Sprout, sprout...let it all out

The wonder of sprouts, winter is still here, the snow banks are receeding, but it is still too soon to eat freshly grown food.... or is it?!

I've always marvelled at the power of sprouts, sometimes in as little as 3-5 days you can be harvesting nutritionally packed sprouted seeds. If you think about these seeds they have all the ability to grow into a fully grown 'plant' and you can reap the rewards and eat them as nutritionally dense sprouts.

These have been staples on our table for a number of years, either added into sandwiches, soups, stirfries, stews - or just a handful as a snack, or side salad! There is something rewarding in eating freshly grown food before even the snow drops have emerged and when your larder contents of preserved goodies is dwindling!

Start off by rinsing and soaking the seeds, I often just rinse then soak overnight in a bowl - it works for me, but there is more than one way to sprout a seed!

You can buy or make a number of different sprouters for your home, using mason jars with a muslin or other lid that allows you to drain off excess water.

Depending on your family's appetite will depend on whether you want to increase these quantities:
Using one or two tablespoons of sprout seeds in a jar or bowl, cover it with muslin or netting and rubber band. Wash, rinse and drain the seed, then add a cup of water and soak for 2 to 4 hours (I often soak overnight), then in the morning drain off the water. Rinse and drain morning and night for 2 or 3 days, sometimes after one day I spread them onto the sprouter container picture above, however you can just sprout them in the jar if you wish..

At a time when we are advised to eat less meat and dairy, this is an excellent source of protein. Beans and grains are excellent for sprouting as they are high in protein, low in fat, high in fiber and with no cholesterol. Don't worry - when the seeds sprout some of the starches are converted into simple sugars and therefore make it easier to digest.

Some of my favourite sprouts are mung beans, radish sprouts, buckwheat, red adzuki, broccoli, chia, quinoa, cress (I always think back to the fascinating cress growing experiment we did in school when I sprout cress!) Gosh I could keep going.. however this company supplies an excellent range of sprouts.

Oh yeah and and soybeans, the sprouted soybean has wonderful nitritional properties - it offers very high levels of the B-complex Vitamins, Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

Often termed as 'baby vegetables' they grow incredibly quickly and year round. The actual yield is great approximately one pound of alfalfa seed will result in about ten to fourteen pounds of fresh edible greens.

You can also sprout nuts and this is something I have longed to try and will report back when I have (that plus fermented food - you may say yuk - but this is how Sauerkraut is traditonally made.)

I could easily go on for ages about sprouts, but will just provide the below references. I also nearly went off on one with a secondary piece on growing food in small places... but that's for another day!

Sprout nutrition

The value of sprouts article.

Enjoy!