Grow sprouts in a jar and you’ll find it is as easy as turning on the faucet a few times a day! Growing sprouts doesn’t have to involve specialized equipment. All it takes is an empty jar, cloth, and some daily TLC.

Even more important is the nutrition and texture growing sprouts brings to your daily diet. Sprouts are a powerhouse of nutrients, essentially concentrating the nutrition of seeds in a more digestible plant form. Read on to learn how to grow sprouts in the comfort of your home.

Equipment

To grow sprouts, you will need a wide-mouth jar, a cheese cloth that you can use as a lid, and a rubber band to seal the cloth tight.

Seeds

Look for seeds that are labeled “sprouting seeds” or “for sprouting”. This is important for several reasons. The label ensures that the seeds will indeed spout properly as well as most likely have been cleaned and hence devoid of pathogens. If unlabeled, reach for organic seeds to ensure there are not fungicides, pesticides, or other things you don’t want to ingest. The most common beans, seeds, and grains to grow sprouts are alfalfa, lentil, mung, rye, yellow soy, and wheat. Experiment with radish, beet, pea shoot, red clover, barley, amaranth, broccoli, and sunflower sprouts as well!

Sprouting Process

1. Place 1-2 tablespoons of seeds in a jar and cover with 2-3 inches of water. Let soak overnight.
2. The next day, drain and rinse the seeds thoroughly with water. Drain and allow the seeds to remain wet in the jar wet, but not swimming in water.
3. Cover the top of the jar with a cheese cloth, muslin, or nylon. Secure with a rubber band.
4. Store the seeds in a place they don’t get direct sunlight. Rinse the seeds 2-3 times per day. Once rinsed, drain by turning the jar upside down at an angle, allowing the cheese cloth to act as a sieve to let excess water drain. Keep the jar in the this position, placing it in a small bowl of some sort so it can stay at the upside down angle.
   
5. Once they begin sprouting, place the jar somewhere it can receive sunlight to turn the sprouts green and allow them to grow larger.
6. After a few days the sprouts will need to be de-hulled. Shake the sprouts in water to separate the hulls, then drain.
7. After 3-7 days, depending on the variety, the sprouts should be ready to use. Sprouts are best when they are still small and turning green. 

Image: Darnlucky

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 Interested in growing sprouts in your own kitchen? It’s easy.

“Your mom put sprouts on your sandwich didn’t she?”

I was commiserating with a friend over our hippy-ish upbringings. It’s true. There’s no way any elementary school goer would ever have traded their sandwich for mine, but although I may have been traumatized by the minor social implications at the time, I’m sure glad my mother wasn’t stuffing my lunch bags full of bologna and potato chips. Thanks, mom.

Yes, there were sprouts in my sandwiches, and I grew to love them.

Although alfalfa sprouts are an easier addition to sandwiches, my preferred germinated seeds are lentil sprouts. Crunchy and light, they’re the perfect addition to summer salads and cultivating them doesn’t take more than a good jar and some water. Especially if you’re a city dweller and are feeling pangs of withdrawal from not having a garden, growing sprouts is an easy way to get some good cultivation action in your kitchen.

You can grow sprouts from a variety of beans and seeds, but the easiest are lentil and alfalfa. You can even make them from chickpeas. Keep in mind that just like with many other raw foods, there have been cases of food-borne illnesses resulting from eating contaminated sprouts. Be sure to take the regular precautions: use clean seeds and a clean container and wash your hands every time before you handle the sprouts.

How to grow your own lentil sprouts:

1. Rinse the lentils.

2. Take one cup of lentils, place in a large bowl and let them soak overnight (8-12 hours).

3. Strain the excess water, rinse off the lentils and transfer to a glass jar (something along the lines of a mason jar). You want to fill the jar about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way full. The lentils will expand as they sprout and this gives them enough room.

4. Cover the jar with cheesecloth and cinch it down with a rubber band.

5. For the next few days you will want to rinse the lentils once a day and then drain. You can prop the jar upside down in your dish drying rack to facilitate this process. The important thing is to make sure that the water gets out so that you don’t have any at the bottom of the jar – a little pool of water will lead to a lot of slime, and neither you or your lentils want that.

6. Do the rinse/drain process once a day for about 2 to 5 days, or until the sprout tails grow to the length you want them. You’ll see that even after 24 hours the lentils will split open.

7. Rinse again, drain – make sure to get all residual water out – and place them in an airtight container lined with a paper towel. Seal and refrigerate. You can store them this way for up to about a week.

Eat on their own, throw in a salad, or garnish a soup.

Image: Veganbaking.net

The post Raw and Delicious: An Easy Guide to Growing Sprouts appeared first on EcoSalon.