How to Grow Sprouts

You can grow sprouts just about anywhere. If you have a large back yard where you can have a garden, or you live in the city and have no yard at all, you can grow sprouts. They are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, and they come from vegetables, wheat and beans. Follow the steps below to grow the sprouts of your choice.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Cheesecloth
• Seeds
• Water
• Soils

1. Gather the tools that you’re going to need. To grow sprouts, you’re going to need the seeds, fresh and clean water, quart jars and nylon or cheesecloth.
2. Pour the seeds into the quart jars. For each quart jar you’ll need ½ cup of seeds for wheat, any beans, rye, oats, rice, sunflower seeds, lentil and hulled buckwheat sprouts, or 2 tablespoons of seeds for alfalfa, radish, clover or cabbage sprouts.
3. Pour in water. Remember that the seeds will soak up 2 to 3 times the amount of their dry volume, so make sure to put in enough water. Planning to put in 3 times the amount of their dry volume is a good rule of thumb.
4. Allow the seeds to soak up as much of the water as they can. This will take between 2 and 12 hours, depending on the size of the seed. You can judge if they have soaked up enough water if the water level has gone down by 2 or 3 times what you put in.
5. Pour out the water and rinse the seeds, and return them to the quart jar where you had them. Do not dry the seeds. Stretch your nylon or cheesecloth over the mouth of the lid and tip the jar over in a dark place to drain the seeds.
6. Roll the jar around once the seeds have drained. Leave the jar on its side in a dark room that is room temperature.
7. Rinse the seeds twice a day to make sure they won’t get sour, and drain them thoroughly. This is crucial if you want them to be edible when they grow.
8. Allow the sprouts to grow 2 to 3 inches if they are going to be eaten raw. If they are going to be cooked, only allow them to sprout the length of the bean.
9. Set any mature alfalfa, wheatgrass, buckwheat or sunflower sprouts in indirect sunlight for 4 to 5 hours. They will turn dark green and produce massive amounts of vitamin A at this point.
10. Harvest your sprouts when they have gotten to the length you desire. Rinse them one last time and put them in a sealed container with something to absorb the water. Place them in the refrigerator and use them within a week, as they begin to loose their vitamin C content when they’ve matured.

Tips & Warnings

• Use certified organic seeds. Conventional seeds are normally treated with chemicals.
• Exposing bean sprouts to sunlight will give them a bitter taste, so it is best to keep them in the dark when growing them.
• Never eat sprouts that smell bad or are discolored.
• Do not eat tomato or potato sprouts, they are poisonous to humans.

Who Can Help:

• Find Contractors Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.
• Find Landscaping Services Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.
• Find Landscaping Design and Installation Services Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.