Growing Sprouts

Sprouts of just about any vegetable seed or grain can be grown and eaten. Sprouts are eaten in salads, sprouts make great sandwich toppings, and sprouts can be used to add beneficial vitamins, flavor, and visual appeal to almost any recipe or dish. Sprouts are nutritious, delicious, and sprouts are very easy to grow. Sprouts can turn a boring sandwich or meal into a tasty dish. Consider growing sprouts in a dark location in your home, and you can enjoy delicious nutritious sprouts, all year long.

Poisonous Sprouts

Just about any vegetable seed can be grown and eaten after it sprouts, but not all vegetable seed sprouts are safe to consume. There are a couple of seed sprouts that are poisonous and should never be eaten in any amount. Never eat the sprouts of tomatoes or potatoes.

Supplies Needed for Growing Sprouts

You can buy sprouting containers from health food stores, but fancy jars or containers aren’t necessary for growing sprouts. All you really need for growing sprouts is a shallow container or a jar of your choice, a sheet of cheesecloth, seeds that haven’t been treated with chemicals, a dark location for growing the sprouts, and a little water.

Sprouts to Consider

All sprouts are not the same. If you want sprouts with a little bit of kick, consider growing radish seed sprouts or mustard seed sprouts. These sprouts are great on sandwiches or mixed with other types of sprouts.

Kidney bean sprouts, lima bean sprouts, navy bean sprouts, soybeans, and mung bean sprouts are all great choices when considering growing sprouts. Bean sprouts have a mild delicious flavor, and they are fantastic in oriental dishes, on hamburgers, or on cold sandwiches.

Alfalfa sprouts are also very good. Sprouts of alfalfa seeds are delicate in texture, and alfalfa sprouts are fantastic on sandwiches and in tossed salads. Consider growing alfalfa sprouts. You’ll definitely end up hooked on these nutritious and exceptionally delicious sprouts.

If you want sprouts with a rich nutty flavor, consider growing wheat, rice, rye, or oat sprouts. These types of sprouts are fantastic on sandwiches, and they will make any ordinary dish extraordinary.

How to Grow Sprouts

Thoroughly clean approximately one-eighth of a cup of seeds by rinsing them in a strainer. After the seeds of your choice are thoroughly rinsed and clean, put them in a clean jar or container, and soak them in warm water for approximately eight hours. Drain the seeds, and dab them with a clean paper towel so they remain moist but not wet. Dry the jar, and put the moist seeds back inside. Try to spread the seeds in the jar or container as evenly as possible.

Place the container of seeds in a dark location such as a cupboard or a closet, cover the jar with a sheet of cheesecloth, and rinse the seeds four times a day. Seeds should be thoroughly rinsed in cold water during hot summer months, and with lukewarm water in cold winter months. Gently dab the rinsed seeds with clean paper towels after each rinse, and place them back in the dark location.

Your seeds should sprout in just a few days. Sprouts are considered the tastiest when they are no longer than two inches in length. Experiment with growing sprouts, and decide for yourself when they taste the best.

Using and Storing Sprouts

When your sprouts are ready to eat, rinse the sprouts in a strainer, and remove any seeds that didn’t sprout along with any seed hulls. Allow the sprouts to finish draining on paper towels.

If you want the foliage of your sprouts to turn a lovely shade of green, simply place them back inside the container, and set the sprouts in a sunny location for a couple of hours. The sunshine will help the sprouts turn a rich shade of green. When sprouts are green they are more visually appealing in tossed salads or on cold sandwiches.

Sprouts can be stored in plastic sandwich bags in the refrigerator, and store your sprouts in the vegetable bin if possible. Sprouts will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about six days.