Shouting for Sprouting!

by Lisa Vines

Feeling a bit produce-deprived and gray in the darkest days of the year? Considering the carbon footprint of those crispy green things that come from California or even farther — and wondering exactly how they were grown — perhaps it’s time to consider some gardening. But, you counter, we’re still a month or so away from those lovely seed catalogues. Guess what? It’s possible to grow fresh produce in your own home, and by “fresh produce” (we’re talking Northeast here, so forget the outdoors), I mean sprouts. Soaking, draining and then rinsing seeds at regular intervals encourages them to germinate, or sprout. Seeds contain proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and oils, and many of these are increased when the seed germinates. And, good news for impatient people: The crop is ready to harvest in under a week.

You’ll need: sprouting raw material (a wide range of seeds, all available in the bulk aisle); a big jar (available in the bulk aisle, above the nut butters — but any big jar will do); some screen, netting or handy screen screw top to enable draining (handy plastic screen tops for jars are available in the bulk aisle — are you surprised?); and time to rinse the sprouts twice a day. (The bulk aisle can’t help you with that one, but the process takes only a few minutes.)

In the bulk aisle, shoppers can find many items for potential sprouting. Look especially on the high shelves, where there are items designed for sprouting: broccoli seeds and alfalfa seeds, among others, as well as some mixes: 5 Bean Mix (adzuki bean, red lentils, green lentils, mung beans and soy beans); and a zesty sprouting mix (crimson clover seeds, alfalfa seeds, fenugreek seeds and radish seeds). The possibilities keep growing. In the December Coop Scoop’s “New on the Shelf” article, Sara Berthelson lists the latest additions to the sprouting materials in Bulk: green pea, onion, daikon radish, garlic, red clover, cress, arugula, China When sprouting, avoid purchased garden seeds, as those have often been treated with chemicals. Buy seeds meant for sprouting.

General Sprouting Instructions

• Place 2 tablespoons of seed mixture into sprouting jar. Add three times more water than seeds. Soak between 4 and 24 hours.

• Twice daily, rinse and drain the seeds thoroughly. Keep the jar inverted so that any excess moisture can escape through the mesh top. Thorough rinsing and draining are crucial to prevent mold and rotting. Use room-temperature water.

• Keep the container in a place with low humidity and little or no sun. The absence of sun keeps the sprouts white and mild; sprouts grown in light tend to have a stronger taste. The temperature should be between 65° and 75°.

• Sprouts are usually ready to eat between three and six days. Test them! When they are the preferred size, rinse, drain and store in the refrigerator to slow the growth. Small seeded sprouts, such as alfalfa, red clover, radish and fenugreek, keep longer (a week) than larger seeded sprouts (three to four days). Sprouts are good in salads, tacos, sandwiches, soups — anywhere a bit of crisp freshness is welcome. Experiment — a tablespoon or two doesn’t cost too much. Find what you like. You might want to vary growing times.

Who else can claim having a garden in January?

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