Sprouts!

I finally did it! I grew my own sprouts! I've been meaning to for well over a year and finally got around to it. They freaked Erich out a little (of course). But they were so yummy (and inexpensive) and really easy!

<--- This picture from GardenWise.
I really need to get a digital camera.

What you need:

a pint or quart sized mason jar (or some people use a tray or special sprouting contraption, but those cost more and are a little harder to find)

sprouting seeds - You don't want to use seeds from a gardening store, they may have been treated with stuff you don't want to eat. Bona fide sprouting seeds are still cheap, I paid $3.00 for a small baggie (Not hard to find at most healthfood stores). To put that in perspective, 2 tbsp seeds would make about a pint of sprouts (two cups), which would normally run you around $3.00- $3.50 alone at the store. Plus these are as fresh as they come, as well as nutritious. I've always been frustrated with the fact that sprouts I buy at the store always seem to go funky before I can finish them, so this is a great little project.

a square of fine mesh material (e.g. cheesecloth or something you can dig up at the hardware store) large enough to cover the jar

the part of the mason jar lid that screws on (minus the center part, since you'll have the mesh)

Put 1-2 tablespoons of seed of choice (quantity depends on size of your jar and type of seed, but this info is easy to find, so I won't get into it here) and fill jar with lukewarm water. Place mesh over lid and screw tight. Swirl gently to rinse seeds; pour water out, and add fresh water at a 4:1 ratio to your quantity of seeds. (e.g. I started with 1 tbsp of red clover seeds and added a final water amount of 4 tbsp water.) Soak overnight.

Rinse by filling jar to top, swirling, and then drain. Place jar at a downward angle in a bowl to allow any remaining water to drain. Repeat in the evening at a minimum, more often if you wish. (I did an extra rinse at noon.) The rinsing is supposed to help stimulate growth and inhibit bacterial growth. Repeat for 3-5 days and then eat!

I actually happened upon a set of mason jar caps you can use in lieu of the cheesecloth from Sprout-Ease that came in three sizes different size sprouts, but any mesh item would suffice. The caps claim to be made from recycled material, and I decided I'd probably have to buy something from the hardware store anyway to start this, so I went for it. Mom gave me a bunch of mason jars when I moved out, so if anyone wants to try it feel free to use of one my jars. I also have some mesh bags that plan on using for produce shopping and making nut-milks that might also have worked well. Haven't tried those , yet.

My red clover sprouts were tiny, only about an inch long but so crunchy and delicious! (I know, I sound like a sprout commercial or something.) I at them all at once ( about 1 cup's worth) in whole grain pita bread with hummus, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cracked pepper.

Some pics, not mine, but that portray the idea, also with some more specific instructions (although I'd say follow the ones on your seeds or sprouting lids first) and pics of the kinds of lids I used.

Growing Edible Sprouts

I'm starting another batch tonight, and I think I'm going to try and keep a rotating stock of some that should mature and 2-3 days or so. Hooray for sprouts!