!44: Sprouting Basics - Make Sprouts at Home and Add Nutrients to Your Diet

!±8± Sprouting Basics - Make Sprouts at Home and Add Nutrients to Your Diet

Sprouts make for an excellent source of fiber, antioxidants, protein, enzymes and vitamins and the fact that they taste good makes them even better! Sprouts are in actual fact seeds that have started to grow and can be grown in the comfort of your own home from beans, grains and vegetable seeds.

Not only will you save money by growing your own sprouts, but you will also be able to enjoy your sprouts fresh which means that they will contain higher levels of nutrients than the sprouts you buy in the shops.

Start Growing Your Own Sprouts
When planning on growing sprouts at home, try to get organic seeds and make sure you have a spot that receives enough light but not direct sunlight.

1. You will need to soak your seeds prior to planting them in the sprouting container. The amount of time you need to soak the seeds for will depend on the kind of seed you have chosen.
2. After soaking, drain and rinse the seeds and then move them to your sprouting container.
3. Cover your container with either Clingfilm or a lid as this will stop your sprouts from drying out.
4. Rinse and drain the seeds every morning and evening to stop any mold from forming.
5. After a couple of days as indicated on the packet, your seeds will be ready for harvesting.
6. Rinse the sprouts and either eat immediately or store in your fridge.
7. When storing sprouts in the fridge remember to rinse them once a day.

If your sprouting environment is either too hot, too wet or if you do not rinse you sprouts frequently, mould will start to form on the sprouts. Should this happen it is best that you throw away the entire batch, wash the sprouting container, rinse it with vinegar and start over again. If you add a few radish seeds they will assist in the prevention of mould forming on your sprouts.

For the best sprouts you environment needs to be:
* Not too wet or too dry
* Not too cold or too hot (a room temperature of 22 degrees Celsius is ideal)
* Not too dark and not too bright (no direct sunlight)

Seeds You Can Use for Sprouting
* Mung Beans - Soak these for 12 hours and sprout in either a jar or a tray. The sprouts are ready for harvesting when the roots are about 2 inches long.
* Peas - Pea sprouts will grow in about 3 days at which time the roots will be 2 inches long if sprouted in a glass jar.
* Soybeans - Soak the beans for 12 hours and sprout in a glass jar or pot and the sprouts will be ready in about 5 days.
* Lentils - Lentils need to be soaked for 12 hours and then sprouted in a plant pot or glass jar. The sprouts will be ready in about 4 days.
* Broccoli, Radish and Alfalfa - Soak these seeds for between 6 and 12 hours. The seeds can be planted in pot or in flat trays with soil. Sprouts will be ready in about 6 days.

Tip: When buying seeds for sprouting make sure that the seeds are not intended for planting as some planting seeds are treated with insecticides.