How to Sprout Any Edible Seed

There is a long tradition of sprouting in cultures around the world. The Chinese serve mung sprouts stir-fried with any meal. Health food fans sprout any edible seed and toss them into salads or top homemade pizzas with them. Children can get into the act and sprouting quickly becomes a home science project that is edible, too (with some adult supervision regarding the cleanliness of the environment, sprouting jar and storage).Why sprout? It increases the amount of vitamins C, B, E, according to the late Ann Wigmore in her book, Recipes for Life (Rising Sun Publication, 1978). It also increases the amount of enzymes and creates a raw food that is easily digested for most people.

Things You'll Need

• Sprouting jars
• Mesh coverings or cheesecloth, cut into squares large enough to cover the mouth of the jars used
• Rubber bands or string to secure coverings over jars
• Assorted organic edible seeds to sprout
• Filtered water

Instructions

1. Use only organic seeds as you are going to harvest these sprouts and most likely eat them raw. Pesticides are used on conventionally grown seeds and cannot be rinsed off. Start small with 1 to 3 sprouting jars. Experiment with alfalfa, oat, peas, radish, red clover, rye, adzuki, sunflower or even wheat berries.

2. Begin by washing three or so sprouting jars and their matching mesh covers in hot soapy water. Rinse thoroughly and sterilize them by submerging them in boiling water in a large stock pot. Allow it to steep for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove, drain and let it cool. (If you are using cheesecloth, launder it and dry it thoroughly. Mesh coverings are preferred as they remain cleaner during the sprouting process.)

3. Select the types of seeds you would like to sprout. If you are using smaller jars, perhaps use only 2 to 3 teaspoons of seeds per jar. If your sprouting jars are much larger, adjust accordingly. For a quart-sized jar, use about a tablespoon of seeds .

4. Rinse the seeds and tilt the jar upside down on a dish rack so that the jar is at an angle and air can freely circulate around the jar. Rinse it daily 3 to 4 times for up to five days. Sprouts should appear in a few days, according to the type of seeds you have chosen. Once you are satisfied with the growth and maturity of your sprouts, store them in a clean, dry plastic bag in the refrigerator.

5. Eat sprouts raw on salads or in pita bread with other raw greens and steamed vegetables. Or grind them and create a kind of raw seed spread for sandwiches. Or steam them with other vegetables if you prefer eating cooked foods. Read the caution in the link below to avoid salmonella.

Tips & Warnings

• Read the link below for cautions about using a very clean kitchen and all items used in your sprouting endeavor are squeaky clean to avoid salmonella. The link is in reference to commercial growers but its general guidelines can be applied at home.

• Start with a small batch of mung beans as these are familiar in taste to most people. All sprouts can be cooked quickly as a steamed vegetable or folded into an omelet and cooked through.

Resources

• FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition