY 6 - 9:
- Continue adding water every day. (Option- you can use Sea Spray solution for some of the watering.) You may need to increase the water quantity a bit as the wheatgrass gets taller.
DAY 10 and beyond:
- Cut the wheatgrass as needed with a scissors or sharp knife. Cut close to the roots, but above any traces of mould that might be evident at the root level. Rinse and juice with a wheatgrass juicer, or grind in a blender with water and strain.
- If you continue to water the wheatgrass, the remainder will continue to grow for 5 to 10 more days as you use it.
HINTS:
- Grows OK between 60F and 75F, ideal temperature is 67F.
- Pre-sprout the wheat for a day or two in a jar or sprout bag to shorten the growing time in the tray.
- Avoid direct sunlight- bright indirect light is OK. Florescent light is OK as well.
- Dry air is preferable to humid, if mould is a problem.
- A fan to move air might also be useful if mould is a problem.
- Wheatgrass can be cut as short as 3.5" tall, and may grow to 7 or 8 inches tall.
- An 11 x 22 inch tray can produce about 8 - 20 oz. of juice when harvested and juiced. Quantity depends on the juicer and the growth stage.
Sprouts, like any fresh live food, could carry harmful bacteria; nothing grown in nature is sterile. Although we feel the risk of organic seed being contaminated with salmonella or e.coli is very small, we do take it very seriously. We sample each lot (probe every bag) as it arrives in our warehouse. Samples go to an independent lab for sprouting, followed by salmonella and ecoli O157 tests. We keep seeds quarantined until negative test results are returned. We use a system of GMP's (good manufacturing practices) to insure the seed stays clean until it reaches the customer.
Sprouts have been a vital source of nutrition for numerous civilizations over the past 5000 years. They are a powerhouse of nutrition, having the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes of any food per calories unit. Wheatgrass juice is the closest thing to hemoglobin known and is therefore a phenomenal blood purifier and liver detoxifier. So we must ask whether the benefits of sprouts outweigh the risks. According to The Sproutman, Steve Meyerowitz "In a given year, getting hit by lightning (1.29 people per million) is more likely than contracting E. Coli (1.1 people per million) from meat, poultry, shellfish, milk, eggs and produce combined. Since produce represents the smallest risk of these foods (41 outbreaks in 5 years) and since sprouts represent an even smaller risk than produce (12 in 40 years), the benefits of eating sprouts dramatically, statistically and historically outweigh the contamination risks."
Do the benefits of sprouts outweigh the risks? As always, listen to your body and intuition. That is something only you can decide.
What can you do to be extra safe?
Use certified organic seeds. Organic certification assures that seeds have been grown and handled in a manner that helps minimize possible sources of contamination. Manure used on organic fields, for example, must be composted for a long period. Composting has been shown to reduce or eliminate pathogens in manure. Organic farmers are also required to use rodent and bird proof storage for seeds destined for consumption. Organic sprouting seeds haven't been implicated in any outbreak of food poisoning.
Make sure that any seeds you buy have been handled as a food crop and not a farm planting seed crop. Seeds that have been in contact with animals or animal waste could be contaminated with salmonella or e-coli O157 H7, leading to food poisoning. Reputable sprouting seed suppliers test all lots of seed for contamination.
Refrigerate finished sprouts. Treat sprouts and foods containing sprouts as you would any nutritious food- refrigerate until used.
If you collect your own garden seeds, make sure to dry them and store them in a clean and rodent-free environment.
For more information on the relative risks of sprouts compared to other foods, see this article by the Sproutman, Steve Meyerowitz. I feel that home grown sprouts, especially grown from certified organic seed, are far safer than a hamburger or a potato salad at a picnic.
In Latin, the word hydroponics means 'water working'. Hydroponics is a way of growing plants in nutrient-enriched water instead of soil, thus eliminating any bacteria and impurities from the soil.
In soil, organic matter breaks down into nutrient salts that plants feed on. Water dissolves these salts and allows uptake by the roots. For a plant to receive a well-balanced diet, everything in the soil must be in perfect balance. Such ideal conditions are rare in soil.
As well as receiving a perfectly balanced diet, hydroponic plants have their food and water delivered directly to their roots. This way, the energy normally used to develop long roots can be directed to growing more leafy matter. It's organic, environmentally responsible, sustainable and safe. Microgreens (and sprouts) are well-suited to hydroponic production.
-Excerpt from Microgreens: How to grow nature's own superfood, by Fionna Hill.
See above for directions on growing wheatgrass and sunflowers hydroponcially.
- Grilled Cheese- liven up a grilled cheese sandwich with your favourite sprouts and a tomato slice.
- Tacos and Wraps- use sprouts instead of shredded lettuce.
- Hamburgers & Hot Dogs- sprouts can replace lettuce in these kid's favourites.
- Sandwiches, Subs, and Pitas- sprouts are a delicious addition to any of these.
- Salads- add fresh sprouts to just about any salad, or create your own sprout salad. Radish sprouts are great in coleslaw or potato salad, or anyplace you would use radishes.
- Omelets- Add a half cup of sprouts to your omelets just before folding. Sprout mixes or alfalfa are great for this.
- Breads- a half cup of sprouts per loaf makes a tasty, nutritious addition to homemade breads. (Add with the liquids.) The sprout nutrients also seem to help the yeast produce a higher loaf.
- Soups- a few sprouts added just before serving are great in many soups.
- Peanut butter sandwiches- believe it or not, I love sprouts in peanut butter sandwiches!
- Use your imagination. Please let us know when you find a new use for sprouts.
Visit our new recipe section to see more recipes and ideas!
© Jim Mumm 2010- 2019