sprouts are the solution to having highly nutritious, fast and easy to grow fresh raw food through the winter months and year round... most sprouting seeds can last for 2 - 10 years in the right conditions (dry, dark, cool), so having a good stash around at all times insures a continual supply of raw nutrition in almost any situation, as sprouts need very little to grow... a few minutes of attention per day, fresh water, and some LIGHT, and in no time, you have a gorgeous micro garden - a dense-pack of super nutrition, grown right in your own home... and by mixing sprouts with other simple foods you can create many *very* delicious dishes
basics of sprouting:
these are the basics for sprouting leafy sprouts like alfalfa and clover (which is what we eat the most)... you will need: glass mason jars with SPROUT LIDS *OR* some sprouters, seeds, water, and LIGHT... first, soak 2-3 tbsp. of sprout seeds in about a cup of cool fresh water for 8-12 hours... pour out the water and RINSE THOROUGHLY - with running water (in the sprouters) or by filling the glass jar up with water and pouring it out 3-5 times... when the seeds are well drained, place them where they will get good air circulation - if you are using a sprouter, keep the lid on, if you are using mason jars with sprouter lids, place them at an angle with the mouth of the jar facing down (a dish-drain works perfect), and cover the jars with a dishtowel (seeds sprout in the dark underground first)... keep rinsing and draining every 8-12 hours (pick a good time to do it twice a day - like 9 am and 9 pm) for about 3 days...
on the 4th day, after their morning rinse, stick them in a place with good even light - indirect sunlight is plenty, where it gets good air circulation and a balanced light all day... keep rinsing/draining/greening thru days 4 and 5... after your last rinse on day 5 or your first rinse on day 6, either let the sprouts drain and dry for 8-12 hours before putting them in the fridge for storage OR, wash the hulls out for a cleaner, fresher experience
how to de-hull / clean your sprouts:
method 1 - if using a large ball mason jar, simply fill the jar completely with cool water, gently swish it around, then hold the sprouts with your hand and tip it over to allow the excess seeds and hulls to run out with the water - repeat a few times until a fair amount of hulls are removed...
method 2 - if using a salad spinner - fill the large outer bowl with water and place the sprouts in it - carefully separate the clump of sprouts and swish around gently so the hulls float to the surface, and any unsprouted seeds settle at the bottom - gather the sprouts to the side with your hand and pour out the water with the hulls and seeds... repeat a couple times, then place the sprouts in the strainer / spinner and spin as much water out as you can (usually a couple times is fine)... this will leave you with some super clean vibrant sprouts that will stay fresh much longer, and will also taste better... store in a clean jar, plastic bag or air tight container
our favorite combination + more details:
a few vertical sprouters and a few horizontal sprouters - we start the process in the vertical sprouters, because these are excellent for rinsing very small seeds - none of the seeds escape, they get thoroughly watered, and the vertical shape allows you to rinse them very well - tapping the sides with your hand, and holding your finger on the bottom to drain away all the excess water... the sprouts LOVE these for the first 3 days... on the third or fourth day, transfer the sproutlings VERY GENTLY into a horizontal tray sprouter - try not to loose any of those little guys either... rinse with cool water and see that the young sproutlings are evenly distributed in the tray... drain thoroughly by holding the tray at an angle - placing your finger at the bottom corner so the extra water siphons off via your fingers... once they are well drained, keep the trays covered until day 4... on day 4, place the sprouts in a well lit area - anywhere that has nice indirect sunlight MOST of the time - on our table, the sun hits it directly for brief periods and the sprouts love it, but too much sun can quickly cook them so be careful... at night the sprouts enjoy the basic kitchen lighting... keep rinsing every 8-12 hours through day 5, and about 8-12 hours after their morning rinse on day 6, they are ready to eat!
sprouting beans
"Mung Beans (Vigna radiata) are small 1/4 inch, round, olive green bean. The inside of a Mung Bean is dark mustard colored. When husked and split, the Green Mung Bean becomes known in India as the Yellow Mung, Moong Dal. Mung Beans are used in a variety of forms; whole, peeled, split or ground. Mung Beans are also known as Sabat Moong, Mung Pea, Green Gram, Golden Gram, Black Gram or Moong Dal. Mung Beans have a sweet flavor, soft texture, and are easy to digest. These beans are sprouted to produce bean sprouts, which contain vitamin C, not found in the dry bean. Mung Beans have a long history in India where they originated and were introduced to China many centuries ago, and are the most common beans to be sprouted in Asia, Europe and America."
how to sprout mung beans (from the sprout people)
sprouting grains
sprouted grains are an excellent way to get the most nutrition out of each little byte, while making them easier to digest - the main thing we make with sprouted grains is sprouted grain bread, which is usually sprouted wheat, spelt, or kamut - stay tuned for the recipe
how to sprout grains (from the sprout people)
excellent sources for very high quality sprouting seeds, supplies, instructions, and wisdom ~ great service, good people!
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