Thursday, April 7, 2011

Let’s Hear it for the Little Things in Life (Sprouting Seeds)!


Do you have garden envy? Sure, everyone’s raving about the great planting weather and showing off their bronzed shoulders and newly rough hands from working in the yard – but what if you don’t have a yard? What if your space or schedule (or any myriad of things) keeps you from a sprawling, outdoor garden? The answer is sprouting seeds, which can be grown without much sun and indoors (indirect sun is usually plenty for these little guys). While the rising temperatures outside might soon be too much for our little seeds or beans to endure, a stable temperature of seventy to seventy-five degrees is the perfect condition for successful sprouting. Don’t for a second let your botanically well-endowed neighbors tell you that sprouts are somehow less impressive, either! In fact, next time you bring your bowl of sprouts to the neighborhood block-party potluck, you just tell those garden-jocks this: A) Sprouts are highly nutritious and more bioavailable due to the natural enzymes that they develop. These naturally occurring enzymes also make them easier to digest than un- sprouted seeds or beans. B) They’re economical! A little goes a very long way, some can grow up to thirty times their size! C) Who needs to keep track of planting seasons? You can grow fresh sprouts throughout the year – and the varieties are as vast as there are delicious!
At this point you can see it on your neighbors’ faces, they’re impressed and, of course, they all want to know how it’s done. So, being the generous and community loving person that all Wheatsville owners are, you give them these helpful pointers: First, soak seeds overnight (some large varieties may need a bit longer). Second, pick a sprouting container. On a glass jar, rather than a lid, use a screen or a muslin cloth, and just flip upside down to drain. A sprouting jar is the traditional method, but bags are great for grains and beans because they don’t require any light at all. However, remember to swish the sprouts around when you rinse (as you should, around every 12 hours to prevent mold) so that the roots don’t grow into the weave of the fabric. In either case, don’t forget to keep them well drained. Finally, you can store your harvested sprouts in your refrigerator, continuing to rinse them every couple days.
There’s nothing sissy about growing your garden in a jar or bag rather than a raised bed in the front-yard. I think whoever first said that’ “the best things come in small packages” must have been a “sprouter” him/herself. And you too can soon be a sprouting aficionado!

Foster a love of small things this season!

Well, just for good measure, here are a few bonus sprouting facts from primalseeds.org to blow away those neighbors:
1. Grow mung beans near bananas. The fruit gives off a natural plant growth hormone known as ethylene gas.
2.Alfalfa means “father of all foods” in Aribic and can be sprouted in 5 days.
3.Sunflower sprouts are tasty but prone to mold, it is recommended that they should be sprouted and eaten after 2 just days.