Equipment:
Sprouting equipment (this can be homemade but we bought a "sprout garden")
Water
Sunlight
Seeds (make sure you get them from a good source because E. coli contamination is a major concern for sprouts... I recommend buying seeds that are intended for growing sprouts and not seeds that are intended for planting in the garden)
Step 1: Soak your seeds.
For alfalfa, you soak them for 6-8 hours. In the picture here, I used 1.5 tablespoons of seeds.
Step 2: Drain the water and put the lid on your container so your seeds are in the dark.
Step 3: Rinse your seeds several times a day (it differs for each type of seeds but for alfalfa I believe it's 2-3 times a day... we keep ours near the sink and I rinse 'em whenever I'm over there if I haven't done it recently). Do this for as many days as it takes for the seeds to grow and fill the container.
Here's a pic of the alfalfa seeds as they grow.
Step 4: When your seeds fill the container, put them out in the sun for a day. (Rinse them a few times so they don't get withered)
Notice how these sprouts are a little yellowy? After a day in the sun, they get some green in them.
Step 5: Rinse your sprouts. Some of the seeds won't germinate and you want to give the sprouts a rinse and discard the unsprouted seeds. I put all of the sprouts into a bowl of water to do this.
Step 6: Store and eat. We keep ours in tupperware in the fridge. Because we eat so many, I typically try to start a new batch going as soon as an old one finishes, and I usually have two batches of sprouts in various stages of growth at the same time.
Use sprouts on salads or in sandwiches. I like them on toast, bagels, or wraps spread with hummus and if I've got cucumbers, tomatoes, or avocados around, I'll add those. If you like red onions, you can add those to your sandwiches too. I don't like them so I don't add them :) |
