Grow Your Own Sprouts

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN HAWAII

DO YOU sometimes search in vain at your local market for vegetables that are fresh, crunchy, and nutritious? Well, search no more! With a minimum of time and effort, you can actually grow vegetables right in your own home or apartment. How? By growing sprouts!

Sprouts are so easily maintained that a child can do it. They require little space, no digging, no weeding, and no fussing with complicated chemicals. Best of all, you can eat your produce just four or five days after it begins to grow! But the benefits go beyond mere convenience.

For one thing, sprouts are nutritious—perhaps even more so than plain beans or seeds. Says The Beansprout Book, by Gay Courter: “As the seeds begin to sprout, their vitamin content also begins to grow. The first early shoots of soybeans (per 100 grams [about 4 ounces] of seed) contained only 108 milligrams of vitamin C in one study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania. But after 72 hours the vitamin C content had soared to 706 milligrams!”

Sprouts are also economical. In fact, you probably already own all the equipment that you will need.

Setting Up

First, you need a container. A large glass or plastic jar, a nonmetallic pot, a glass or ceramic bowl, or a deep dish will do just fine. It is even possible to use a shallow dish, spreading out one layer of seeds between two layers of wet cheesecloth or paper towels to prevent drying. Whatever vessel you choose, make sure it is large enough to allow the seeds to sprout and still have room for some air to circulate around them. I have found that a glass jar works well for tiny seeds like alfalfa. Larger seeds, such as mung beans, may do better in a deep dish or pot. This provides the extra space they need and protects the sprouts from rotting or turning sour.

You will also need a covering for your container. A plastic screen, a piece of cheesecloth, or even an old nylon stocking will do the job. All it takes to attach it to the mouth of the container is a strong rubber band or string. Of course, as the seeds must be rinsed at least twice a day, you will also need water and perhaps a colander for draining the container.

Finally, you will need seeds. Almost any edible seed can be sprouted. (I am careful, though, to avoid seeds that have been treated with chemicals.) The best seeds for a beginner to try are mung beans or alfalfa seeds. They are easy to sprout and very tasty! Now, let me tell you how it’s done.

Growing Your Own Sprouts

DAY ONE: First, rinse the seeds carefully. Then, fill your container with water until it covers the seeds or beans by about two inches [5 cm]. Soak the seeds for at least eight to ten hours. You might put the seeds in to soak just before bedtime. After eight to ten hours, the seeds will bulge and the skins will split open slightly. They are ready to be sprouted.

DAY TWO: In the morning, secure the covering and drain the water out of the container. (Since the water contains vitamins, I usually use it to water my plants.) Now, refill the container with water. Shake it a few times, and turn it upside down, allowing the excess water to drain out. Fill the container with water again and again, rinsing and draining the seeds a total of three times. If you have transferred the soaked seeds to a shallow plate, gently pour water over the cheesecloth, and drain it by putting the dish on an incline. Later on, repeat the rinsing process again so that the seeds are thoroughly rinsed twice a day.

DAY THREE: By now, you should be able to see your seeds sprouting. Continue rinsing them twice a day.

DAY FOUR: You can begin eating the sprouts! You can allow the mung-bean sprouts to grow quite tall with no bitter taste developing in them. Just make sure that you keep rinsing the sprouts twice daily. You can also put your sprouts in the sun for about an hour and then refrigerate them. The tiny leaves will turn a beautiful shade of green—very appetizing!

Having tasted success, you may now want to experiment with other types of grains and seeds. Each is a little different in taste and in sprouting time. For example, you may try sprouting hulled sunflower seeds. These sprouts are best eaten in two days, when they are just a half-inch long. If they grow any longer than that, they may acquire a bitter taste.

How to Serve the Sprouts

Most sprouts can be eaten raw in salads, sandwiches, or any dish in which beans and seeds are used. Bean sprouts, though, can be steamed for 10 to 15 minutes before you eat them. Or you can stir-fry them with just a little oil, garlic, and salt. This makes a very tasty dish! Wheat and rye sprouts are very sweet and make a good addition to breads and muffins.

Cultivating sprouts is thus a healthy and economical hobby. You may very well find doing so to be exciting and rewarding. After all, the success rate is high and the results are delicious!

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Japanese Stencil Designs

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DAY ONE: Gather seeds and soak them in water for eight to ten hours

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DAYS TWO AND THREE: Rinse seeds thoroughly twice a day

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DAY FOUR: Sprouts (seen here from the side, on cheesecloth base) are ready to eat!