I have noticed that sprouts aren’t as easy to find in the supermarket’s produce isle these days, but that doesn’t mean that I, nor you should go without!
I’ve recently taken to home sprouting, it’s a fun and easy way to get some greens in your diet the whole year round, and it can be super cheap too!
All you need is a 16 or 32 ounce wide mouth mason jar, a ring lid and a wire mesh screen that will fit over the opening of the jar ( see picture), or, alternately, a fine nylon netting and an elastic band.
Sprouts have an excellent nutritional profile, packed with vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and phytonutrients noted to be anti- inflammatory and anti-oxidant. The increase in nutritive value from seed to sprout is due to an explosion of enzymatic activity as the awakened seed breaks down its own proteins and starches, making these nutrients more readily available for digestion.
Many sprouts also contain micronutrients that are beneficial for hormonal health, and broccoli sprouts, in particular, have a healthy dose of sulforaphane, a compound identified as aiding in the prevention of cancer.
As well as these health benefits, sprouts also have a wide array of delectable flavours, from fresh, to nutty, to hot and spicy! they can add flare to salads, soups and sandwiches, or just enjoyed on their own.
You have to use organic seeds specific for sprouting to ensure safety and quality. Sprouting seeds can be found at Whole Foods, West Coast Seeds, Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds online, or perhaps at your local health food store.
So let’s get sprouting!
In a clean, sanitary mason jar, soak 1 to 4 tablespoons of seed in purified water 6-12 hours, use roughly one cup per tbsp of seed. Small seeds may require lesser soaking time, while larger seeds need more.
Soaking is important because it weakens the seeds’ protective chemical barrier, triggering it to sprout. You will notice that they start to swell a little, and the husks may start to split.
Put on the mesh screen lid, and leave the sprout jar in a lowly lit area.
After the soak, drain the water and place propped in a bowl at a 45 degree angle screen side down to allow it to fully drain. You can make use of the left over sprout water to treat your houseplants to a great natural fertilizer!
You will need to rinse the seeds by submerging them in water, gently swirling before draining fully. Put the jar back in the bowl as before. Repeat this process 3 times a day.
Sprouts usually take 3 to 5 days until they are ready to eat. They increase in volume quite a bit, one tablespoon of alfalfa seeds yields about three cups of sprouts! Store in a lidded container for up to 12 days.
Below is a series of photos I have taken to follow my system of sprouting.
