Sprouting is one of the easiest forms of gardening.  Soil, sun and fertilizer are not required; neither are expensive tools and back-aching labor.  I find sprouting to be the perfect solution to growing fresh vegetables without hassle.  Not to mention sprouts are extremely high in vitamins and minerals (like Vitamin C), are low in calories and fat, and are full of protein, fiber and enzymes (which actually aid the body in digesting the sprouts).

A few months ago I started sprouting seeds in a container in my kitchen.  The container I used was specifically manufactured for sprouting, though making your own homemade container can easily be done by strapping clean nylon to a cup or bowl.  The most important thing to know when selecting a container is that the container needs to have a way of ventilating and draining water from the bottom.  This may mean your cup or bowl has many holes poked in the bottom of it, or it may mean you opt for a commercially manufactured container, like the mini Sprout Master that I used.   The nice thing about the Sprout Master, other than its superiority in producing viable sprouts, is the fact that Sprout Master containers can be stacked on top of each other, thereby taking up less room on your counter top.

Sprouting is simple.  Here are the steps I followed to go from dormant seeds to edible vegetables.

First, I selected the type of seed I wanted to sprout.  I ended up sprouting several types, but the one that turned out the best (because the container had good ventilation) was the broccoli sprouting seeds.

Next, I soaked my broccoli seeds (about ½ cup) in water overnight to bring them out of their inactive, storage state.  The morning after I had soaked them I drained the seeds and spread them thinly over the bottom of the mini Sprout Master.  I placed the container in the window, which I didn’t know was a bad idea.

Lucky for me, the sprouts turned out all right.  However, sprouts are not supposed to be exposed to direct sunlight.  In fact, some people grow their sprouts in the cupboard and avoid sun altogether.

As noted in the article, you are not supposed to place sprouts in direct sunlight. I made this mistake, and I was lucky the sprouts weren’t damaged.

Sprouts need to be watered at least twice daily, but this can vary based on the type of sprout grown.   As previously noted, when sprouts are watered, the water should not be left in the container.  The goal is for the sprouts to be moist, not wet.  If sprouts are left in standing water, they will rot (sometimes growing mold) and smell terrible (as I experienced with the other types of seeds I sprouted).

Different sprouts also have differing growth rates.  The broccoli seeds I had grown were fully sprouted in about five or six days, though they started showing signs of growth after the second day.  It is up to personal preference when you decide to stop watering your sprouts.  You can eat them immediately or place them in the fridge for up to two weeks of storage.

As I said before, sprouting is easy and it gives you a high yield of nutritious vegetables that work well in sandwiches, smoothies, casseroles and many other dishes.  Sprouting is worth a try, even if you don’t become an avid sprouter.

Until next time,

Patty Prepared

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