Sprouting

©1998 Homemaking Cottage

It is impossible for families to store fresh vegetables to last a long period of time, especially if there were no refrigeration.  By sprouting seeds, fresh vegetables are only 2-3 days away.  Growing sprouts is like having an indoor garden all the year around.  Compared to yard gardening, kitchen gardening with sprouts is too easy.  The seeds store well and basically all of them sprout, they require little space and grow independent of the weather.  They are free of pesticides, require no fertilizer, require no fuel for preparation and there is no waste in production.  Sprouts are rich in vitamins, proteins, and enzymes.  The produce can be harvested daily at a cost of less than 2 cents per serving.  Grains normally have only a small portion of the total nutrients the body requires.  Once they are sprouted, nutrients can increase up to 60 times the food value.  This makes sprouts a necessary item for the home storage program.  There is very little you can do wrong to sprouts.

General Directions For Sprouting

1. Preferably use fresh seeds.  Old or hard seeds take longer to sprout or may be dead.

2. Pick broken seeds and foreign objects out of measuring cup.  Place in a quart jar with about 2 cups warm water.  Soak 6-8 hours or overnight.  Any seeds that float are probably hollow and should be discarded.

3. Put gauze or nylon fabric on jar mouth with a rubber band or screw ring and drain seeds well...

4. Place jar in warm, dark place.  Sprouts remain more tender if they are grown in the dark.

5. Rinse seeds at least 3 times each day, always draining well- they need to be moist, NOT wet.   An easy way to remember is to do it at meal times and at bedtime.

6. When sprouts attain desired length put them in the light for 3-4 hours to bring the chlorophyll up in the sprouts, then use them.  Store unused sprouts in refrigerator to retard further growth.  Sprouts may be stored 10-15 days in an air tight container.

7. Sprouts may be dried in a dehydrator or in a low over at 100° F, or placed on trays and sun dried.  Vitamin C is decreased with method, however.

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