Sprouting
Sprouting is easy, super nutritious and delicious. You just need to attend to them for a few minutes every 12 hours, that’s it. I like to start mine in the evening at 8pm, then at 8am rinse and go from there every 12 hours. I’m using a mix of seeds here, radish, alfalfa and broccoli. You can start with one and go from there.
- Prep 10 mins
- 2 mins every 12 hours
- Total 4-5 Days
All you need is
1 Wide mouth jar
2 Tbsp of seeds
1 Tbsp of vinegar
1 mesh lid or a clean cheese cloth and a rubber band
Instructions
Step 1 – Soak the seeds with filtered water and the vinegar for 10 mins. Discard the water with the vinegar and rinse the seeds with water three times. Let them soak in filtered water for 8 to 12 hours in a dark place. I keep mine inside a cupboard in the kitchen.
Step 2 – In the morning after I discard the water, rinse with fresh filtered water and drain. Make sure the seeds are well distributed inside the jar. From now on we will leave it upside down or on the side to make sure the water and air flows.
Step 3 – Repeat rinsing and draining every 12 hours, try to always distribute the seeds in the jar as much as possible and always return it to the dark cupboard.
Step 4 – Depending on where you live and the weather condition since in the summer they will grow faster and in the winter they take longer, after day 4 or 5 rinse them again in the morning and this time leave them outside next to a window. They will turn a pale green very fast.
Step 5 – After 6-8 hour in the light they will be light green and ready to harvest. I like to put the jar in the sink, take out the lid and fill it with clean filtered water until the very top. This will help the shells to come to the surface, I scoop out as many as possible.
Step 6 – Drain all the water from the sprouts and let it stand upside down for 10 mins. After that they are ready to come out of the jar. I like to spread them on a paper towel on the top of a metal rack. I leave them drying for 1 hour. Pack them in a glass container and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
About the Ingredients
Why sprouting?
Simply put, they are easy, cheap, and a tasty vegetable that anyone can grow. They are wonderful sources of vitamins, minerals, fibre, and perhaps more importantly, phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are compounds that are produced by plants for their own protection or to give them a survival advantage in their environment. Broccoli sprouts contain 100 times more phytochemicals than that of a grown broccoli head. They are, in essence, a microcosm of the plants they will grow up to become. But they’re fresh, they’re inexpensive, and incredibly fast-growing. It’s also fun to see them grow, especially for kids.
Is it safe?
It is safer to sprout at home than buying from a store. You control where the seeds come from and how to disinfect them. You control if your sprouting jar is clean or not. You control how much air circulation your sprouts get. You control who touches the seeds and if they wash their hands first. You control how long the sprouts stay in the jar before being rinsed. By soaking the seeds with the cider vinegar for 10 mins you are killing the bad bacteria and reducing the chances of any unwanted bacteria growing. Don’t leave them for more than 5 days, they start to loose there nutrients and the risk of bacteria growing starts to increase. Saying this, in 3 years of constant sprouting I’ve never had a bad batch and I got distracted a few times and left them for 6-7 days.
How to eat them?
We love them as a side salad, just with a bit of lemon, black pepper and a few drops of olive oil. I use them as a garnish to top salads or sandwiches. Basically I use them to top whatever we are having to eat.
Sprouting
Equipment
- 1 Wide mouth Jar
- 1 mesh lid or a clean cheese cloth and a rubber band
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp of seeds Radish, Alfalfa and Broccoli
- 1 Tbsp of Apple Cider vinegar
Instructions
- Soak the seeds with filtered water and the vinegar for 10 mins. Discard the water with the vinegar and rinse the seeds with water three times. Let them soak in filtered water for 8 to 12 hours in a dark place. I keep mine inside a cupboard in the kitchen.
- In the morning after I discard the water, rinse with fresh filtered water and drain. Make sure the seeds are well distributed inside the jar. From now on we will leave it upside down or on the side to make sure the water and air flows.
- Repeat rinsing and draining every 12 hours, try to always distribute the seeds in the jar as much as possible and always return it to the dark cupboard.
- Depending on where you live and the weather condition since in the summer they will grow faster and in the winter they take longer, after day 4 or 5 rinse them again in the morning and this time leave them outside next to a window. They will turn a pale green very fast.
- After 6-8 hour in the light they will be light green and ready to harvest. I like to put the jar in the sink, take out the lid and fill it with clean filtered water until the very top. This will help the shells to come to the surface, I scoop out as many as possible.
- Drain all the water from the sprouts and let it stand upside down for 10 mins. After that they are ready to come out of the jar. I like to spread them on a paper towel on the top of a metal rack. I leave them drying for 1 hour. Pack them in a glass container and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- sprouts |
- phytochemicals |
- broccoli |
- raddish |
- salad
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