Sprouts – Super NutritionSprouts are good for you! Not only are they packed with vitamins and anti-oxidants, they contain enzymes that are released from a seed as it germinates and sprouts. These enzymes are beneficial to digestion and to cell regeneration. Sprouts provide enzymes that will help to slow the aging process, prevent and cure disease, and strengthen your immune system. The enzymes exist in the seed, but are suppressed by enzyme inhibitors until the seed has enough water to germinate and grow. So grains eaten as whole grains or bread do not have the same enzyme-packed power that sprouts have. Sprouts are, quite frankly, a super-food that is easy and fun to grow anywhere, all year long. It doesn't get any better than that!
Sprouting ProcedureI use about 1 teaspoon of seed, maybe less – just enough to cover the bottom of the tray with one layer of seed. Soak the sprout seeds in water overnight, then drain off the water in the morning. Add water, rinse and drain twice a day – I do this in the morning before I leave for work and in the evening after I get home. It takes about 1 minute to do – even with 2 or 3 trays. I use filtered water since our tap city water is quite chlorinated. Sprouts will grow right in the kitchen without any special conditions or lighting.Ways to use SproutsExperiment to find what you like best. I like them on salads and sandwiches. I make sprout salads – with sprouts, sunflower seeds and Italian dressing. Wheat sprouts are amazingly sweet. Try them plain first – the taste is like nothing else. Eat the whole thing; no need to try to remove the remaining seed – there are vitamins in there!Sprouting systemsWide mouth Mason Jar with screen lid - This is a good method for bean sprouts, as the seeds are large enough to not run through the screens. Plastic draining tray - Home Sprouting Kits work quite well but can be expensive. They usually consist of 3 or 4 stacking cylindrical clear plastic trays. The bottom tray is for water collection, the upper trays hold the sprout seeds. The intention is to fill the top tray with water (no sprout seeds) and set it on the stack. Water then drains to the lower trays, rinsing and draining. The trays are approx 1.5 inches high, so these stacks conveniently sit in the corner of the kitchen counter. The only problem that I have had with this type of system was that wheat sprouts would grow mold. The drainage was good, but air ventilation was not sufficient. My home-made system - This is a simple, inexpensive system but it works! Just as an experiment, I took a plastic container that had held soy nut snacks, cut an opening in the lid so I can add water, and bored small holes in one corner of the lid for drainage. It is a small (3” square, 3” high) container of clear plastic. I've used this for bean, salad mix and wheat sprouts; it is a good size for 2 people. The lid is about half cut away which allows plenty of air to reach the seeds. Of the different methods I've tried, I like the home-made trays the best. It allows you to try growing sprouts without a large investment and you can experiment with different size trays. Now I shop for groceries with an eye on the container! |