Earthly matters

Grow your own Organic Sprouts! Sprouting is a simple and quick way to enhance meals with vitamin and mineral-rich fresh organic greens. You need only a few “tools of the trade” to create your own sprout “grow op”; all of which you can probably find in your cupboard or recycling bin.

To start your garden, collect the following items:

organic sprouting seeds
wide mouthed glass jars
mesh or cheesecloth
rubber bands
distilled water

Step 1- The Soaking Stage: Put 1 to 2 tablespoons of seeds in your wide mouthed jar. Cover the jar with mesh or cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. Add water, swirl and drain. Then add 1 cup of cold distilled water and soak for up 4 to 8 hours. Drain well.

Step 2- The Rinsing Stage: Rinse seeds by refilling jar with water and gently swirling. Drain water and prop jar at an angle. Repeat twice daily.

Most types of sprouts are ready to eat in 3 to 6 days. To keep fresh, refrigerate well-drained sprouts in a sealed container. Happy growing!

Sprouting Tips

Use lukewarm water for soaking and rinsing in cold room temperatures, and cold water in warm room temperatures.
A short soak is better than a long soak, especially in hot weather. Seeds only need to be soaked as long as it takes for them to absorb water and swell up. Most sprouts do best if they are drained well between rinses.
Broccoli and radish sprouts have a very extensive white fuzzy root hair system (don’t mistake this for mould!)
Sunflower shoots are juiciest when grown with their roots in a 1/4 inch of water. Keep covered; the condensation formed helps the hulls fall off.
If you need to be away for a few days before your sprouts are ready, just cover them with a plastic bag and put them in the fridge. When you get home take them out of the fridge and start growing them again.
Sprouting, even when using organic seeds, is not expensive. Most types of sprouts that you can grow yourself only cost a few cents per 1 cup serving.