You're not going to be eating too many meals exclusively of sprouts, but they are certainly a healthy addition to almost any recipe. Sprouts have a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals than at any other time in the growing cycle, which make them especially important in stressful times.
You will see some pretty ambitious claims about the health effects of sprouts. Supposedly they cure cancer prevent heart attacks, make you smarter, improve your sex life, and help you live to be 150. I'm a natural skeptic, but they no doubt are good for you.
They are also economical, even when buying your seeds and equipment in organic or health food stores. Since this series of articles is all about saving money, that is a natural consideration.
On the minus side, many sprouts are definitely an acquired taste. Waiting for a disaster to happen and then forcing an alfalfa salad down everyone's throats, is not a good idea. Start slowly, experiment, and find out what your family likes. You will find a number of recipes in books sold in the same place you buy your seeds and equipment.
Here are some of the sprouts my family have used:
ALFALFA
Not my favorite, but it's what most folks start with. Sprinkle them over salads, or even make a whole salad out of them. Use them in place of lettuce in sandwiches and the kid's cheeseburgers.
BEANS
All of the bean sprouts taste about the same to me. Mung beans are the ones usually sprouted. grow them in the dark, and add them to rice dishes, sandwiches, and salads.
BROCCOLI
I'd rather eat the broccoli than the sprouts, but I do like these as well. Use as with alfalfa, and add them to stews, soups, and salads.
CABBAGE, CELERY
use in breads and in stuffing mixes. Celery has a pretty strong taste if used alone.
MUSTARD
Be careful, these are hot. Add a few to other sprouts, and in sandwiches.
RADISHES
These are my personal favorite--but be careful, they are also hot. We use them to spice up rice dishes, stews, and Mexican dishes. At the end of this articles I'll give you my recipes for a couple Mexican dressings.
WHEAT
Use in salads, breads, and cereals.
Sprouting Seeds
You can, of course, grow sprouts between two layers of paper towels. This isn't as easy as it sounds, though; they will constantly have to be moistened, air circulation is not the best, and there is a higher risk of spoilage. If you're growing sprouts for a couple hens, this method is fine; otherwise, I'd use one of the following methods:
JAR METHOD
We've used both quart and 1-gallon pickle jars, but the 1/2-gallon sprouting jars sold in health food stores are the best. I'd start outwith wide-mouth quart jars--they're cheap enough, and the right size for experimenting. you will likely invest in the 1/2-gallon jars pretty quickly.
You will also need some cheesecloth to cover the mouth of the jar, and a strong rubber band to secure it to the jar.
First, put the right amount of seed in the jar. For a quart jar, use about 2 tablespoons of alfalfa seed; for wheat, about 1/2 cup, and for mung beans, about 1/4 cup.
cover the jar with cheesecloth, and fill it about half full of water to soak the seeds. For smaller seeds, this will be about 4 to 6 hours; for radishes or beans about 12 hours. After this, drain off the water. Set the jar at about a 45-degree angle to allow water to drain and air to circulate.
Rinse the sprouts twice a day by putting the jar under the tap and allowing it to overflow, then drain as above. When the sprouts are mature, harvest them as explained below.
TRAY-TYPE SPROUTERS
Those small plastic tray type sprouters work fairly well, but you will probably need at least two of them. These are supposed to be ideal for alfalfa sprouts, but we've found the small seeds keep getting stuck in the drain holes. For the first couple days, we are constantly unclogging them. We now usually use our trays for wheat, radish, or bean sprouts.
You will need to soak the seeds in a jar as explained above, then transfer the seeds to the trays. If you are using alfalfa, broccoli, or other small seeds, it might be best to sprout them in the jar for the first three days, then transfer them to the trays. This way, the drain holes will remain clear and all the sprouts will get the desired amount of chlorophyll.
Water them at least twice a day according to directions that came with the trays. When the sprouts are mature (about 5 or 6 days for alfalfa), follow the directions below for harvesting.
SPROUTING BAGS
We've not tied those 8" by 12" drawstring bags, but using these might be the simplest way to grow sprouts. If you try these bags, let me know how you like them.
Place the seed in the bag, and place the whole bag in a bowl of water to soak for the required time. Lift the bag out, and hang it someplace to drain for a couple minutes.
Place the sprout bag inside a plastic bag with several holes punched in it for circulation. Rinse the sprouts twice a day by removing the plastic bag and dipping the sprout bag in a bowl of water, allow to drain as above, and place back into the plastic bag. Follow the directions for harvesting the sprouts below.
Harvesting Sprouts
Most sprouts taste better if the hulls have been removed. For lentils, peas, and grains, this is not really necessary. Even so, all sprouts should be washed.
Place the sprouts in a sink and fill about halfway with water. gently agitate the sprouts; some of the hulls will rise to the surface, and some will sink to the bottom. No, I have never figured out why.
carefully move the hulls on the surface to a corner and scoop them out. If you have a compost pile, add the hulls to it.
Gently remove the sprouts so as not to disturb the hulls at the bottom, and place them in a colander to drain. Sprouts will keep in a refrigerator for about a week.
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Radish Dressing
Here's a spicy salad dressing that goes well with Mexican dishes. It's just right for the grandkids, but I usually add some jalapeno or other hot pepper slices.
1/4 cup alfalfa or broccoli sprouts
1/4 cup radish sprouts
1/4 tomato, cut into chunks
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup filtered water
1 teaspoon tamari
Blend all ingredients on high for two minutes.
Spicy Guacamole
3 avocados
1/4 cup raisin sprouts
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, pressed (or 4 wild onions, minced)
Mash avocados with a fork and mix with the other ingredients. Serve with any salad.
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Give these a try. You might be pleasantly surprised. And, as always, if you have any other ideas, comments, or suggestions, we would love to hear them.
Onward and upward,
airforce
