Living Simply, Living Franciscan

'Sprouting' is an excellent way to add mroe green to your diet

by Mary Ellen Dunford, affiliate
Become a sprouter and grow your own nutritious sprouts. Sprouts are a great way to add nutrition to a salad, sandwich or stir fry. There are a variety of easy-to-sprout seeds and beans. Broccoli, garbanzo, green pea, lentil, mung bean, radish, red clover and alfalfa are a few of many that can be grown in your kitchen.

Here’s how to get started with the jar method.

Equipment needed: One wide-mouth quart jar, one lid ring that fits the jar (you will not need the solid part of the lid), one piece of nylon mesh screen cut to the size of the jar mouth. Commercial sprouting lids are available to fit wide-mouth quart jars.

Directions:

1. Place one tablespoon of sprouting seeds into a jar and cover with warm water. Place screen and ring on jar. Let the seeds soak for 8 to 10 hours in a dark place.
   
2. Each day, rinse and drain seeds two to three times with warm water. After each rinse, turn the jar on its side to spread out the seeds and return seeds to a darkened place (avoid direct sunlight). Repeat this action for three to four days.
   
3. After seeds have sprouted, leave them out in sunlight for one day for greening.
   
4. After sprouts have greened, pour the sprouts into a pan of cool clean water.
   
5. Skim off the seed hulls, rinse sprouts with cool water, drain in a colander and store in refrigerator in an air-tight container.
   
6. Eat and enjoy.
   

There are numerous benefits of eating sprouts.

• Seeds undergoing germination have a richer nutritional value than the mature plant. Vitamin content is increased three to 12 times, sunlight creates chlorophyll and carotene, and sprouts are enriched with flavenoids and essential amino acids. Sprouts are low in calories and fat.
  
• It is economical. One tablespoon of seeds costs less than 50 cents.
  
• It is ecological because the food value is much higher than most other foods per unit of production cost.
  
• Sprouting is toxin free and locally grown in your home.
  
• Sprouting is easy with tasty and versatile results depending on the sprouts you choose to grow.
  

One note of caution: always use sprouting seeds that are labeled edible certified.

If you decide to try sprouting you can order seeds from your local co-op or Google ‘sprouting’ online for purchasing sources. Call me if you have questions about getting started.