Making
your own Sprouts
Sprouts are tasty and delicious, and growing them
is a simple process,
although it does require a few minutes of your
time each day to get quality healthy sprouts.
Sprouts are rich in sulforaphane, a cancer-fighting
compound.
Sprouts spring from newly germinated peas and
beans. They add much in the way of nutrients-to-your diet,
& they're tasty and inexpensive. There are many varieties, ranging
from mild and crunchy mung bean sprouts to spicy and delicate radish sprouts.
Raw sprouts are great in salads and sandwiches, and the sturdier varieties
can also be stir-fried briefly.
They can be grown year-round, and provide an opportunity
for simple gardening projects for limited spaces and for children. Seeds
often used for sprouting include mung bean, soybean, lentil and alfalfa.
When purchasing seeds for sprouting, be sure to
get seeds that have not been treated with a fungicide, insecticide or any
other material. This type of seed is available at health food stores and
many supermarkets.
To grow sprouts, begin with a clean, wide-mouth
quart jar. This size jar allows you to grow up to two cups of sprouts with
little difficulty. The wide mouth allows easier removal of the sprouts
with minimal damage.
Cover the bottom of the jar with the desired amount
of seed, generally not more than 1/4 cup. (Depending on the type of seed
that is used, only one to two tablespoons may be required to fill a jar.)
Cover the mouth of the jar with cheese cloth and
secure with a rubber band or screw-top ring, or use a commercially available
screw-top sprouting lid. Soak the seeds for 8-12 hours in a volume of water
at least double that of the seeds. This will soften the seed coat for sprouting.
| After soaking, drain off the water and rinse
the seeds. After the rinse water has been drained off, invert the jar and
prop it at an angle with seed distributed evenly along the side of the
jar. By placing the jar at an angle, the sprouts will have good drainage
and air circulation (Figure 1). |
 |
Keep the jar in a dark place, at 68° to 70°F.
Sprouts grown in a light location will turn green and may be bitter and
tough.
| Continue to rinse the sprouts two to four times
a day until they have grown to the desired length. Always be sure excess
water is drained off the sprouts; if the sprouts remain in the water they
could ferment and spoil (Figure 2). |
 |
Some seeds need only to be sprinkled over a moist
cloth or paper towel to sprout. Again, keep the seeds in the dark while
they sprout, and keep them moist.
Most sprouts will take two to five days to grow
to their optimum size. Wash them thoroughly to remove the seed coat, if
necessary. Sprouts may be kept for one to two weeks in the refrigerator
if kept in a sealed container. Sprouts may be frozen by blanching them
over steam for three minutes and cooling them in ice water. Drain them
and pack into freezer containers.
One cup of raw mung bean sprouts contains 48 calories,
6.5 grams of protein, 1.5 grams of fat, and 5.6 grams of carbohydrate.
One cup of cooked bean sprouts contains 48 calories, 6.6 grams of protein,
1.8 grams of fat, and 4.6 grams of carbohydrate.
In addition, sprouts are a good source of minerals
and vitamins, particularly vitamins B1, B2, and C.
 |
Alfalfa sprouts : are delicious on about
anything, sold at most grocery stores. |
 |
Broccoli sprouts: these sprout have a spicy flavor
to them, good for salads & sandwiches. |
 |
Buckwheat sprouts:The fastest of all sprouts
as they are also nutty, plump and extremely tender! Buckwheat is
rich in rutin which is necessary for maintaining a healthy bloodstream. |
 |
Daikon sprouts These have a pungent,
peppery flavor good for salads & sandwiches |
 |
Onion sprouts: These have a distinct onion flavor. |
 |
Fenugreek sprouts: these sprouts have an intresting
flavorful zest. |
 |
Mung bean sprouts = bean sprouts Notes:
These are the large sprouts that are common in supermarkets. They're
crisp and nutty, and they're the best sprouts for stir-frying, though they
can also be served raw. |
|
Radish sprouts: very spicy & good! good for
salads & sandwiches. |
Seeds: Obtain high germination (90%+), organic
seeds, labeled "for sprouting"
Soaking: Soak seeds in pure drinking water for
8-10 hours or until soft.
Rinsing: Rinse the tray-grown sprouts by showering
with lots of water. Rinse the jar and then and bag sprouts by filling or
immersing. Rinse twice daily, for at least 30 seconds and no more than
12 hours apart. a third rinse is beneficial in hot weather.
Light: Green leafy tray-grown sprouts need daylight,
but avoid direct sun which can overheat them. Most bag/jar sprouts can
be grown in the dark, but darkness is not required.
Harvesting: Grab tray sprouts mid way down the
stalks and yank upward.
Storage: Once mature, store your sprouts in the
refrigerator, ideally right in the grower. Plastic bags suffocate these
living plants. Rinse once every 3 days to maintain, moisture. Leafy green
sprouts generally keep in fridge for 7 - 14 days after maturity depending
on variety and seasons. Bean/legume sprouts last 10 -21 days. Store dry
seeds in glass jar with sealed lids. Keep in a cool place, ideally away
from heat and light.
M.
Isis Israel - Authorized Direct Dealer
Northern
California
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