Sprouts are truly power food! All the energy of the final plant is available in one tiny, sprouted seed or bean. We include sprouts on our breakfast buffet and Beach Break Snacks every day. I am always experimenting with different kinds but our tried and true favorites are linked for you here: mung beans, lentils, dun peas, radish, and a “Zesty Mix” of radish, clover, alfalfa and fenugreek seeds. Purchasing these organic products from Amazon makes it easy to source/buy and a Prime membership saves me a fortune on shipping.
Sprouting is easy. All you need is a space on your kitchen counter for your small “farm”. All seeds, peas, legumes etc are soaked first (6-10 hrs), then rinsed and drained about three times a day until harvesting (3-5 days). In a trial and error learning curve over the past years I have determined which sprouting tools are optimum for each type of sprout.
I use a 1/2 gallon ball jar and draining lid for the very small seeds of radish, alfalfa, fenugreek, clover. The small seeds immerse and soak about 4-6 hours. Then, rinse and drain, then rotate the jar so that the seeds cling to all sides. Cover with towel to keep out the light. Rinse and drain several times a day until they attain desired sprout size. I like my sprouts at about 1/4-1//2 inch, and these take about 3-4 days.
For larger choices, like the dun peas, mung beans and lentils, I use The Easy Sprouter, a “cup in a cup” technique. You can soak (6-8 hours) and rinse easily and it’s compact on the counter too. The manufacturer claims you can rinse less frequently with this tool/technique so if you’re away from home for extended periods this can help. The sprouts can get very intertwined in this small cup as they grow, but a final soak and gentle swish separates them.
I love these stackable trays too. After soaking overnight in ball jars, divide beans, peas, lentils etc into the trays. Rinse and drain 2-3 times a day. Rotate top tray to bottom at each rinse for consistent, even sprouting. I harvest when sprouts are about 1/2 inch long.
Experiment! Harvest, let them dry out slightly, store in ZipLock bags in the fridge. I date the bags too. Sprouts last a very long time (several weeks) if stored correctly, but we find that the first 10 days are the freshest and best.
Any questions or concerns? Feel free to email me: elaine@yeltonmanor/com